Maggie’s
Activity Pack
Name __________________________
Date ___________________________
Clouds: What’s in a Name?
It’s a warm day. The grass is lush. You flop onto your back and look up at
the sky. Look! There’s a dog. That one’s a fish! Finding shapes in clouds is fun.
But it is also serious. Cloud shapes are part of the science of meteorology.
That’s because the shape of clouds can tell us what the weather will bring.
Is it a wispy cloud? Is it a puffy cloud? The cloud may have layers. How
high is the cloud? The answers to these questions help us to predict weather.
Take a look at this chart. It will help you to understand how clouds are
named.
What is the
What does the cloud look
cloud name? like?
Stratus
Looks gray and flat; has
layers or sheets; might cover
the entire sky
Cumulus
White and puffy; fluffy
Cirrus
Wispy; “fingers’ of clouds
What is the cloud height?
Low clouds -Close to ground; if
stratus clouds touch the ground
we call them fog
Mid-level clouds
High clouds
Cloud names may be put together. These “put together” names help us to
know more about clouds. A stratocumulus cloud will be flat on the bottom and
puffy on the top. A cirro stratus cloud is thin and wispy but has layers. These
clouds are found above thunder clouds.
Clouds also have prefixes and suffixes. Nimbo, means rain. Clouds with
nimbo or nimbus in their names mean that the cloud may bring rain or snow. The
cloud name, nimbo cumulus is given to a cloud that is puffy but may bring rain.
If you see cirro in front of a cloud name, you know it is a high cloud with ice
crystals. The prefix, alto, means it is a mid-level cloud.
© Maggie's Earth Adventures, LLC 2007. Teachers may reproduce for classroom use.
Naming Clouds
Write the name of each cloud on it. Use the cloud names in the circle. You
see that some names are written for you.
stratocumulus
alto stratus
stratus
cumulus
cirrus
nimbo cumulus
cirro stratus
fog
cirrocumulus
altocumulus
cumulo nimbus
© Maggie's Earth Adventures, LLC 2007. Teachers may reproduce for classroom use.
Dear Colleague,
Weather is certainly a “hot topic” given the recent hurricanes. In addition, teachers in the
United States are preparing for a science component in “No Child Left Behind.” That’s why we
bring you, “Clouds: What’s in a Name?” As I look at many of the state tests designed to assess
science as part of the Federal mandate, I realize that many of these tests give students
science text to read and then pose questions. Many of these include charts and graphs. Your
students will gain valuable practice for these state assessments by completing this activity.
But, we at Maggie’s Earth Adventures, believe it is important for us to “go beyond” these
mandated tests. We know it is essential to develop a child’s natural curiosity. We hope you will
take your class outside and ask them to USE their knowledge to identify real clouds in the sky.
Make science journals for them to sketch their observations. You may also want to encourage
imagination and ask children what cloud pictures are visible. Developing excitement and
curiosity for knowledge and encouraging children to see connections make for life-long
learners. We hope your students will go beyond the scope of this activity and research how
clouds are formed. We have a wonderful activity on the Water Cycle available in our Archive
area. Let us know what YOU do to extend CLOUDS!
Happy teaching,
Kathy
Answer Key:
Goals:
Students will read how and why clouds are named. Both text and a chart are used to convey
this knowledge. Students will use this information to identify clouds on a diagram. This activity
is available on two levels, intermediate and primary. The activity correlates with Content
Standard D, Earth and Space Science, of the National Science Standards.
© Maggie's Earth Adventures, LLC 2007. Teachers may reproduce for classroom use.