In preschool, the children don't yet know how to write, therefore the students' learning is through observation. Show the children, first, what precipitation is by taking them outside early in the morning or when it's raining. If it's raining, provide the students have umbrellas or are under an awning and not out in the rain. Tell them the water on the grass or plants early in the morning is dew. Explain to them that the water in dew and the water in rain are forms of precipitation. Have the students draw water movement, either as dew or rain.
Teach elementary students how to make a water cycle diagram. On a piece of paper, draw a horizontal line an inch above the bottom across the paper. Draw a depiction of an ocean with a cloud and the sun in the picture. Use this drawing to create a diagram showing evaporation, condensation, precipitation and accumulation. Explain how evaporation is when the sun heats up the water, causing it to change into the gas form and float into the air. Then the gas begins to cool off and become solid again creating clouds, which is condensation. When the clouds get heavy, it rains, mists, or snows, which is precipitation. The water accumulates into the ocean and the cycle starts again.
Teach middle grade or junior high school students how to make a cloud release rain. Slowly filling a sponge with water will help the student notice the weight of the sponge as it becomes full. Note how much water the sponge absorbs before it begins to drip water. Point out the water dripping from the bottom of the sponge, equating it to rain from a cloud.
Create a weather station in the classroom using instruments needed to predict, measure and observe weather. A rain gauge measures the amount of rain that has fallen during a storm. A hygrometer measures the amount of humidity in the air by determining the speed of evaporation in a sealed container. The barometer displays the change in air pressure in an area that happens when a storm occurs.