All About Clouds

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

• Clouds may look like familiar shapes as they move through the sky, but did you know that there are different types of clouds that are located throughout the atmosphere?

All clouds are made up of water.

Water can move in the atmosphere as a solid, liquid, or gas. The gaseous water cools into a liquid as warm air moves up in the atmosphere. Eventually, the small drops of water move together to create a cloud!

These tiny water droplets need particles to cling to in the atmosphere. Materials such as microscopic dust particles attract droplets of water and allow for the formation of clouds in the atmosphere.

Clouds can even hold frozen water as a solid!

As you watch the video below on the types of clouds and how they form, think about these questions.

• What forms clouds?
• What is the job of a cloud?
• What would happen on the earth's surface if there were no clouds?

Clouds can form anywhere in the atmosphere and are classified based on the location.

High clouds form 20,000 feet above the earth's surface, where it is so cold that these clouds contain ice crystals. These clouds, known as cirrus clouds, usually look wispy or thin.

Clouds below 20,000 feet and above 6,500 feet are considered middle level clouds. These clouds contain both water droplets and ice crystals because it is slightly warmer at this level.

Low level clouds are found below 6,500 feet. Since these clouds are closest to the earth's surface, they are the warmest. Low-level clouds contain mostly water in liquid and gas forms.

• Have you ever seen a cloud that appeared to span multiple levels?

These are vertical clouds because they move up and down from the earth's surface.

There are clouds in the sky on most days. These formations occur when the water rises in the atmosphere and cools down into clouds.

Based on the elevation where clouds form, they look different.

Clouds formed high up in the atmosphere contain more ice crystals, which gives them a unique appearance.

Clouds formed closer to the earth's surface contain more water droplets.

Create a graphic or diagram that organizes the information about cloud elevation.

In the Got It? section, learn more about specific types of clouds as you create a foldable.