Story Activities and Materials for
Rain by Manya Stojic
When rain comes to the African savannah, the animals use their senses to tell about the storm to other animals. Manya Stijic showcases the 5 senses in this fun story filled with imagery, repetitive language, and information about the weather cycle.
This story is a great companion for units on weather and science.
Introduce the Story:
Prior to reading this story, set the stage for determining and providing background knowlege.
- Consider checking the current weather, watch a clip about rain, sing about the 5 senses, or look at a globe to see where the story takes place.
- Look at the cover of the book together. What do you think this story is about? Does the cover tell us about the story?
- Acknowledge the author and illustrator.
- This book is about animals in Africa who use their senses to track the weather. Follow students lead in discussing "what is rain?" and "what do animals do in the rain?"
- How many words are in the title? Lets clap each word - Rain! 1 Clap!
- Do you see any letters you know? What sound does that letter make?
- Look at just a few of the illustrations in the beginining and make predictions. As you read, stop along the way to check if the predictions are true or false. (DR-TA)
- Label the parts of the book: cover, spine, title. Does the book look like its in good condition?
- Note where to start reading.
Vocabulary
Review story vocabulary prior or as you read. Display vocab on word wall or match to text in the book.
Characters
Who are the main characters in the story? Use props or puppets as you read.
Sequence the Story
When rereading the story, sequence the actions in the story by asking what happened first, next, then, and at the end.
This book ends where the story began. Do you think this story will happen again? Talk about the weather cycle.
Comprehension
Here are question cards that ask about "who" in the story.
Ask open ended questions for further discussion.
Alphabet Knowledge
What letter does "Rain" start with? How many letters are in the word? Trace the letter R with items such as marker, playdough, wikisticks, rubber bands, or rocks.
Write or draw things that begin with R
Contractions
What are contractions? (2 words combined into one with an apostrophe) Can you find contractions in the story? Here are some activities to explore more contractions.
Quotations
Look for quotation marks in the story. What do they mean? How can you use quotations in your writing?
Writing
Describe the five senses.
Write about things you can do in various types of weather.
Be a scientist. Look at certain objects and describe it in your scientific notes. (great for a science center)
Poetry
In this story, the author uses descriptive language, such as "gushed and gurgled" and "feathery grass". Can you write a poem about rain?
Weather
Talk about different types of weather.
Look at the weather and graph over several weeks.
What is your favorite type of weather?
Five Senses
Can you name the 5 senses we saw in this story? Check out these books to learn more about the five senses.
Place the five senses on a wall or chart.
Five senses activities and games.
AAC Communication
Check out different fringe and communication boards.
