Northern Climate Change Schools Program
Lesson Plan

Grade Levels: 4-12

Author: GLOBE Program

Overview:
Students observe which of ten types of clouds are visible and how much of the sky is cloud covered.

Introduction:
Clouds play a complex role in climate. They are the source of precipitation, affect the amount of energy from the sun that reaches the Earth's surface, and insulate Earth's surface and lower atmosphere. Clouds are made up of water vapour, which is an important greenhouse gas, and play an important role in the global climate system. Cloud conditions may change if the Earth's surface becomes warmer, and as a result, are an important consideration in models that are used to predict climate change.

By observing clouds, we can get information about temperature, moisture, and wind conditions in different places in the atmosphere. This information helps in predicting the weather. Observations of clouds also help us know how much sunlight is reaching the ground and how easily heat from the ground and lower atmosphere can escape, and this information is important in understanding climate.

Time required: 10 minutes per class

Students learn how to make estimates from observations and how to categorize specific clouds following general descriptions for the categories.

Students learn the meteorological concepts of cloud heights, types, and cloud cover and learn the ten basic cloud types.

• Use a cloud chart to classify cloud types
• Estimate cloud cover
• Identify answerable questions
• Design and conduct scientific investigations
• Use appropriate mathematics to analyze data
• Develop descriptions and predictions using evidence
• Recognize and analyze alternative explanations
• Communicate procedures, descriptions, and predictions

Students will benefit from pre-instruction in the following science concepts:

Earth and Space Science:

• Weather can be described by qualitative observations.
• Weather changes from day to day and over the seasons.
• Weather varies on local, regional, and global spatial scales.
• Clouds form by condensation of water vapour in the atmosphere.
• Clouds affect weather and climate.
• The atmosphere has different properties at different altitudes.
• Water vapour is added to the atmosphere by evaporation from Earth's surface and transpiration from plants.

Physical Science:

• Materials exist in different states -- solid, liquid, and gas.

Geography:

• The nature and extent of cloud cover affects the characteristics of the physical geographic system.

Setting:
Observations take place outside, daily, within one hour of local solar noon. Additional times are welcome.

Resources:

• Atmosphere Investigation Data Sheet or Cloud Data Sheet
• GLOBE Cloud Chart
• Observing Cloud Types

All resources available at http://www.globe.gov/