National Science Standards:

Content Standard A: Science As Inquiry
Content Standard D: Earth and Space Science

• Objects in the Sky
• Changes in the Earth and Sky

These activities encourage students to observe clouds and look for patterns.

*NOTE: Activities increase in diffulculty. Educators/Parents may want to work through all activities or choose those most appropriate for their students/children.

(BACKGROUND INFORMATION)
What do we already know about clouds?

• Clouds form when water vapor condenses (changes from a vapor to a liquid) around condensation particles (such as dirt, dust, and smoke).
• Clouds can be categorized based upon their height and shape.
• Three basic cloud types are stratus (low level, spread out), cumulus (puffy), and cirrus (high level, wispy).

Activity One - Cloudy Weather

This activity is modified and used with the permission of the AIMS Education Foundation, http://AIMSedu.org. It can be found in the AIMS Publication, Primarily Earth.

notebook paper or a blank calendar, reference books with cloud drawings

1. Review the cloud types.
2. For at least a week, allow students time to observe and draw clouds.
3. Help students identify the cloud types based upon these observations.
4. As a class, tally the number of days each type of cloud is observed.
5. Turn the class tally into a bar graph.

Extension Activity

Encourage students to complete the sentence "A cloud looks like…" Share answers.

Activity Two - The CERES S'COOL Project

You will receive all instructional materials (FREE) once you’ve registered for this project.

1. Register for The CERES S’COOL Project at http://scool.larc.nasa.gov. Students’ Cloud Observations On-Line (S’COOL) is a hands-on project that supports NASA research on the Earth’s climate.
2. Students will make basic weather observations and record the type, amount, and features of clouds in the sky at the exact time that the CERES (Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System) satellite passes over their location. No special equipment is required.
3. Report observations through an on-line form, e-mail, fax, or by mail to NASA Langley. Observations will be entered into an on-line database.
4. Compare results to the corresponding satellite data or to observations from other participating schools on the web site.

Activity Three - Cloud Watcher

mirror, crayon or pencil, compass, paper

1. You must be outdoors for this activity.
2. Place a sheet of paper on a table.
3. Place a mirror in the center of the paper.
4. Beside the mirror, place a compass on the table. Mark compass directions on the paper around the mirror.
5. Watch the image of the clouds in the mirror. What direction are they moving?
6. Record the directions the clouds are coming from. Winds are named for the direction they come from. A south wind comes from the south and blows north.

EXTENSION ACTIVITY
What causes the clouds to travel at different speeds? Trees and buildings affect the speed and direction of winds. Clouds are also affected by changes in temperature. You’ve just created a simple nephoscope, an instrument that meteorologists use to observe drifting clouds to determine the direction of wind in the upper layers of the air.

Activity Four - Making Clouds — Teacher/Parent Demonstration

glass jar, very hot water, a match, a pie tin, sealed plastic bag with ice

1. Fill the bottom of the clear jar with 1–2 centimeters of hot water. Swirl the water around the bottom of the jar to heat the air.
2. SAFETY NOTE: REQUIRES ADULT SUPERVISION Light a match. Let it burn a few seconds. Blow out the match inside the jar to trap smoke in the jar.
3. Quickly cover the top of the jar with a pie tin. Put the sealed plastic bag with ice on top of the pie tin. Look carefully inside the jar for a cloud to form.
4. What happened? Water vapor (hot water trapped water vapor inside the jar) condensed (turned from a gas into a liquid) into droplets of water that formed around particles of smoke (condensation particles).
5. Remove the plastic bag of ice to see what happens to the cloud. Why does the cloud disappear?

EXTENSION ACTIVITY
Using your breath, blow up two plastic bags and seal the ends. Each bag is filled with warm, moist air. Put one bag into the freezer and leave the other bag at room temperature. Wait about 15 minutes. Compare the bags. Which bag has condensed water vapor inside? Why? Leave both bags at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. What happens to the condensed water vapor? Based upon your observations, how does air temperature affect cloud formation?

Did You Know?
Did you know that you can make your own miniature cloud? On cold days, when you breathe out warm, moist air, it condenses in front of you to form a small cloud. So…when you can see your breath, you’re actually seeing a cloud.