Objective

Students will calculate cloud cover, identify different types of clouds,  and correlate weather conditions with cloud types.

Materials

• Weather station or individual weather instruments (thermometer, rain gauge,anemometer, wind sock, compass, barometer)
• Newspaper weather reports
• Cloud Watching Data Sheet
• Cloud Identification handout
• Cloud Math worksheet
• Calculator (optional)

Procedure

1.  Distribute Cloud Watching Data Sheets to students.  Review column headings to ensure that students are familiar with each type of data they will collect.

2.  Collect data for at least 10 days.  Collect as much of the data as possible by direct observation or measurement.  Use Cloud Indentification handout to label students’ cloud drawings and newspaper weather reports to fill in any blanks on the data sheet.

3.  Arrange students into groups of three.  Have students analyze their data within their groups according to the following questions:
• Was a certain cloud type associated with a certain kind of weather?
• Did a certain kind of weather follow a certain kind of cloud?

4.  Discuss students’ ideas as a class.  Assign groups particular cloud types with associated weather conditions.  Have groups draw pictures depicting the clouds and weather including people doing appropriate activities.  Include written descriptions about the picture using appropriate vocabulary words.

5.  Have students review their data sheets and ask if they can tell how many days there was cloud cover opposed to sunshine.  Tell students that math gives us a method for explaining or describing cloud cover observations.

6.  Distribute the Cloud Math worksheets and allow time for students to complete the worksheets using their data sheets.

7.  Discuss ratios and fractions.  Why are ratios good ways to compare two situations or weather conditions?

Cloud Watching Data Sheet

Cloud Identification

Cloud Math

Ratios
A ratio is a comparison of two numbers.

1.  How many days had less than half cloud cover? __________

How many days had more than half cloud cover? __________

2.  Write the ratio of the number of cloudy days to the number of clear days.

__________ : __________
# Days                # Days
cloudy days       clear days

3.  Write the ratio of the number of rainy days to the number of non-rainy days.

__________ : __________
# Rainy        # Non-rainy
Days                  Days

1.  How many days had less than half cloud cover? __________

How many days had more than half cloud cover? __________

Express this as a ratio    __________ : __________
# Days           # Days
< half             > half
cloud cover    cloud cover

2.  Write the ratio of the number of cloudy days to the number of clear days.

__________ : __________
# Days              # Days
cloudy days      clear days

3.  Write the ratio of the number of rainy days to the number of non-rainy days.

__________ : __________
# Rainy        # Non-rainy
Days              Days