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Measure April Showers With DIY Rain Gauge

Have you heard the phrase “April showers bring May flowers”? How much does it rain in April? How much rain do you think we need to get those flowers? Let’s test it out!  

Today we will be making a rain gauge, which is a tool used to measure how much rain falls. 



Materials


  • 2-liter bottle 

  • Scissors 

  • A permanent marker

  • A ruler 

  • Some rocks


Instructions 


1. Cut the top off your bottle. (You might need an adult’s help for this part!) 


2. Take your ruler and measure about 2 inches from the bottom of your bottle. Draw a line. 


3. Starting from the line, measure and mark every half inch. 


4. Put some rocks at the bottom of the bottle and fill it with water until it reaches the bottom line. This is where you will start your measurements. 


5. Flip the cut-off top of the bottle and place it inside so it acts as a funnel. 


6. Check the weather forecast and put your rain gauge outside on a flat surface when it starts to rain. How many inches of water were in your bottle after it stopped? 


Bonus: Mark down your observations in a notebook. Mark the date you put your gauge out and how much it rained. Put your rain gauge out each time it rains. Did it rain more in the beginning, middle or end of the month? By how much? 

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