- Easier - Clouds
are large white or gray objects in the sky. Clouds
are a collection of very small drops of water or
tiny pieces of ice that are held in the air.
- Harder - A cloud
is a mass of small water droplets or tiny ice
crystals that float in the air. Clouds are formed
of water that has evaporated from rivers, lakes,
oceans, or moist soil and plants. Some clouds are
white and fleecy; others are dull gray or black
sheets that darken the ground beneath them. Most
clouds continually move and change shape. Clouds
change as parts evaporate in dryer air or they are
moved and reshaped by wind and air currents.
- Clouds are an important part of earth's
weather. Clouds carry water that falls to the
earth's surface as rain and snow to then support
all forms of life. Clouds can sometimes bring
destruction in the form of hail or tornadoes.
About Clouds at USA Today
- At this website, you learn about the
different kinds of clouds, their location, where
they were formed, and lots more.
Boutique at the PSC Meteorology Program
- Here you can find explanations of and access
to detailed pictures of some basic cloud
- This site explains about clouds and how
scientists measure them. There's also
information on the water cycle, including
evaporation, precipitation, and
Clouds for "Kids" of All Ages
- Go through the photos sequentially within
- Using the websites, complete one or
more of these cloud projects:
- Create a Cloud Collage. Create
a cloud collage using photographs from
Clouds for "Kids" of All Ages and
other websites. Write about each type of
cloud. Or, use the pictures to make a
cloud identification game.
- Explore the Water Cycle. Go to
About Clouds, Clouds,
websites and learn about the role of
clouds in the water cycle. Write a story
about a water droplet and how it moves in
each phase of the water cycle.
- Read and Write a Cloud Story.
Read the book Sector 7. It's a
wordless book about clouds. Create your
own wordless book about clouds using the
shapes of real clouds. Or, write a story
about clouds. Include facts about clouds
in your story.
- Create a Cloud Chart. Create a
cloud chart containing the most popular
types of clouds in your area. Keep track
of the clouds you see. Use computer
software to create a spreadsheet or create
a chart. What clouds do you see the most
and the least? Why?
- Find the Relationship. Keep
track of the temperature three time during
the day. Also keep track of the clouds. Is
there a relationship between the cloud
cover and the temperature? If so, can you
explain the relationship? Share your
findings with another school.
- Draw or Paint a Cloud. Look at
different types of clouds and study clouds
that you can see in the sky. Then create a
drawing or painting of your favorite
cloud. You might want to use cotton or
other materials in your project. What kind
of cloud is it? Describe the cloud. Write
a story or poem about your cloud.
- Use a Cloud Altitude
Calculator. What is the purpose of the
Altitude Calculator? How and why does
- Make a Cloud Connection. Read
the article Soot
Eats Clouds, Turns Up Global
Thermostat. Go to the 42eXplore
Warming website. What's the connection
between clouds and global warming?
- Complete a Cloud Webquest.
Follow or adapt the procedures found at
the following webQuest sites:
- 1) Clouds in our Sky (Grades 2-3)
by D. Parra http://coe.west.asu.edu/students/dparra/cdquest.htm
- 2) Cloud Quest (Grade 3) by Lisa
Riddle & Kim Shelly http://tess.uis.edu/www/448sp99/cloud.html
- 3) Cloud Quest (Grade 3) http://www2.lhric.org/kat/wq3rd.htm
- 4) Cloud Watching (Grade 1) by
- 5) Clouds http://www.macomb.k12.mi.us/wq/WebQ97/clouds.htm
- More Cloud Websites
- Learn the truth behind the bad meteorology
idea that clouds form when air cools is because
cold air cannot hold as much water vapor as warm
air. You find this
idea repeated on lots of these
- This calculator is based on the assumption
that the air temperature drops 9.84 degrees C
per 1000 m of altitude and the dewpoint drops
1.82 degrees C per 1000 meters altitude.
- Related Website:
- 2) Estimating Convective Cloud Bases
Climatology at NASA Goddard Institute for
- In order to predict the climate several
decades into the future, we need to understand
many aspects of the climate system, one being
the role of clouds in determining climate
at Dans Wild Weather Page
- Here you can learn what clouds are, how they
are formed, view pictures of different kinds of
clouds, and more.
- Similar Website:
- 2) Clouds http://www.bom.gov.au/info/clouds/
and the Energy Cycle from NASA
- The study of clouds, where they occur, and
their characteristics, may well be the key to
understanding climate change.
- Clouds are divided into four main groups
based on the height of the cloud's base above
the earth's surface. This site provides
information about each group and the cloud
classes associated with them.
- Similar Websites:
- 2) Clouds at University of California
- 3) Do You Know Your Clouds! http://www.ffa.com.au/dynamics/clouds.htm#cbc
Eats Clouds, Turns Up Global Thermostat
- This article examines the connection between
clouds and global warming.
- Websites For Teachers
Case (Grades 5-8)
- This is an interactive online lesson about
how clouds form through the principles of
condensation and evaporation. The lesson is
written around an experiment that the student
can perform, or can watch being performed, that
will illustrate the ideas of the lesson.
in the Bottle (Grades 4-12) by Michael
- This demonstration activity shows students
the direct affects of pressure and temperature
on cloud formation.
- Similar Lesson Websites:
- 2) Cloud in the Bottle http://www.col-ed.org/cur/sci/sci66.txt
- 3) Clouds in a Bottle at Bizarre Stuff
- 4) Home-Made Clouds (Grade 4) by Kyle
With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
- This supplemental unit provides Internet
resources for students to learn interesting
facts about the weather. They will learn and
write about the formation of clouds.
(Grades K-3) by Wanda M. Keel
- This lesson examines the structure, types,
and causes of cloud formations.
Theme Page at Community Learning Network
- This site contains curricular information
and lesson plans for clouds.
and Solar Radiation (Grade 7-9) from the
Oklahoma Climatological Survey
- Most people are aware that clouds impact the
amount of solar energy that is received at the
ground. This lesson examines qualitative and
quantitative aspects of how clouds affect
incoming solar radiation.
- Another Cloud Lesson from the Oklahoma
- 2) How Do Clouds Affect Radiative Energy?
(Grade 10-12) http://outreach.ocs.ou.edu/teachers/lessons/cloudeffects.html
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