Title – Clouds

By – Susan Henshaw

Subject – Science

Grade Level – 2

Subject: Science/Clouds

Grade Level: Second

Objectives: The students will understand what a cloud is, how it is formed and the various types of clouds.

Teacher Materials:

large jar, plastic bag filled with ice, warm water, one sheet of black paper, flashlight, and matches

Student Materials:

science journal, or paper to write responses

blue paper

cotton balls

Time Required: 45 minutes – 1 hour

Activities & Procedures:

1. Read It Looks Like Spilled Milk with the class and discuss what they know about clouds.

2. Ask the students what they think a cloud is and how it is formed.

3. Then, use the following site, Dan’s Wild Wild Weather Page http://whnt19.com/Kidwx/cloud.htm to read with the class about the formation of clouds. Demonstrate this concept using a felt board and pieces or through illustrations on the board.

4. In small groups perform an experiment of making a cloud.

While the teacher is performing the experiment, the other students can be sequencing in their journals the steps of how a cloud is formed. This can be done with illustrations or in narrative form.

5. Use Dan’s Wild Weather site to research what the following clouds look like: cumulus, nimbus, stratus and cirrus. It would be helpful to have a poster resembling the clouds. There are also some beautiful pictures of clouds in the links in the site.

6. Have students fold the blue paper to form 4 boxes. Label each box with a different type of cloud and then use the cotton to make a particular cloud.

Assessment:

The teacher can evaluate the student’s responses in the science journal and check for accuracy of the sequencing of the formation of clouds.

Follow-Up/Extension:

1. Share the story Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and have students write their own story about a crazy weather day.

2. Graph the weather for a week noting the different types of clouds in the sky.

E-Mail

Susan

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