Rainbows

A rainbow was formed above the school when sunlight hit a raindrop and the light was refracted, separating out the colors of the visible light spectrum.

Image

Bondurant

Iowa Core Standard

K-ESS2-1

Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time

Driving Question

When do we see rainbows? When do we not?

Probing Questions

Why did a rainbow appear over our school?
How do you think the temperature compares before and after the storm?
Why do you think the sky is blue on one side and gray on the other?
How long do you think the rainbow lasted?

Classroom Suggestions

Students could:

Watch a video on how rainbows are formed.
Draw a model of a rainbow.
Compare temperatures when there is a rainbow vs when there isn't.

Resources

Rare Rainbow | WHO 13: A rare looking rainbow in Iowa.
PBS LearningMedia | Nature Cat | Tally Ho! A Rainbow: After a rainstorm, Daisy wants to capture a picture of a rainbow for her Granny Bunny who just loves rainbows! But finding a rainbow is easier said than done!
How Do Rainbows Form? | YouTube: A video of the formation of rainbows

Contributors

Phenomena submitted by Arielle Sexton.