In doing the experiment her students will follow the same steps performed by a real scientist. They will read, write, observe and think - the everyday tasks performed by Joann's husband, Phillips Petroleum Polymer Chemist Paul DesLauriers.

To start, Joann and her students read up on rain and talk about what they already know about it. Next, using the paper and pencil, they either write or draw their predictions of what will cause rain. All predictions are acceptable because they are tools to help us understand what we've learned in the experiment.

When Joann pours some water into the pan on the boiler plate, with some imagination the kids can pretend it is the nearby lake. As the water begins to heat up, a student holds the lid over the pan and things begin to happen! Drops, or condensation, form on the inside of the lid and begin to fall like rain.

"As easy (and fun!) as this all sounds, it really is exactly what a real scientist does," says Joann. Before conducting a test, Paul always reads about the subject in scientific journals; knowing what other scientists have already done gives him a head jump on his projects. When he decides what experiments to do, Paul records his theories and predictions, or what he expects to learn from the task, in his journal.

When it's time to do the experiment, Paul is "all eyes" since he'll need to write about what happens. He'll compare his recorded results with his predictions to figure out what he's learned. By keeping a journal, Paul can share his new knowledge.

It seems being a scientist is a lot like being a student. "You never stop learning and experimenting, " Paul agrees.