We have had our “heads in the clouds” lately, but we aren’t daydreaming! The 4^th graders have been learning about different cloud types and what type of weather we should expect. Read on to see what we learned!

In our science books, we learned about the 3 main types of clouds: cirrus, cumulus, and stratus.

Cirrus clouds are thin and wispy. They are so high up in the air that the water in them is ice! Cirrus clouds can be seen on nice days. Sometimes, they mean that weather change is on its way.

Cumulus clouds are fluffy and flat on the bottom. These are the type of clouds we often think look like different shapes and objects. Cumulus clouds usually mean fair weather.

Stratus clouds are flat clouds that form in layers. They look like a blanket of gray is covering the sky. These type of clouds produce light rain, drizzle, and snow.

cirrus cumulus stratus

There are also many other cloud types that are subtypes of the 3 main ones. Look at the diagram on the left to see the different types of clouds. You should know what a cumulonimbus cloud looks like because that can mean thunderstorm or tornados!

Making Cloud Diagrams

We used cotton balls and glue to create diagrams of the different cloud types.

Observing Clouds

We used a cloud key to help us identify clouds in the sky. We wrote down our daily observations.

Click here to print out the cloud key and start identifying your own clouds!

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