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Lesson plan: «Que llueva, que llueva»

Children play the «Que llueva, que llueva» (“Let It Rain, Let It Rain”) circle game, nod yes and shake their heads no, answer in two groups when it’s their turn and talk about the weather: rain, clouds and the moon.

Ages: Ages 2–6
Time: 25 minutes
Areas: The natural and social world · Attention and self-control · Music and creative expression

Opening

Look out the window together, or step outside for a moment, and ask: «¿Cómo está el cielo hoy? ¿Hay nubes? ¿Creen que va a llover?» (“What’s the sky like today? Are there any clouds? Do you think it’s going to rain?”). Welcome every answer.
Show the picture cards of the clouds, the rain, the moon and the little bird, and name each one together. Ask: «¿Qué pasa cuando llueve? ¿A dónde se van los pajaritos?» (“What happens when it rains? Where do the little birds go?”). Welcome every idea.
Watch the video once, together, and listen for what rises in the song. Then turn the screen off.

Main activity

Make the circle on the tape line, holding hands, no pulling, and sing slowly, without the video, as you walk around. On «las nubes se levantan» (“the clouds are rising”), lift your joined hands up high and bring them back down. A child who’d rather watch first can do so from outside and join whenever they’re ready.
On every «que sí, que no» (“oh yes, oh no”), move your head: up and down for yes, side to side for no. On «que caiga un chaparrón» (“let a downpour come”), let go of hands and crouch down as if the rain were falling on you; then stand up and join hands again. Pause before «chaparrón» (“downpour”) so the group says it.
Listen closely for the verse that changes: on «la luna se levanta» (“the moon is rising”), stop the circle and make a big round moon with your arms above your head. Ask: «¿Qué se levantó esta vez: las nubes o la luna?» (“What rose this time: the clouds or the moon?”).
For the «¡Que sí!» (“Yes!”) and «¡Que no!» (“No!”) part, split the circle into two groups: the yes group and the no group. Stand in the middle with the two cards: when you hold up the green one, the yes group shouts «¡Que sí!»; when you hold up the red one, the no group answers «¡Que no!»; and on «¡Que caiga un chaparrón!», everyone shouts and crouches down. Then the groups switch.
Play with the rain: sing one round very softly, like a drizzle, and another one louder, like a downpour, walking slowly or a little faster. Then a child takes the cards and leads the two groups, and can mix up the order so everyone stays alert.

Closing

Sit down in the circle and make rain with your bodies: rub your hands together, tap two fingers on your palm and pat your legs for the downpour; then go back the other way, softer and softer, until the rain stops.
Talk about it: “What do you do when it rains? When can we see the moon?” Explain that the «labrador» in the song is a farmer, someone who works the land and plants crops, and ask why the farmer might want rain.
Draw today’s sky or the sky in the song, with clouds, rain or the moon, and ask each child to tell what the weather is like in their picture.

Materials

Four picture cards: clouds, rain, the moon and a little bird
Two cards: a green one with a thumbs-up for «sí» (“yes”) and a red one with a thumbs-down for «no»
Colored tape to mark a circle on the floor
Paper and crayons

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What to observe

Nods yes and shakes their head no on every «que sí, que no».
Crouches down on «que caiga un chaparrón» and comes back to the circle.
Calls out their part only when their group’s card goes up.
Describes the sky or names something about the weather: rain, clouds, the moon or the sun.

Adaptations

With 1- and 2-year-olds, sing it sitting on the floor or on your lap: move your heads together on «que sí, que no» and, on «que caiga un chaparrón», run your fingers down their arms like raindrops.
For children who don’t speak yet or who use AAC, the cards are their support: they can lead the two groups with the green and red cards, or point to the clouds, the rain or the moon to tell what the sky is like.
For children who need to move less, the whole circle game works sitting down: moving their head on «que sí, que no» and lowering their arms for the downpour; they can be part of the circle from their chair.
If the group speaks other languages, ask how to say «sí», «no» and «lluvia» (“rain”) at home, and have the two groups answer each other in those languages in one of the rounds.

For families

Ask families to look out the window with their child, talk about what the sky is like and, if it’s raining, sing the song together.

If you teach Spanish as a new language

Teach the key words with gestures (TPR): «que llueva» (let it rain: wiggle your fingers down like raindrops), «nubes» (clouds), «luna» (moon), «pajaritos» (little birds), «chaparrón» (downpour: crouch down).
Model one line at a time and let students echo it: the «¡Que sí!» / «¡Que no!» part is a ready-made call-and-response for two groups.
Ask yes/no questions in Spanish about today’s weather: «¿Llueve hoy?», «¿Hay nubes?», «¿Hace sol?» — students answer «¡Sí!» or «¡No!», nodding or shaking their heads like in the song.

ACTFL World-Readiness Standards: Communication (interpretive and interpersonal), Cultures (a traditional game is a cultural practice; the song, a cultural product) and Comparisons (Spanish sounds and words next to your students’ languages).

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