A guide for using our resources

Children will describe what clouds are made of and analyze different types of clouds.

Vocabulary: curious, mammatus clouds, water droplets

Science Focus: clouds, weather

  1. Watch a Video:
    All About Clouds

     

  2. Read the Issue:

    A Rainbow Cloud?

     

  3. Play a Game:

    Check Out These Clouds!

    Skill: consonant blends

     

  4. Complete Skill Sheets 

    Reading Checkpoint

    Skill: reading comprehension

     

    My Weather Report

    Skill: observations

     

    Color by Word

    Skill: decode words

     

  5. Lesson Boosters 

  • Paired Text Suggestion: Cloudette by Tom Lichtenheld

  •  

    Phonics Focus: Consonant Blends

     

  • Hands-on Activity: Make a Cloud in a Jar

CCSS (and states that have similar standards): RI.1.1 ask and answer questions; RI.1.4 determine meaning of words; RI.1.10 read informational texts; RF.1.2 blends; W.1.8 gather information; SL.1.1 participate in collaborative conversations

Simple, spectacular ideas to boost your lessons.

Paired Text Suggestions: Cloudette by Tom Lichtenheld

  • Follow a little cloud, aptly named Cloudette, on an adventure as she seeks a way to be helpful like the big clouds all around the sky. In this sweet story, students will by uplifted by her determination and discover that no matter your size, you can make a big impact!

Phonics Focus: Consonant Blends

  • Give students a sound and have them identify which two consonants make that blend. Write down the letters where students can see. Then have them look for a word that begins with that consonant blend.
  • Blends to use:

/cl/ cloud

/dr/ droplet

/fl / fluffy

 /fr/ freeze

 /gr/ group, ground

 /sk/ sky

 /sn/ snow

 /tr/ try

Hands-on Activity: Make a Cloud in a Jar

Skills: experimenting

Materials: Rain Cloud! skill sheets, glass jar (any size), water, shaving cream, blue food coloring, cup, eye dropper

  • Expand your student’s understanding of clouds and their relationship to water with this simple experiment.
  • Before beginning the experiment, review what clouds are made of. Explain that when clouds get heavy with a lot of water droplets, rain falls.
  • Fill the glass jar about 3/4 full with water. Squirt shaving cream to fully cover the top of the water. (Don’t use too much—the more shaving cream you use, the harder it will be to make it rain!)
  • In a separate cup, dye some water blue using food coloring. Drop the blue water on top of the cloud of shaving cream using an eyedropper. Challenge students to predict how many raindrops will fall. Have them fill out the first part of their skill sheet.
  • Continue to add blue drops and ask students to observe the “cloud.” It will become more saturated. Then the blue drops will start to fall through. As a class, count the drops as they fall!
  • Ask students to reflect on how the shaving cream is similar to a real cloud. (When water droplets make a cloud heavy, rain falls.)
  • Allow time for students to complete their skill sheet.