Inside: When teaching weather, this types of clouds lesson plan is always my favorite. Learn the history of cloud sorting and some fun activities for your lesson! Kids love to look at the clouds. Check it out here!
Types of Clouds Lesson Plan for Middle School Students
In my class we just got finished learning about clouds, and boy was it fun! It is one of my favorite weather topics to teach. One reason my types of clouds lesson plan is so fun is because we can just look out the window and see them. Really. Teaching clouds can be pretty simple if you think about it. This also probably stems from teaching about air masses and fronts. It’s kind of hard to just look at an invisible air mass. So when an actual cloud shows up for my students to identify, it’s pretty cool.
That’s why I wanted to share with you today some tactics I use to teach about those great puffy cotton balls in the sky. First of all, I have a types of clouds lesson plan for middle school students that I make sure to look over. I also print out the reading activity for my students, making sure the color version is uploaded to our school’s Learning Management System. (We use Schoology, BTW.) This way, my students in school have access to the color version as well as the printed version. It is also nice for the students to access at home.
Here are a few pictures of the digital version of the reading lesson we use.
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Table of Contents
Day 1: History in Science Class?
A pharmacist by trade, Luke Howard had a passion for everything about the weather. In the 1800’s, Howard decided that clouds should be classified. Howard decided to classify clouds into three main types based on their shape and according to Latin terms. Thus, the following terms were born:
cumulus – heap
stratus – layer or sheet
cirrus – curl or wisp
Dubbed the “Father of Meteorology”
So Now What?
After my introduction to clouds which includes polling my students about what they know, I tell them they are about to learn Latin. Cue all the gasps and dramatic sighs from my tweens. Then I dramatically tell them to relax, they are only learning three words. I am sure you can imagine sighs and eye rolls from my class.
At this time, I write the Latin terms on the board and ask my students to think about what the clouds look like, then we come up with words to define them. I make sure to guide them to the correct term.
Part 2 of Types of Clouds Lesson: Second Way to Classify Clouds
Next, students are introduced to the three levels of clouds types: low, middle and high, with prefixes as strato-, alto- and cirro-. I put these prefixes on the board from bottom to top. As you can see from the picture on the right, students are able to access a diagram of the types of clouds based on their shape and altitude. This is included in my clouds lesson plan and is a useful teaching tool. The color version is great for devices, because students are able to enlarge the picture to get a better view. I really like that my students have iPads – a new feature born from the pandemic.
Fun Fact!
Ever hear of the term “On cloud Nine”? I’m sure you have. When Howard’s original seven cloud types were expanded, the cumulonimbus cloud was given the label “cloud nine”.
Cumulonimbus clouds are clouds that have vertical development and can indeed grow very tall into the atmosphere. So to be on “cloud nine” means to be on top of the world!
Great Videos to Show Your Students
The Next Step
After teaching my students “Latin”, (feel free to chuckle) I then affix the new words onto my word wall. Using a word wall is a great way to recall words used throughout the year. If you don’t use one, I highly recommend it
Tips for using a word wall:
- Include known words or easy words.
- Add new vocabulary periodically to the word wall.
- When there is a blend of known words and new words students should try to use the word wall.
- Have students make sentences using two or more words from the wall.
- Have a student say a sentence using one word from the wall, and pick a word that can connect to that word. A student of their choice must pair the two together. Winner is decided when they cannot connect the two words.
Time to Read
Admittedly, this is the students’ least favorite part of the lesson. Their comprehension and reading stamina has taken a bit hit during the course of the pandemic. For this part of the lesson, we mix up reading silently, partner reading and whole group reading. My students know they will be expected to summarize the section of text they read and share it with their group or the class. At this point, my time is up, and we must put this away until tomorrow.
Day 2 - Continue to Read and Comprehend the Topic
After a complete review of the previous day’s lesson, we tackle the reading assignment. Our only purpose is to make sense of the material and be able to have a discussion about the topic of the day – clouds.
This is usually as far as we can get for the day. If I feel the students are comfortable with the material, I will assign the comprehension worksheet that is included with the lesson. This will give them some practice on learning the types of clouds
Day 3 - Now the Fun Part: Practice!
We usually begin class by recalling what we accomplished the day before. Then, I continue the lesson by simply showing my students examples of clouds with their name on them. This gives them a good visual of not only the cloud, but the name associated with it. Then we practice putting them up on the board according to altitude.
Time for Individual and Group Practice
Day three is all about the clouds! This is a fun cloud activity for middle school students. With this exercise, students practice saying their names, placing them in the correct area of the atmosphere and identifying which cloud belongs in each area.
Label the Types of Clouds for Homework
Class ends with my students practicing drawing and labeling the clouds with this worksheet. This clouds lesson also comes with a differentiated version for students that may need additional help during the first steps of this lesson. Depending on where we left off in the lesson, I sometimes give all students the easier version, just as a form of scaffolding. Then the next lesson will include the harder version.
Day 4 Already?
There is yet another activity included in this clouds lesson. That is a worksheet which asks students to give the meaning of the cloud name, tell where it is found in the atmosphere, then draw it. Students at this point are pretty confident, though I do let them access their content if they need to.
The rest of the class is usually devoted to drill and practice. Students take turns quizzing each other by using the student version of the cloud types pictures.
Day 5 - Cloud Projects -Time for Art!
Cloud projects are fun, even for middle school students. Here, each student received a piece of construction paper, cotton balls and glue. They were given the assignment to create ten different types of clouds. These clouds must be located in the correct altitude level. Also, the students were to label the clouds correctly.
I allowed them to use their information to help them, but most only needed it for spelling help. Students really enjoyed making the types of clouds to end our clouds types lesson. I highly recommend it!
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End Your Lesson With Exit Tickets
When teaching clouds, one way to ensure your students have really grasped the information is to use exit tickets. These formative assessment items are a great way to make sure your students have really learned what you were teaching. It is also a great tool to differentiate your teaching for the next lesson.
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