It Rains More in the Mountains than at the Beach

In this lesson, students explore how water moves through the world in different forms and how heat, wind, and landforms influence that movement. Students examine patterns of weather and climate understanding why some areas, like deserts or beaches, receive less rain than higher elevations. Students use real-world examples to investigate how geography and historical weather patterns shape local climates.
Resources

Lesson Plan

Partner

Grade Levels: 3

Duration: 60 minutes

Concepts/Skills: Elevation change and moisture/temperature, Water Cycle, Analyzing and interpreting data, Patterns and predictions, Weather and climate

Objectives:

  • Describe how heat and wind move water through the water cycle.

  • Explain why higher land like mountains gets more rain than lower areas.

  • Analyze rainfall data from different elevations using tables and graphs.

  • Interpret topographic maps to understand elevation and its effect on rain.

  • Identify patterns in weather to predict where more rain might fall.