The instrument that scientists use to measure rainfall is a "rain gauge".  A rain gauge is made of a container to catch the rainfall, and a measuring scale, such as a ruler, to measure the depth of rainwater in the container.   In this lesson, students will assemble a simple rain gauge, collect and graph precipitation data, specifically the amount of rainfall at a locality, then compare their findings with other students' data. A detailed Procedure, Lesson Links, Teacher Notes, Vocabulary (linking to an on-line glossary), and Extension ideas are provided.

http://scool.larc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/view_lessonplan.cgi?id=12

Audience: Students and Teachers Grades 3