LESSON 8 TEACHER’S GUIDE
Let It Rain!
by Claire Daniel
Fountas-Pinnell Level I
Nonfiction
Selection Summary
Rain brings the water living things need to survive. There are many
types of rain, including showers, downpours, mist, thunderstorms,
and hurricanes. Strong storms and the resulting floods can cause
damage, but most of the time, rain is good for the Earth.
Number of Words: 257
Characteristics of the Text
Genre
Text Structure
Content
Themes and Ideas
Language and
Literary Features
Sentence Complexity
Vocabulary
Words
Illustrations
Book and Print Features
• Nonfiction
• Three to seven lines of text in the same position on each page
• Text focused on single concept with many examples
• Some cause and effect
• Types of rain
• Benefits and damage caused by rain
• Rain brings the water living things need to survive.
• There are many kinds of rain.
• Rain can cause damage as well as bring benefits.
• Writer talks directly to reader (second person)
• Many short sentences
• Some longer, more complex sentences
• Sentences with nouns in series
• An exclamation in title and text: Let it rain!
• Some words relating to rain: shower, downpour, mist, thunderstorm, hurricane
• Some multisyllable words: hurricane, thunderstorm
• Primarily one- and two-syllable words
• Color photographs support the text.
• Nine pages of text, photographs on every page.
• Sentences starting on left margin, some carrying over two lines
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
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Let It Rain!
by Claire Daniel
Build Background
Help children use their knowledge of rain to visualize the text. Build interest by asking a
question such as the following: What different kinds of rain storms do you know about?
Read the title and author and talk about the cover photograph.
Introduce the Text
Guide children through the text, noting important ideas and nonfiction features. Help with
unfamiliar language so they can read the text successfully. Give special attention to target
vocabulary. Here are some suggestions:
Page 2: Explain that this book tells about different types of rain. It also describes
the benefits of rain and the problems big storms can cause.
Suggested language: Turn to page 2. Let’s read the second and third sentences:
All living things need water. Rain brings us the water we need. What do you think
can happen if living things don’t get water?
Page 3: Have children find the word prevents. The book says that rain prevents
plants from dying. How might rain keep animals from dying?
Page 6: Draw attention to the photograph. Have you ever seen flashes of lightning
in the sky? What did they look like?
Page 7: Turn to page 7 and read the last sentence: Pounding drops of rain reach
the ground. Have you ever stood outside in a rainstorm? What does it feel like
when it pounds on your face?
Page 9: Draw attention to the photo. A flood is when it rains too much. A flood can
damage houses, cars, and plants. What damage can you see in this photo?
Now turn back to the beginning of the book and read to learn about rain.
Target Vocabulary
bend — v. to cause something to
curve without breaking it, p. 8
equal — the same as, p. 6
beware — to be very careful and
alert, p. 8
pounding — hitting or
hammering again and again,
p. 7
damage — v. to harm or hurt
something, p. 9
Grade 2
flash —a short burst of light, p. 6
2
prevent — keep something from
happening, p. 3
reach — to get to, p. 7
Lesson 8: Let It Rain!
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Read
As the children read, observe them carefully. Guide them as needed, using language that
supports their problem solving ability.
Remind children to use the Visualize Strategy
happening as they read.
and to picture what is
Discuss and Revisit the Text
Personal Response
Invite children to share their personal responses to the book.
Suggested language: What did you learn about rain?
Ways of Thinking
As you discuss the text, help children understand these points:
Thinking Within the Text
Thinking Beyond the Text
Thinking About the Text
• Rain brings the water plants and
animals need to live.
• Rain brings the water living
things need to survive.
• There are many kinds of rain,
including a shower, a downpour,
mist, thunderstorms, and
hurricanes.
• Rain plays an elemental part in
the natural cycle.
• The photos contain visual
information and back up the
content of the text.
• Rain can damage trees and
cause floods.
• Rain can cause damage as well
as bring benefits.
• The language is clear.
• The examples of rain are defined
and described.
• The author’s purpose in writing
the book is to inform readers
about rain.
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
Choices for Further Support
• Fluency Invite children to choose a passage from the text to read aloud. Remind them
to put appropriate stress on words to reflect the meaning of the text.
• Comprehension Based on your observations of the children’s reading and discussion,
revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind children to go
back to the text to support their ideas.
• Phonics/Word Work Provide practice as needed with words and word parts, using
examples from the text. Remind children that some words, called homophones, have
the same pronunciation, but are spelled differently and have different meanings. For
example, the word mist is a kind of rain; the word missed sounds the same, but is
spelled differently and means “failed to hit, notice, or reach.” Provide other examples
of homophones, such as rain, see, and break.
Grade 2
3
Lesson 8: Let It Rain!
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Writing about Reading
Vocabulary Practice
Have children complete the Vocabulary questions on BLM 8.1.
Responding
Have children complete the vocabulary activities on page 11. Remind them to answer the
Word Teaser on p. 12. (Answer: flash)
Reading Nonfiction
Nonfiction Features: Photos Remind children that nonfiction has many features to help
readers find and understand important information. Photos often add information that is
not in the text. Have children look again at the photo on page 3. Ask what information they
can learn from the photo (the effect of drought on plants).
Sometimes photos can give information about feelings, too. Have children look at the
photo on page 4. Ask how they think the children in the photo feel about running through
a downpour (they look like they are having fun). Then have children choose a photo in the
book and tell what information they can get from looking at the photo.
Writing Prompt: Thinking About the Text
Have children write a response to the prompt on page 6.
Assessment Prompts
• Which words on page 7 help the reader understand the meaning of the word
pounding?
• What does the word equal mean in this sentence? The wind may be equal to the speed
of a fast car.
Grade 2
4
Lesson 8: Let It Rain!
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English Language Development
Reading Support Pair beginning and intermediate readers to read the text softly
aloud, or use the audio or online text. Remind them to think about the meaning of the text.
Cultural Support Rain comes in different forms around the world. Ask children to
describe the rainstorms they are most familiar with. Point out the similarities between
English and Spanish in the words damage/dañan and equal/equivalente.
Oral Language Development
Check children’s comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches their
English proficiency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the child.
Beginning/Early Intermediate
Intermediate
Early Advanced/ Advanced
Speaker 1: What does rain bring us?
Speaker 1: What does a hurricane
bring?
Speaker 1: What are two of the
light kinds of rain?
Speaker 2: A hurricane brings a lot of
rain and wind.
Speaker 2: A gentle rain is called a
shower and a light rain, with tiny
drops, is called mist.
Speaker 2: water
Speaker 1: What is a hard rain called?
Speaker 2: downpour
Speaker 1: What can happen if it rains
too much?
Speaker 2: It can flood.
Speaker 1: What does lightning look
like?
Speaker 2: You see flashes in the sky.
Lesson 8
Name
Date
BLACKLINE MASTER 8.1
Target Vocabulary
Let It Rain!
Target Vocabulary
Draw a line from the Target Vocabulary word on the left
Vocabulary
to the word or words that mean the same thing.
1. bend
quick, bright light
2. flash
same
3. beware
stop from happening
4. pounding
twist or fold
5. damage
go as far as
6. prevent
be careful
7. equal
banging
8. reach
harm
Read directions to children.
Target Vocabulary
3
bend
beware
damage
equal
flash
pounding
prevent
reach
Grade 2, Unit 2: Nature Watch
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Grade 2
5
Lesson 8: Let It Rain!
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First Pass
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Name
Date
Let It Rain!
Thinking About the Text
Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in one paragraph.
On pages 8 and 9, the author writes about the damage rainstorms can
cause, but on the last page, the book says: But most of the time, rain is
good for the Earth. Why do you think the author ends the book that way?
What information in the book supports that statement? Use details from the
book in your answer.
Grade 2
6
Lesson 8: Let It Rain!
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Lesson 8
Name
Date
Target Vocabulary
Let It Rain!
Target Vocabulary
Draw a line from the Target Vocabulary word on the left
to the word or words that mean the same thing.
1. bend
quick, bright light
2. flash
same
3. beware
stop from happening
4. pounding
twist or fold
5. damage
go as far as
6. prevent
be careful
7. equal
banging
8. reach
harm
Grade 2
BLACKLINE MASTER 8.1
7
Vocabulary
bend
beware
damage
equal
flash
pounding
prevent
reach
Lesson 8: Let It Rain!
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Student
Lesson 8
Date
BLackline master 8.23
Let It Rain! • level i
page
2
Let It Rain!
Running Record Form
Selection Text
Errors
Self-Corrections
Accuracy Rate
Self-Correction
Rate
Let it rain! All living things need water. Rain brings us the
water we need.
3
Plants need water to live. Rain prevents plants from dying.
Animals need water to live, too. Rain gives animals water to
drink.
4
There are many kinds of rain. A gentle rain is a shower. In a
shower, a little rain falls in a short time. A hard rain is a
downpour. In a downpour, a lot of rain falls in a short time.
5
Mist is a light rain. The rain falls in such tiny drops that you
might not even see it.
Comments:
(# words read
correctly/97 × 100)
(# errors + #
Self-Corrections/
Self-Correction)
%
1:
Read word correctly
Code
✓
cat
Repeated word,
sentence, or phrase
®
Omission
—
cat
cat
Grade 2
Behavior
Error
0
0
1
8
Substitution
Code
cut
cat
1
Self-corrects
cat
cut sc
0
Insertion
the
1
Word told
T
cat
cat
ˆ
Error
1413784
Behavior
1
Lesson 8: Let It Rain!
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