Lesson Plans and Activities

Rain, Rain, Go Away

This is one example of activities and mini lessons using the poem, "Rain, Rain, Go
Away." The lessons address oral language, reading concepts, phonics, rhymes,
writing, art, and music. Examples of student work from my classroom will be added
throughout the year.

Step One: Get Ready

Time and thoughtful preparation for the lessons and activities will create structure
and enhance the instructional process.. You need to have a map but you can take
detours in the expansion of the unit. Organizing, planning, gathering resources, and
aligning concepts are the most time consuming and tedious tasks in the development
of an instructional process. Gather the materials, books, and extended
resources. Write down your ideas. Start collecting what you need for the unit. Begin
a storage file so you will be able to add to the unit over time as you acquire your
"goodies". Then, start webbing your ideas into an instructional plan based on the
academic standards of your state or district.

General Materials Needed To Begin:

Copy the poem. One written on large chart paper; one typed on the computer
and glued to construction paper for the rhyme center.
Sentence strips
Markers
Pocket charts or an area to display sentence strip activities

Rain Chart

Lesson and Activity Suggestions

Build Background

Writing Journal

Make a Web of Ideas

For students who are
Discuss rain. How does
beginning to learn English
rain sound. What can you do you may use the following

on a rainy day? What do you journal frame. Other

use/wear on rainy days? Why students may want to free
do we need rain?
write their responses.
I like the rain
when__________. Rain sounds
like _________. Rain makes
me feel _________.

Rain Journal Example

Reading the Rhyme

Read the rhyme each day during the week! To introduce the rhyme, children
should be seated as a group or at circle time on the floor. Have the rhyme written on
the chart in large letters for easy viewing. Add some pictures or graphics to enhance
vocabulary comprehension.
The first reading should be by the teacher. Children should listen as you
read. Track the print with your hand or a pointer during the reading. This rhyme is
also available as a song on many tapes. The Wee Sing and Play series has nursery
rhyme songs which can be used to develop a rhythm to the language patterns. Play
with the language and use an expressive voice.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Rain, rain, go away
Come again another day.

Little Johnny wants to play.

Rain, rain, go to Spain
And never show your face again.

Work with the Words

Working directly with the words in a rhyme to teach phonics and word study skills is
a meaningful way to connect the phonetic concepts. The following are examples of
phonetic mini-lessons.

Skills

Application

* Long vowel /a/ sound

* " Find the words that have

the sound of /a/ as in rain.
* Partner letters that make (stretch the sound as you say
one sound /ay/ /ai/ (if you use the word). When I read the
Zoo Phonics follow the
poem, raise your hand when
method for partner letters). you hear this sound."
* Rhymes

(rain, play, face)

* Long /a/ sound with the * Read each sentence again.

silent /e/ at the end (Zoo
Stop when the /a/ sound
Phonics= Ellie Elephant
appears. Direct attention to
bossy)
the word.
* Punctuation.
*Capital letters
* Proper Nouns

*Compare the /ai/, /ay/ and

silent /e/ word with the
long /a/ sound.
* If you use Zoo Phonics,
make the movements to
show the spelling of each
word.
* List word family of/ay/
words
* list word family of /ain/
words
* list word family of words
with /ace/.
* Point out capital words.

Discuss beginning of
sentence rules (salute if
using Zoo Phonics). Proper
nouns, Spain and Johnny are
capitalized.

Write a Rhyme
Use a patterned rhyme to introduce the writing activity. The following is one
suggestion. Patterns for the umbrella and poem are included here. Click on the
pattern you would like at the bottom of the page.
Rain on the tall grass,
Rain on the trees,
Rain on the roof tops
But not on me.
Write the following pattern on chart paper. Students can brainstorm ideas.
Make a list of the words that they suggest. Leave the words in a visible location to be
used in the writing. Write the following pattern on chart paper or for younger students,
write the pattern on paper and copy for each student.
Rain on the ____________
Rain on the ____________.
Rain on the _____________.
But not on me.
Draw or find clip art of a large umbrella. Copy the umbrella on construction
paper. When copying the pattern, make one part of the umbrella fit on the folded side
(three sides will be cut out). The book will open as an umbrella. Use writing paper
with the same umbrella shape. Students can write the poem on the shape paper and
glue into the umbrella shaped construction paper. This makes a cute shape book for
the poem.
* Pattern of umbrella
* Pattern for rain poem
* Rain, Rain, Go Away Color pages with poem

Pocket Chart Suggestions

Language Arts - Mechanics Mini Lesson

For a language arts mini lesson on "asking" and "telling" sentences, use the rhyme
as the foundation. On sentence strips, write interrogative and declarative sentences.
Cut several umbrella shapes. For each sentence, draw a large period or question
mark. On two umbrellas, write the words, "asking" and "telling." Place these at the
top of the pocket chart. Students will use the periods and question marks to complete
the sentences.
Example

Is it raining today
I want the rain to go away
It is raining in Spain today
What did Johnny want to do today
The rain can come again another day
Did it rain on Tuesday

Asking and Telling Chart

Vocabulary Cloze Sentence Chart
Write sentences on sentence strips leaving out key words. Write the key words on
index cards or small sentence strips. Students read the sentences and then find the
key word.

MAKE RAIN STICKS

MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED:
Empty paper towel rolls (wrapping paper rolls work well but cut them in half).
Rice (dry, uncooked) or popping corn kernels (uncooked), construction paper cut in
two circles for each child large enough to cover each end of the tubes (use glue and a
rubber band to secure openings), decorations, and small pieces of aluminum foil.
DIRECTIONS:
Decorate the empty paper towel rolls with paint, construction paper, tissue
paper, or other items. Let the decorations/glue/paint/ dry. Cover one end of the tube
with the construction paper circles. Glue edges of the circle around the tube and
secure this opening with a rubber band or masking tape. Fill the tube with about two
tablespoons of dry rice. Add a few pieces of aluminum foil rolled up. Secure the
other opening end in the same manner.
EXTENSIONS:
Listen to background music from the rain forest or with rain. Children can
make their rain sticks move to the music.
Write an observation - (6Traits writing component, grade one)
Write an observation describing how the rain sticks were made. Sequence the
steps.
Write a poem about the rain stick. Sounds, makes me feel, looks like. Here is
an example of one I wrote and used with my students:
My Little Rain Stick
My rain stick makes a happy sound
When I move it up and down.
The little music that I hear
Makes me smile and gives me cheer.
by: B. Sarah Froehlich

Additional Literature Books

Big Sarah's Little Boots by Paulette Bourgeois
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by J. Barrett
In the Rain with Baby Duck by Amy Hest
Listen to the Rain by Bill Martin, Jr. & John Archambault

Mushroom in the Rain

My Very Best Rainy Day
Rain (no text book- Pictures)
Rain Feet Board Book, by Angela Johnson
Rain Talk, by Mary Serfozo

Rain, rain, [Move your fingers down like falling rain.]

go away. [Push your hands out, as if you were pushing the rain away.]
Come again another day. [Make a "come here" motion with your hands.]
DADDY wants to play. [Hold up your hand showing all five fingers and point to your thumb.]
Rain, rain, go away. [Move your fingers down and then push away the rain.]
Rain, rain,
go away.
Come again another day.
MOMMY wants to play. [Hold up your hand showing all five fingers and point to your index finger.]
Rain, rain, go away.
Rain, rain,
go away.
Come again another day.
BROTHER wants to play. [Hold up your hand showing all five fingers and point to your middle finger.]
Rain, rain, go away.
Rain, rain,
go away.
Come again another day.
SISTER wants to play. [Hold up your hand showing all five fingers and point to your ring finger.]
Rain, rain, go away.
Rain, rain,
go away.

Come again another day.

BABY wants to play. [Hold up your hand showing all five fingers and point to your pinky finger.]
Rain, rain, go away.
Rain, rain,
go away.
Come again another day.
ALL THE FAMILY wants to play. [Hold up your hand and wiggle all five fingers.]
Rain, rain, go away.