Cloud Cover

Grade Level:
4-6

Subject Areas:
Science, Reading,Visual Arts

Setting:
Classroom

Skills:
Recall, observation, deductive
thinking

Prior Preparation: Watch
"Weather For Children, All
About Wind and Clouds". This
DVD gives a good explanation
about teh make up of clouds.
Hang the "A Guide To The Sky"
poster up in your classroom
and do the Weather Tracker
activities each day.

Vocabulary:
none

South Dakota Education
Standards for 4th grade:
Science
4.E.1.1; 4.E.1.2; Nature of
Science Indicator 2; 4.P.1.3
Reading
4.R.1.1; 4.R.1.2
Visual Arts
Standard 1

Objective: Students will do a series of activities to learn about clouds and weather.

Materials: paper, pencils, cloud maker (20 oz plastic soda bottle) and matches, water, "A
Guide To The Sky" poster (for display)

Background: Clouds are water. Either small liquid water drops or tiny pieces of ice.
Meteorologists rank clouds according to their height and whether or not they are flat or
puffy.

Clouds form when the air rises. As a blob of air rises it expands and gets colder, the colder
air cannot hold as much water as warm air. As the temperature and air pressure continue to
drop, tiny water droplets group together into clumps called cloud droplets. At this point, the
blob of air becomes a visible cloud.

Procedure:
First Activity:
This activity is designed to help students become familiar with 3 basic types of clouds.

Make a list of words on the board that could be used to describe the shapes of clouds.
Students may suggest cotton balls, cauliflower, blanket, cotton candy, horestails, etc.

Make a diagram of the 3 basic cloud shapes: stratus (flat clouds); cumulus (heaped or puffy
clouds); cirrus (thin or wispy clouds).

Ask students to copy the words onto a sheet of paper, using columns to form 3 groups. Ask
them to group the words according to similar forms. Example: the words blanket, layer, and
frosting might all be put together because they all describe flattened cloud shapes. Similarly,
the words cotton balls, cauliflower, and mashed potatoes, might all be grouped together
because they all describe "heaped" or "puffy" cloud shapes.

Next, have the students share their results.

Second Activity:
Complete the Rainmakers Activity in "Arty Facts, Weather & Art Activities", pages 6 and 7. This
activity will help students understand the connection between clouds and storms. It will also
introduce another type of cloud, "Cumulonimbus" - storm clouds.

Third Activity:
AN ADULT MUST DO THIS ACTIVITY. FIRE IS INVOLVED.
Put a small amount of warm water into the bottle - enough to cover the bottom.

Light the match, then blow it out.

Hold the match near the nozzle of the bottle, letting the smoke from the match fill the bottle.
After a few seconds, the smoke will seem to disappear, but the invisible particles are still
floating around in the bottle.

Screw the cap on the bottle being careful not to let too much smoke out.

Squeeze the sides of the bottle really hard 6 or 7 times (more squeezing may be necessary).
Squeeze the bottle again and hold for a few seconds then quickly release the squeeze. When
you release the squeeze, a cloud should form in the bottle.