3rd – 4th grades
General Objective: Describe the weather conditions and climate.
Lesson Objective: The students will better understand how clouds form.
Motivator: Ask the questions, "Can anybody tell me how many different kinds of clouds there are?" and "How does a cloud form?" Discuss this as a group for a while and then put up the overhead of cloud types. Also explain how a cloud forms.
Materials:
Each person or pair needs:
- Medium clear glass jar (jelly or pickle jar works well)
- 2 lids- 1 that fits the jar and 1 that is too large for the jar. The large one should have holes in which you can use a nail to do.
- timer
- 2 ice cubes
- piece of chalk
- piece of newspaper
- overhead of cloud types from AIMS
Activity:
- Have students place a piece of chalk on a sheet of newspaper
- With a hammer, have students hit chalk until a pile of fine powder is made. Set powdered chalk aside.
- Pass out to the students the clear glass jars and both lids.
- Fill each jar with very hot tap water. Cover the jar with the lid that fits.
- Let water stand in jars for 2 minutes. Use timer.
- After 2 minutes, take off lid and pour out 90% of the water.
- Put the extra big lid with holes in it on the top of the jar
- Put the 2 ice cubes on the lid. Use timer and let ice cubes sit on lid and jar about 3 minutes.
- Take off ice cubes and big lid.
- Sprinkle a pinch of powdered chalk into the jar.
- Cover jar tightly with the lid that fits it.
- Use timer, and after 2 minutes, look inside jar. You should see a cloud form.
- Ask again:
- What are clouds?
- How do they form?
- What are they made from?
Make sure that they understand that clouds are collections of tiny water particles that form around dirt and dust or other things in the air. Note their understanding of forming water droplets by heating and cooling their jars.
Teaching Strategies: Discussion, observation, problem solving, cooperative learning, and guided discovery.
Vocabulary:
- Moisture: liquids and water in the air.
- Particles: little pieces of dust, dirt, and salt in the air.
- Weather: the way our atmosphere is cold or hot, wet or dry, stormy or calmly.
Assessment: make note of who answers questions and participates in the discussions-Classroom based assessment.
Teaching and Learning Processes: Observation/identification, prediction, classification, and interpreting data.
Extensions:
- Have students research information about different kinds of clouds and formations.
- Have children observe clouds every morning, afternoon, and evening for a few days or a week. Ask them to document the kinds of clouds they see.
Resources:
Hoover, E; Mercier, S. Primarily Earth AIMS Activities. AIMS Education Foundation. 1996
