Today in science for our water cycle project we were working on precipitation.  The students were put in groups and given a design challenge to make precipitation happen inside a jar.  They had to have the opening of the jar covered and the rain had to happen inside the jar.  They were allowed to ask for other things that were available in the building if they wanted.  All groups tried to make a temperature change to make condensation happen.  They knew that the more condensation they made the quicker it would get heavy and fall as precipitation.  Group one put ice in the jar and then wanted to use straws to blow in hot air.  But they found that when they covered the opening to the jar the hot air was not getting in.  So they did a redesign and they left the ice in the jar and tried to create heat by rubbing their hands together and then placing them on the jar.

Group 2 wanted to put hot water in the jar then turn the lid upside down and fill it with ice.

Group 3 put ice in the jar then tried to create heat using a flashlight and a magnifying glass.

Group 4 put ice in the jar then tried to create heat using a large lamp.

Congratulations to group 2 on making rain in a jar.  After discussion the other groups decided that group 2 was successful because they had the greatest temperature difference and none of the other groups generated as much heat as the hot water did.