Atmospheric Cycles

The student will investigate the relationships among atmospheric conditions, weather, and climate.

Day 1 Clouds

Class Preparation

Tutorial for Educators http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/tutorial/clouds/cloudtypes.swf

Class Activities

1. Have students create a cloud in a bottle. The two websites below give directions for this experiment.
   • Cloud Formation Experiment http://www.lessonplanspage.com/Sciencecloudslesson.htm
   • Making Clouds http://www.teachingk-8.com/archives/todays_classroom_activities/making_clouds.html
      
2. Show PowerPoint Presentation - This presentation goes over the different types of clouds.
   
   Cloud Classification http://www.glendale.edu/geo/reed/physical/101%20Powerpoint/clouds.ppt
   
   Additional PowerPoint Presentations. These are very similar to the one above. Use only if students need to view the same information a second time or for review.
   
   A Quick Introduction to Clouds http://weatheroutreach.org/oldhtdocs/htdocs/wsb3868073901/resources/A+Quick+Introduction+to+Clouds.ppt
   
   Clouds http://www.ecasd.k12.wi.us/departments/media/cadre/weather/Clouds.ppt
   
   Cloud Formation http://www.xnism.com/educ/science/Clouds.swf
    
3. SmartBoard Activity - Definition of Clouds & SmartBoard Game
    
4. Have students create a poster similar to the science fair project below illustrating the different types of clouds.
   
   
   
   
    
5. Dan's Wild Wild Weather Page Clouds This website has a photo gallery of clouds for students to categorize. http://www.wildwildweather.com/clouds.htm
    
6. Memory Game http://calipsooutreach.hamptonu.edu/clouds.swf
    
7. Teaching Weather (An eight page guide to clouds. This site handout contains charts and photos explaining clouds and weather.) http://www.cmmap.org/scienceEd/summercourse/summerCourse08/docs/05.CloudsPrecipitation.pdf
    
8. Links to Cloud Websites http://42explore.com/clouds.htm

Day 2 More Practice With Clouds

1. Cloud Clues (Eleven Questions About Clouds - Good for review of information from Day 1. http://www.centennialofflight.gov/2003FF/clues/cloudclues.html
    
2. Cloud Matching Activity (Students match photos to the names of clouds.) http://eo.ucar.edu/webweather/cloudmatch.html
    
3. Go over forecasting weather with different cloud types using the information from one of these sites.
   • How to Be a Storm Spotter http://www.boatsafe.com/kids/weather1.htm
   • Forecasting http://weathereye.kgan.com/cadet/forecast/figger_cloud.html
      
4. Have students create a graphic organizer to help with forecasting weather by studying clouds.
    
5. Wetter or Better? PowerPoint Presentation in which students must predict the weather by looking at the clouds.  http://www.wbra.org/html/edserv/ntti/2004Lessons/Weather.ppt
6. BrainPOP "Clouds" http://www.brainpop.com/science/weather/clouds/
7. TCAP Coach Lesson 15 "Clouds and Weather" pages 96-99
    

Day 3 Weather Instruments

1. Have each student make one weather instrument. Use directions from these sites:
   Make Your Own Weather Instruments http://www.putnamheights.ecasd.k12.wi.us/classroom/shelland/weatherinstruments.htm
   Miami Museum of Science http://www.miamisci.org/hurricane/weathertools.html
   Franklin's Forcast - Make Your Own!  http://www.fi.edu/weather/todo/todo.html
   Beaufort Wind Scale Chart http://www3.cet.edu/weather/pdf/beaufortwindscale.pdf

2. Make a graphic organizer of weather tools, names, and purpose.
    
3. Weather Instruments - SmartBoard Game
    
4. TCAP Coach Lesson 16 "Weather Instruments" pages 100-103

Day 4 Water Cycle

1. Watch these two internet animations to go over vocabulary for the water cycle.

Rivers and Coasts http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/riversandcoasts/water_cycle/rivers/pg_02_flash.shtml
Water Cycle Diagram http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/watercycle/

2. BrainPop "Water Cycle" http://www.brainpop.com/science/earthsystem/watercycle/
3. Study Jams! - Water Cycle http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/studyjams/water_cycle/
4. United Streaming The Water Cycle   (17:00)
    
5. Have students listen to the computer read this story "To the Mountain and Back." http://www.kimballmedia.com/Drippy/DrippysWorldTrialStories/ToMountainsAndBack/Entry.htm
    
6. Have students draw and label the Water Cycle using one of these worksheets as a guide.
   • Frank Schaffer Publications, Inc. (FS-8600 Learning About Weather) pages 12-13
   • Evan-Moor Corp (Weather - EMC 876) page 35
   • Milliken Publishing Co. page 2a
   • Instructional Fair, Inc. (Weather IF8827) page 19
   • Kid Zone - The Water Cycle http://www.kidzone.ws/water/index.html
   • Enchanted Learning http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/earth/clouds/
      
7. Water Cycle Game http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/topic_subtopic_entry.php?RECORD_KEY(entry_subtopic_topic)=entry_id,subtopic_id,topic_id&entry_id(entry_subtopic_topic)=447&subtopic_id(entry_subtopic_topic)=27&topic_id(entry_subtopic_topic)=3
    
8. Have students complete the following activity on individual computers:
   Science Lab (Select weather.) http://www.iknowthat.com/com/L3?Area=Science%20Lab
    
9. TCAP Coach Lesson 17 "The Water Cycle" pages 104-106

Day 5 Review and Test

TCAP Coach Chapter 5 Review pages 107-108