Clouds and How You Can Learn to Master Them?

Have you ever looked up in sky and wondered about the clouds? Why some of them make funny shapes? While others are so dark and make it rain? Well let’s learn about clouds today so you can show off to all your friends and classmates. At first, we need to learn the vocabulary for clouds. So, I’ve included that sheet below. There are 10 different types of clouds up in the sky. Next, for practice at recognizing different clouds I’ve also included a daily cloud journal. In this cloud journal, you should look up in the sky and draw 3 different clouds you see and then in your own words write down what type of cloud it is and write a brief description of what makes it that type of cloud. Which you can learn after reading the vocabulary list. I’ve also included a worksheet that shows pictures of each type of cloud and the scientific name of each, so you can check to see how accurate your journal is. If you practice enough soon, you’ll be able to look up in sky and tell your friends all about the clouds without even looking at the worksheets I gave you. Additionally, the informal nature of the Cloud Journal, should engage kids to want to learn about clouds by drawing them and because they are already curious about what they see up in the sky. Plus, it will also be a topic that will be covered in their science class at school.

My goal in writing this article is to give students some easy, fun activities and resources so that when they reach this topic in their science class, they can already be little masters on the topic and hopefully score a 100% on their class assessments and maybe even help other kids in class that aren’t understanding the topic. My hope is that they can share everything they have already learned about clouds with their classmates. This entire article/lesson on clouds and every handout was created by me and thought out to teach children in a fun easy way to learn the necessary skills to meet the actual requirements of the NGSS standard learning objectives within this topic. Included below are three hand-outs: “A Cloud Vocabulary Sheet,” “Daily Cloud Journal” as well as the “Answer Key to the

Different Types of Clouds.” They can all be printed out very easily for your child to use.
Here is the “Cloud Journal” designed to use all 3 pages a day so you can draw and describe one different cloud type per page and begin to recognize different clouds in the sky. The “Cloud Vocabulary List” and the “Answer Key of the Different Cloud Types” are so you know what they’re called and can begin to differentiate the many types of clouds up in the sky that there are. All worksheets are of my own creation. You have my permission to print, copy and use these pages as much as you want.

Cloud Vocabulary Sheet
1. Cumulus - The fluffy ones, the most “cloud like” cloud.
2. Altocumulus - Cumulus that has gotten some altitude thus altocumulus.
3. Cumulonimbus - The tall tower. Everything nimbus has rain.
4. Stratus - Cloud as long as the street.
5. Nimbo-stratus - Rainy stratus.
6. Alto-stratus - Stratus that has gotten some altitude this altostratus.
7. Strato-cumulus - Fluffy cumulus long as the street.
8. Cirrus - They are stretchy like your face would be if you would eaten a lemon (citrus).
9. Cirrocumulus - Fluffy little cumulus clouds – formation reminds of citrus peel.
10. Cirrostratus - Stretchy-like clouds that are long in length and not clumped together.

Daily Cloud Observation Journal

1. CLOUD FORMATION #1
A.) In the space below draw a picture of the cloud formation that you observed.
B.) In the space provided label which type of cloud formation it is.
C.) On the space provided in your own words, describe what makes the cloud that type of formation.

2.) CLOUD FORMATION #2
D.) In the space below draw a picture of the cloud formation that you observed.
E.) In the space provided label which type of cloud formation it is.
F.) On the space provided in your own words, describe what makes the cloud that type of formation.

3.) CLOUD FORMATION #3
G.) In the space below draw a picture of the cloud formation that you observed
H.) On the line provided label which type of cloud formation it is.
I.) On the space provided in your own words, describe what makes the cloud that type of formation.