How does the sun help it rain?

    While reading the book, Sun Up, Sun Down, by Gail Gibbons, many of our youngsters were confused by the statement that the sun helps it rain.  To help them understand this statement, we did a simplified water cycle demonstration.  

    Using a coffee pot, the water was heated and it changed to steam.  In the beginning, the children felt the top of  the coffee pot to see that it was dry.  After heating and steam produced, the top was placed back on the coffee pot.  Ice was then  placed on the top.  The ice caused condensation on the top of the pot. Then they felt the top again so they could see the water droplets which resulted from the water being heated and then cooled.  Because of their ages, we kept the demonstration very  simple.  After doing the demonstration, we made "rain" books with the steps of the water cycle that we had observed.

Alexander's rain book:

(Title Page)	(A water place - see the fish!)
(The water turns to vapor. Use the example of your mother's steam kettle)	(The vapor rises and hits the cold air and turns to rain)

Jasmyn's book:

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