An Integrated Unit
on Those
Curious Clouds!
Nancy VandenBerge
Firstgraadewow.blogspot.com
Graphics by djinkers and melonheads
Some books to gather and read
for this unit:
The Cloud Book by Tomie DePaola
It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles Shaw
Cloudette by Tom Lichtenheld
It’s Your Cloud by Joe Troiano
This little unit includes:
Information page on clouds
Two cloud poems
Cloud comparison chart to post
Cloud comparison matching activity for kids
Cloud watcher template
Pics of how to use cloud watcher
Cloud watcher recording sheet
Three main kinds of clouds interactive chart
for journals
Cloud watcher reporter
It looked Like Spilt Milk activity with written
expression
Rain cloud in a jar activity
Place value mystery picture (cloud)
What are clouds?
A cloud is a large collection of very tiny droplets of water or ice
crystals. The droplets are so small and light that they can float in
the air.
How are clouds formed?
All air contains water, but near the ground it is usually in the form
of an invisible gas called water vapor. When warm air rises, it
expands and cools. Cool air can't hold as much water vapor as
warm air, so some of the vapor condenses onto tiny pieces of
dust that are floating in the air and forms a tiny droplet around
each dust particle. When billions of these droplets come together
they become a visible cloud.
Why do clouds float?
A cloud is made up of liquid water droplets. A cloud forms when
air is heated by the sun. As it rises, it slowly cools it reaches the
saturation point and water condenses, forming a cloud. As long as
the cloud and the air that its made of is warmer than the outside
air around it, it floats!
How do clouds move?
Clouds move with the wind. High cirrus clouds are pushed along
by the jet stream, sometimes traveling at more than 100 miles-perhour. When clouds are part of a thunderstorm they usually travel
at 30 to 40 mph.
Cloud
What is fluffy?
What is white?
What can you see
When skies are bright?
What can float?
What brings rain?
What may be higher
Than a bird or plane?
Say it out loud :
Cloud!
Floating clouds
up in the sky,
Changing shapes
as you pass by.
Floating by
without a sound.
Won't you come
and touch the ground?
Floating clouds
up in the sky,
Changing shapes
as you pass by.
Kinds of Clouds
cirrus
White,
feathery,
highest
stratus
Wide blankets
of gray, “high
fogs”
low
stratocumulus
Gray, low in
the sky,
lumpy
cumulus
Puffy, flat
bottoms, low in
the sky
cumulonimbus
Thunderstorm
clouds, look like
mountains of
very tall
cumulus clouds
Kinds of Clouds
Cut squares apart. Use for a matching game.
cirrus
White,
feathery,
highest
stratus
Wide blankets
of gray, “high
fogs”
low
stratocumulus
Gray, low in
the sky,
lumpy
cumulus
Puffy, flat
bottoms, low in
the sky
cumulonimbus
Thunderstorm
clouds, look like
mountains of
very tall
cumulus clouds
Cut out
Cloud Watcher
Copy on blue cardstock. Cut on the dotted line above.
Cut out the center square on the dotted line as well.
Attach a stick (Or use a pencil!) to act as a handle. Kids
draw different cloud formations using white/gray
crayon. Go outside and observe clouds. Record findings
on recording sheet
Firstgradewow.blogspot.com
Name___________________________
Cloud Watcher
Scientists take time to observe everything around them. Go
outside and observe the clouds. Draw what you found.
Three Main Types of Clouds
cirrus, stratus, cumulus,
Cut on dark black lines Cut on short horizontal
lines. Fold flaps on dotted line. Label flaps with
type of cloud. Glue into science journal
Cloud Reporter
___________________
Yesterday we saw
_____________ clouds
Today we see
_____________ clouds
Tomorrow we will see
_____________ clouds
Cloud Reporter
___________________
Yesterday we saw
_____________ clouds
Today we see
_____________ clouds
Tomorrow we will see
_____________ clouds
Read and enjoy, discuss, predict,
etc. It Looked Like Spilt Milk by
Charles Shaw.
Mix equal parts of white glue and
shaving cream. Plop a spoonful
onto blue paper. Have kids create
a shape from the mixture. Allow
to dry overnight. The mixture will
stay puffy and soft like a cloud!
Have kids write about what they
created using the predictable text
from the book. “Sometimes it
looked like a ________, but it
wasn’t a _________ .It was
just a cloud in the sky!” See pics on
following page.
Firstgradewow.blogspot.com
Rain Clouds in a Jar
Materials
Shaving cream
Water
Clear cups or jars
Blue food coloring
droppers
Instructions
Fill the jars 3/4 of the way with water and then top with
shaving cream. Allow a few minutes for the shaving cream
to fully settle on top of the water
In a bowl mix several drops of blue food coloring with a
little bit of water.
Have kids fill a dropper with blue water and squeeze it
onto their cloud counting the drops as they fall.
Have them squeeze more and more blue water into the
cloud. As the cloud fills with water it will begin to “rain”
Firstgradewow.blogspot.com
Name ________
Think Outside the Box
This is not a Cloud! What can you create?
Name ______________
Find the cloud words in the puzzle.
c
w
o
l
c
s
o
c
l
a
o
s
i
t
o
u
o
t
s
h
r
r
b
m
u
e
t
a
r
a
l
u
d
r
o
p
u
t
a
l
s
o
r
e
s
u
n
u
k
o
m
o
r
s
k
s
y
o
o
o
a
o
e
n
h
i
g
h
i
o
t
o
i
c
h
a
n
g
e
w
clouds sky
drops
water
cirrus
cumulus
stratus
high
shape
low
blanket
change
rain
snow
storm
***Now write about your favorite kind of cloud
on the back.
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2 3
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91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99
100
1
2 3
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9 10
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81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90
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100
Name ____
Place Value Mystery Picture
Solve the clues. Color the boxes blue.
Line out the clues as you complete them!
1 one, 2 ones, 3 ones, 4 ones, 5 ones, 6 ones, 7 ones,
8 ones, 9 ones, 1 ten, 1 ten and 1 one,
1 ten and 2 ones,1 ten and 4 ones, 1 ten and 8 ones,
1 ten and 9 ones, 2 tens, 2 tens and 1 one,
2 tens and 8 ones, 3 tens, 3 tens and 1 one,
6 tens and 1 one, 7 tens, 7 tens and 1 one,
7 tens and 2 ones, 7 tens and 4 ones, 7 tens and 8 ones,
8 tens, 8 tens and 1 one,
8 tens and 2ones,
8 tens and 3 ones, 8 tens and 4 ones, 8 tens and 7 ones,
8 tens and 8 ones, 8 tens and 9 ones, 9 tens,
9 tens and 1 one, 9 tens and 2 ones, 9 tens and 3 ones,
9 tens and 4 ones, 9 tens and 5 ones, 9 tens and 6 ones,
9 tens and 7 ones, 9 tens and 8 ones, 9 tens and 9 ones,
1 hundred
I made a _________________________