Cloud Observations

Curious KIDSS Data Collection sheets ask students to observe and record cloud types and amounts. Students can use their records to look for patterns between types and amounts of clouds and weather events (sunny days, rain today, rain in a few days, thunderstorms).
 
The emphasis of this section is NOT for students to memorize cloud names. Students need to practice observing different cloud types and recording their observations. The emphasis is on finding patterns and making observations, not on the names of the types of clouds themselves.
 
The Do You Know That Clouds Have Names? clouds storybook is created by the Elementary GLOBE program and contains teacher notes at the bottom of most pages.  Read through these notes before reading the book to students. Often these notes contain additional content knowledge and explanations about what clouds look like and how they form.

1. Go outside or look out the window to see what clouds are visible. Ask students to describe the clouds they see. What are the shapes of the clouds? Are they really high up in the sky, or seem to be just above the trees or buildings? Create a class list of words students used to describe the clouds. Include drawings as appropriate.
2. Introduce Do You Know That Clouds Have Names?
   1. As different types of clouds are introduced, ask students if their descriptions or drawings fit those types of clouds. Emphasize that students should be looking for the different shapes and heights of clouds, and not be concerned with naming the types.
   2. Read the student sections of pages 2-8.
   3. Skip ahead and read page 16, then skip to page 26.
   4. Read page 22. Ask students to look for planes in the sky. They may have to watch for a few minutes before a plane flies by their location. Sometimes persistent, short-lived and spreading contrails are present at the same time in different areas of the sky. Again emphasize that students should be looking for the different shapes and persistence of contrails, and not be concerned with the naming the types.
3. As a class, practice completing the two cloud and one precipitation sections of the Data Collection sheet several times.
4. Each time students go outside, encourage them to make cloud observations and record what they observe.

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