Design for Learning

Instructor: Abby Diamond

Brown
Lesson Title: Types of Clouds
Curriculum Area: Science

Grade Level/Cooperating Teacher: Mrs.

Date: April 10, 2015
Estimated Time: 45 min

Standards Connection: 12.) Identify conditions that result in specific weather phenomena,
including thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes.
Identifying cloud types associated with specific weather patterns
Learning Objective(s): Students will identify the cloud type and the weather associated
with it on a worksheet scoring atleast a 7 out of 8 on a teacher-made rubric.
Learning Objective(s) stated in kid-friendly language: Today boys and girls, we are
going to identify the different characteristics of the 4 main types of cloud and the weather
patterns associated with each type of cloud!
Evaluation of Learning Objective(s):
Engagement:
The teacher will begin by asking the students what they know about clouds. They will
brainstorm what they know about clouds then watch a short video on clouds. The teacher
will discuss how clouds predict weather and then state the learning goal for the day. Who
can tell me where rain comes from? How about where lightning comes from? What about
snow? Wait for student response. Yes you are right! They all come from clouds! Now, lets
think about what we know about clouds. We are going to brainstorm anything we know
about clouds and make a web. Teacher will pull up slide 3. So, what are some things that
you guys already know about clouds? Give students a couple of minutes to think. Wait for
student response. Write answers on board. Yes, great ideas. Clouds are in the sky. What
are some other things that we know about clouds? Wait for student response. Write on
board. Yes, clouds bring weather. And they are made up of water particles. So now, lets
review a definition of clouds. Pull up slide 4. So clouds are a visible collection of a large
number of tiny water droplets or ice particles being carried by a current of air. Lets
watch a short video about clouds and observe what they look like. I want you to notice
what happens in the video. Teacher will play video https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=6ODJA1tIWOA. She will ask questions about what they noticed about the video. What
did you guys notice from the video? Wait for student response. Yes, the clouds changed
forms throughout the video. What do you think this tells us about clouds? Do all clouds
look the same? Wait for student response. If youve ever looked up in the sky before, you
may notice that the clouds dont always look the same. For example, on a pretty day with
good weather, what do the clouds look like? I want you to turn and talk to your night and
talk about what the clouds look like on a pretty day when the sun is shining. Wait for
student response. Call on student pairs. Now, what about on a stormy day, what do the
clouds look like then? Do they look the same? I want you to turn and talk to your partner
for a minute about what you notice about clouds on a stormy day. Wait for student
response. Yes, great answer. So, we can say that clouds dont always look the same. If
clouds look different depending on the type of weather, what conclusions can we draw
about clouds? Wait for student response. Yes, great answer. Clouds look different
depending on the weather for that day. This is because there are different types of clouds.
Each brings a different type of weather with it. There are actually four main types of

clouds. Teacher will pull up slide 5. So today we are going to learn about the different
types of clouds, what they look like, and what types of weather each cloud brings.
Learning Design:
I. Teaching:
Teacher will explain that today they are going to learn about the four main types of
clouds, what they look like, and what type of weather they usually bring. For each cloud,
the teacher will read the cloud poem for each cloud, show a picture on the powerpoint,
then discuss the characteristics of the cloud that students remember from the poem, and
then explain what types of weather is associated with each cloud. While teacher is
teaching, students will be filling out a graphic organizer on the each type of cloud to keep
them engaged. Okay boys and girls, so like I just said today we will be learning about the
four main cloud types and the characteristics of each one. Teacher will pull up slide 6.
There are four different types of clouds. To start off, I am going to read you a short poem
to help introduce each cloud. So first, we are going to talk about cumulus clouds. Teacher
will pull up slide 7. Listen as I read this poem. Read the Cumulus cloud poem. Ask
students questions about what they hear from the poem and what they see in the pictures.
So, boys and girls, what are some of the things that it said in this poem about cumulus
clouds? Yes, it said they are fat and fluffy. What are some of the examples that it gave of
what they look like? Wait for student response. Great observation! So they can look like
vanilla icecream, popcorn, or bubblies in a bathtub. Teacher will pull up slide 8 and
direct students attention to the board. So lets go over the characteristics and the main
weather associated with cumulus clouds. Cumulus clouds are puffy and white. They look
just like floating cotton balls or popcorn or vanilla ice-cream, like the poem said. They
also have a flat base. The weather that comes along with cumulus clouds is fair weather.
They look happy and they look like they would bring fair weather, dont they? Cumulus
clouds can be grey and if they are, then they are brining rain with them. Next, we are
going to learn about cirrus clouds. Teacher will pull up slide 9. Listen as I read this
poem. Read the Cirrus cloud poem. Ask students questions about what they hear from
the poem. So boys and girls, what are some of the things that this poem said about cirrus
clouds? Wait for student response. Yes, good answer. It said they are curly, they are really
swirly, and they are high in the sky. These are all true. Teacher will pull up slide 10. The
characteristics of cirrus clouds is that they look like feathers in the sky. They are thin,
and wispy like the poem said. They are also made up of bits of ice because they are so
high in the air. They are always white. They word cirro in Latin actually means a curl of
hair! So these clouds kind of look like a curl of hair. Now they predict a lot of different
weather patterns, but they typically predict fair weather but sometimes they predict
stormy weather. Teacher will pull up slide 11. Now we will go on to our third cloud type.
This is stratus. Listen carefully for what stands out as I read the poem. Teacher will read
the stratus cloud poem. Now, what stood out to you from this poem? Yes good
observation! It said that stratus clouds form a protective fog and sink low to the earth.
What else did it say? Wait for student response. Yes, it also said they travel around in a
grey blanket, so they must be grey. Anything else that it said about them? Wait for student
response. Yes, they have a mist like quality. Teacher will pull up slide 12. So stratus
clouds are flat and thick like a blanket, just like the poem said. Stratus actually means
sheet or layer of clouds. They are always grey. What kind of weather do these clouds
have? Wait for student response. Yes, like the poem said, they have fog and mist or light
rain with these kinds of clouds. Teacher will pull up slide 13. Now we are going to talk
about our last type of cloud. These are nimbus clouds. Listen carefully as I read this
poem about nimbus clouds. Teacher will read the Nimbus cloud poem. So what did this
poem say about nimbus clouds? What kind of weather do you think nimbus clouds bring?
Yes, you are right. It said they smell rain and hear the crack of thunder. So I think you are
right that they bring storms. Teacher will pull up slide 14. Nimbus clouds are normally

grey in color and they are normally puffy. You can tell this from the picture of them. So
nimbus clouds bring the vast majority of precipitation. They dont only bring rain but
they also bring hail, snow, thunderstorms, and tornadoes. Now boys and girls we are
going to do a fun activity to go over what weve learned about these four types of clouds.
II. Opportunity for Practice:
Teacher will explain that students are going to make their own cloud flip book using
cotton balls. Students will make their own clouds using cotton balls and construction
paper. They will also write characteristics and weather type associated with that cloud.
Okay now boys and girls, we are going to make our own cloud flip book using cotton
balls. Show students example of one that you made so that they know what they are
making. We are going to make each of the four types of cloud with cotton balls on the
front of our flip book and then inside we will write characteristics of the cloud and the
weather that comes with that type of cloud. This is my example. Under each cloud type
use your notes about your cloud types on your worksheet to help you write the
characteristics and weather that comes with each cloud type. Just jot down a couple of
highlights about each cloud under the flap, but make sure to include what they look like
and the weather they bring. When making your cloud flip book, make sure to draw the
outline of the cloud before gluing the cotton balls. Also, make sure to color your clouds
gray if the clouds are normally gray. So first, I am going to pass out blue construction
paper. I will also pass out to a bag of cotton balls for each student and gray markers and
a stick of glue. Pass out supplies to students. Each of you will get your own supplies so
you do not need to share with your neighbor. Now, if you have any questions while you
are working please quietly raise your hand. Now you can go ahead and get to work!
During the activity, teacher will walk around and answer any questions the students might
have or help them glue, etc.
III. Assessment:
Teacher will pass out the assessment sheets to each student. She will explain what they
will be doing. Now boys and girls, I am going to give you an opportunity to show me
what you learned today about the four different types of clouds. I am going to pass out a
worksheet that has four questions on it. For each question, there is a picture of a type of
cloud. You must answer each of the questions about the picture. It will ask what kind of
cloud it is and what kind of weather this cloud brings. Make sure to answer each
question fully and answer all parts of it. Try to remember everything that you learned
today about the cloud types and the weather that each one brings. As you are filling this
out, I want you to work quietly and by yourself. You will complete this worksheet on your
own so do not ask your friends for help. If you have a question while you are filling it out,
raise your hand and I will come over to help you. Are there any questions before we get
started? Wait for student response. Now, please get out your pencil. I am going to pass
out the sheets. Once you are done, raise your hand quietly and I will come get your paper
from you. Teacher will pass out worksheets. Teacher will work around and monitor the
room to make sure everyone is working on their own. She will collect the worksheets
once the students are done.
IV. Closure:
Teacher will review what they learned about that day. She will review the four main types
of clouds. Students will watch the cloud time lapse. She will encourage students to
observe the clouds the next time they are outside. Okay boys and girls, lets do a quick
review of everything that we have learned today. So first off, what did we learn about
clouds today? Yes, great job! We learned that clouds cause weather. Now, what were the
four types of clouds that we learned about today? Yes, we talked about cumulus, stratus,
cirrus, and nimbus. Now, lets think about what we learned today and the weather outside
today. Can anyone tell me what the weather outside is today? Wait for student response.

Good observation! It was rainy right. Now what kind of clouds do you think there are
today? Wait for student response. Great answer! I think you are right. I bet they are
nimbus clouds. So how can we know that they are nimbus clouds today? Yes, you are
right, because nimbus clouds always bring rain and storms. Now, what about earlier this
week like Wednesday and Thursday when it was beautiful, sunny day. What kind of clouds
can you remember seeing in the sky then? Yes, they were probably cumulus clouds. Why
do we think they are cumulus clouds? Wait for student response. Yes, because cumulus
clouds always mean fair weather!
Materials and Resources:

Cloud videohttp://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.eiu.clouds/observeclouds/
Clouds assessment
Powerpoint
Blue construction paper, already folded in half and cut in fourths for their flip
book
Grey markers
Pencils
Cotton balls for each student
Glue sticks
Checklist for Clouds assessment
Clouds graphic organizer
Cumulus Cloud poem
Cirrus cloud poem
Stratus cloud poem
Nimbus cloud poem
Differentiation Strategies (including plans for individual learners):
H- Students who quickly grasp the content and need an extra challenge will be given an
assignment to write their own cloud poem about one of the four types of clouds like the
ones that the teacher read to the class earlier. They should make sure to include the
weather that the cloud brings. They will be encouraged to be as creative as they can.
L- Students who did not grasp the content and struggled on the assessment will need to be
retaught the content. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMagDRCpJ14 Students will
watch this video that outlines each of the four types of clouds. Students will go through a
cloud worksheet on each of the four types.
Data Analysis:
After grading my assessment, I found that 13 out of 19 students met the objective and got
atleast a 7 on the teacher checklist. This was the grade breakdown of the class:
8 out of 8- 12
7 out of 8- 1
6 out 8- 1
5 out of 8- 1
4 out of 8- 4
So, most of the students grasped the content. Some of the students were familiar with
different types of clouds so this was not the first time they had seen the content. This

definitely helped and is probably why some of them did well on the assessment.
However, 4 of the students scored a 4 out of 8. Most of these students, and the students
who got a 6/8 and a 5/8, did not read the problems all the way through and just labeled
each cloud without saying what weather the cloud brought. This was probably because
they were just trying to finish fast, or they may not have understood what to do. None of
the students completely misunderstood the material. For the students who scored a 6 or
below on the assessment, I would have them watch a video that explicitly explained the
four types of clouds and the weather they brought and I would give them a couple of
pictures of cloud types and have them do it again.
Reflection:
Overall, the lesson went really well. The kids were engaged and really enjoyed learning
about clouds. They were actively listening during the lesson and I could tell this by the
questions that I asked them. For example, after I would read a cloud poem, they were
able to listen and tell me what they heard from the poem. In the engagement, I had the
students brainstorm what they already knew about clouds. This was really helpful
because it gave me a good gauge of how much they already knew about clouds and so
establish a base for what we were going to learn that day. The students already knew a lot
about clouds and some had even heard about different cloud types. However, in the
engagement, I played a short video about clouds moving. Looking back, I dont think I
should have done that video because it wasnt super helpful. It didnt talk about the cloud
types but instead focused on how clouds come in shapes and sizes and how they move. I
wanted the students to be able to see good visuals of clouds so thats why I played the
video but I should have not played it or used a different one that went over the types of
clouds. One aspect of the lesson that went well was that I made sure to be very clear and
explicit in my expectations during the lesson at the beginning of the lesson. I told the
students to clear everything from their desk and to sit in their desks facing forward with
mouths closed and eyes on me. The students did a good job of listening and not talking
during the lesson. They were not distracted by anything at their desk. While they were
working on their cloud flip book, many of them had questions and didnt fully understand
what to do. Next time, I should have gone over the directions a little bit better and maybe
had a picture of an already completed flipbook on the powerpoint. Although I had made
one and used it as a model, the students couldnt all see it so it would be good to put a
picture on the powerpoint. Another aspect of my lesson that I would change is when I
read the cloud poems before learning each type of cloud. I should have had the poems
written on the powerpoint so that the students could see the poems instead of just
listening to me read them. It would have been helpful when we discussed the poem as a
class because I could have pointed to or highlighted the words in the poem that we
wanted to focus on. One of the biggest issues I found with the lesson is that the students
work at different rates which is really hard when you have a class of 20 students. Both for
their practice when they were making their cloud flip books and on their assessment,
some students would finish way earlier than other students. More than anything, I realize
that importance of having the students who finish early something to work on while
other, slower students still work. I also could have made a different, slightly simpler
assessment. The assessment might have been slightly too hard for some of the students. in
addition, I should have gone over the directions a little bit more. Lastly, before I gave out
the assessment, I should have included the short review of each of the cloud types that I
did in closure. I should have done that before the assessment.

Samford University

Design for Learning