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Rafe Esquith: Five Tips to Help Children Develop Their Natural Gifts

#3885. Clouds

Science, level: Elementary
Posted Tue Feb 6 09:44:08 PST 2007 by Amanda Benjamin (benjamab@pickens.k12.sc.us).
Forest Acres Elementary, Easley, USA
Materials Required: Clouds by: Roy Wandelmaier; blue construction paper; white construction paper; cotton balls
Activity Time: 2 days at 30 minute intervals

This lesson is to be taught after the introduction of clouds. The teacher will need to review clouds. The clouds are cumulus, cirrus, fog, stratus, and nimbostratus. A cumulus cloud is white and piles up in the air. This means that fair weather is coming. Cirrus clouds are white and curly and they float highest of all the clouds. Cirrus clouds bring a change of weather. Nimbostratus clouds are dark and it means rain or snow, if it’s cold. When clouds are low on the ground, it’s a fog. Stratus clouds float low in the sky and are flat like sheets. They bring rain or drizzle.

Activity #1: Ask the student’s what they know about clouds. Then introduce Clouds to the students, and read the book Clouds by: Roy Wandelmaier. (This is a Troll series book.)
Activity #2: Show the students pictures and videos of different clouds on www.unitedstreaming.com. After watching the video, the students will add information to their KWL chart.
Activity #3: Allow students to go outside and see the clouds.
Activity #4: Allow students to make a cloud book. They will glue half of a blue piece of construction paper inside the white paper. Then cut five slits, not all the way through the paper (enough for the slits to open up.) Then the students will take cotton balls and make them look like the five clouds. On the other side of the paper, they will write their definition of that cloud.
Activity #5: Finish KWL chart.
Activity #6: The teacher can use the cloud book for assessment or have the students complete a more formal assessment.