This photograph shows the build-up of cumulus clouds.
Courtesy of Steve Albers

Related links:

Back to Clouds

Watch the Sky

Ever looked up in the sky on a lazy Sunday afternoon and just watched the clouds? Well, here's a project where you can do just that and learn something too! This project works best if you do it with a group...either with your classmates, friends, brothers and sisters, or parents. You will need a pad of paper and pencils or crayons. You can also use a camera if you have one (200 speed film recommended). If you own a pair of binoculars, bring those along too.

First, read about different types of clouds in the Earth's Atmosphere section of the Windows to the Universe website. Then, every day, for the next 3 weeks, go out into an open area where you can see a lot of sky. (DO NOT work on this project if the weather is bad or if you hear or see thunder and lightning. Safety is more important.) Look at the sky in all directions. If you see a cloud, draw a picture or take a photo of it.

Determine what kind of cloud it is and what cloud group it belongs to. How much sky is covered by clouds? Does it look like it's going to rain or snow? Is it foggy? How high up are the clouds? What color are the clouds? Is it windy? How hot or cold is it? What time is it? Write all of this down on your pad of paper. Also write down what the weather was like for that whole day. For fun, see if the cloud looks like someone or something (a cat or your teacher, for example).

Do this every day for the next three weeks. At the end of three weeks, meet with your classmates, friends, brothers and sisters, or parents. Go over all of the photos, drawings, and data that you collected and discuss them with your group. Try to answer the following questions:

  • What clouds are associated with good weather? rain? snow?
  • Of the three weeks, were there more cloudy days, or more clear days? Why do you think that is?
  • Do you think different seasons play a large role with cloud cover? If so, which seasons do you think have more cloud cover and precipitation? Why?
  • Which clouds belonged to the Low Cloud group? High Cloud group? Middle Cloud group? How many of each?


    • If you are doing this with your class, ask your teacher to hang up your photos or drawings. Hang them up according to cloud group. Throughout the rest of the school year, take a look out a classroom window once a day and figure out what type of clouds there are in the sky.

    You might also be interested in:

    Traveling Nitrogen Classroom Activity Kit

    Check out our online store - minerals, fossils, books, activities, jewelry, and household items!...more

    Thunderstorms

    Thunderstorms are one of the most exciting and dangerous types of weather. Over 40,000 thunderstorms happen around the world each day. Thunderstorms form when very warm, moist air rises into cold air....more

    Rain

    Raindrops form when tiny water droplets collide together in clouds to form bigger ones. When they get too heavy, rain falls out of the clouds. Rain is more than 5mm in diameter. The types of clouds that...more

    Wind

    Wind is moving air. Warm air rises, and cool air comes in to take its place. This movement creates the winds around the globe. Winds move at different speeds and have different names based on their speed....more

    The Four Seasons

    It takes the Earth one year to travel around the sun one time. During this year, there are four seasons: summer, autumn, winter, and spring. Each season depends on the amount of sunlight reaching the...more

    Make It Rain!

    Here's a neat experiment that makes rain in a jar. Plus you get to tell your parents or teacher what to do! You will need a parent or teacher, a jar with a metal lid, 1 cup of water, a hammer, a nail,...more

    Watch the Sky

    Ever looked up in the sky on a lazy Sunday afternoon and just watched the clouds? Well, here's a project where you can do just that and learn something too! This project works best if you do it with a...more

    Altocumulus

    Altocumulus clouds are part of the Middle Cloud group. They are grayish-white with one part of the cloud darker than the other. Altocumulus clouds usually form in groups. Altocumulus clouds are about...more

    Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA