Day 2: What Makes a Cloud?
Objective:
Students will
Materials:
Computer with internet access (and projected screen, preferably)
Link to Cool Clouds video
2-litre bottle
Matches (for teacher use only)
Warm water
Science Interactive Notebooks
Cloud Watcher worksheets from the previous day
Instructions:
When all students are gathered at their seats, show them the YouTube video on Cool Clouds by "My Nasa" (only from 0.00-2.00). When the video is over, ask the students to help you recall all that is needed for a cloud to form. Write answers on the board. Tell students that you are going to do a class experiment where they will get to make a real cloud. Follow the directions for the cloud experiment.
Next ask the students to pull out their interactive science notebooks to the next available page. Explain that you are going to conduct the experiment again, but this time they are to draw a picture of something that they see happen during the classroom cloud experiment on the left side of their notebook. On the right side they will list the things needed for a cloud to form from the class-generated list on the board.
Finally, you will lead the class outside for Day 2 of your "cloud observations," using the Cloud Watchers worksheet that they glued inside of their interactive notebooks yesterday.
Differentiation (if needed):
If students are struggling to keep up with watching the experiment and recording observations, small groups of students can work together to help one another recall the steps and details of the experiement.
Students who are quick to complete the assignment in their notebooks could try to answer the following questions in their interactive notebooks:
What would happen if we put some dirt in the bottle without the match?
What would happen if we added an ice cube to the bottle without the match?
What do you think would happen if we re-did the experiment again, but this time added some other object to the bottom of the bottle?
Could that change the outcome of the experiment?
Assessment:
Teacher will check for accurate pictures and explanations of the cloud experiment in students' interactive notebooks.
Students will
- observe and record daily weather conditions, such as sunny, cloudy, windy, rainy, or snowy
- observe and describe precipitation in terms of evaporation and condensation of water
- observe and describe types of precipitation, including rain, snow, and ice (sleet and hail)
Materials:
Computer with internet access (and projected screen, preferably)
Link to Cool Clouds video
2-litre bottle
Matches (for teacher use only)
Warm water
Science Interactive Notebooks
Cloud Watcher worksheets from the previous day
Instructions:
When all students are gathered at their seats, show them the YouTube video on Cool Clouds by "My Nasa" (only from 0.00-2.00). When the video is over, ask the students to help you recall all that is needed for a cloud to form. Write answers on the board. Tell students that you are going to do a class experiment where they will get to make a real cloud. Follow the directions for the cloud experiment.
Next ask the students to pull out their interactive science notebooks to the next available page. Explain that you are going to conduct the experiment again, but this time they are to draw a picture of something that they see happen during the classroom cloud experiment on the left side of their notebook. On the right side they will list the things needed for a cloud to form from the class-generated list on the board.
Finally, you will lead the class outside for Day 2 of your "cloud observations," using the Cloud Watchers worksheet that they glued inside of their interactive notebooks yesterday.
Differentiation (if needed):
If students are struggling to keep up with watching the experiment and recording observations, small groups of students can work together to help one another recall the steps and details of the experiement.
Students who are quick to complete the assignment in their notebooks could try to answer the following questions in their interactive notebooks:
What would happen if we put some dirt in the bottle without the match?
What would happen if we added an ice cube to the bottle without the match?
What do you think would happen if we re-did the experiment again, but this time added some other object to the bottom of the bottle?
Could that change the outcome of the experiment?
Assessment:
Teacher will check for accurate pictures and explanations of the cloud experiment in students' interactive notebooks.

Resources:
Example of interactive notebook page for the cloud experiment
Cloud Watcher worksheet
Rather than drawing a picture in the interactive notebook, students could create
a flip book foldable to explain how the experiment worked (see below).
Example of interactive notebook page for the cloud experiment
Cloud Watcher worksheet
Rather than drawing a picture in the interactive notebook, students could create
a flip book foldable to explain how the experiment worked (see below).