Activities about clouds, types of clouds, how to use clouds to predict the weather, cloud movies and songs, and cloud idioms and journal

1. What do you understand by WEATHER?
Before looking up the word in the dictionary, think of all the elements that make up the
WEATHER.
What’s the weather like today? Is the weather the same all over the world?

4. LET’S MAKE A CLOUD

5. It is quite cold in Calgary today…so let’s imagine we can travel and spend this day in another
place.

6. Have a look at today’s weather forecast in 5 different places.
In pairs, answer these questions:
1) Which place would you choose based on the forecast? Why?
2) Which activities would you plan to do there?
3) Which clothes would you pack in your suitcase?
Las Vegas (USA)
Max. 12°C
Min. 3°C
Moscow (Russia)
Max. -5°C
Min. -18°C
Sidney
(Australia)
Max. 24°C
Min. 11°C
Paris (France)
Max. 12 °C
Min. 6°C
Vancouver
Max. 8°C
Min. 4°C

7. In groups, think of how the weather affects your LIFE. Take notes to share them in class.
Mood?
I am from Spain and it is always sunny and hot, so I did not have proper winter clothes. When I moved to
Calgary, I had to buy mittens, coats, boots, etc. because of the snow and the low temperatures

8. Today we can check the
weather forecast with our
cell phone, on tv or on the
radio and even with our
computers…but WHAT
HAPPENED IN THE PAST?
Make a list of
elements that
people used in the
past to predict the
weather
SATELLITES TO PREDICT
THE WEATHER FORECAST

9. Have you ever had a look at the clouds so that you could predict the weather?
Have you ever seen forms thanks to the shapes of the clouds?

10. 4. Stratus
3. Cirrus
2. Nimbus
1. Cumulus
Types of clouds
There are mainly four types of clouds
Use your
imagination .
What do
these clouds
look like?
1
2
3
4
5

11. THERE ARE 4 MAIN
TYPES OF CLOUDS
What’s their name?
How can they help you predict the weather?
What do they look like?
In groups, you are going to be reading 4 texts about these types of clouds.
Try to match the text with the image of the cloud.

12. Cumulus clouds are the puffy clouds that look
like puffs of cotton. Cumulus clouds that do
not get very tall are indicators of fair weather.
If they do grow tall, they can turn into
thunderstorms. The bottom of cumulus clouds
are fairly close to the ground.
Stratus clouds look like flat sheets of clouds.
These clouds can mean an overcast day or
steady rain. They may stay in one place for
several days
Cirrus clouds are high feathery clouds. They
are up so high they are actually made of ice
particles. They are indicators of fair weather
when they are scattered in a clear blue sky.
Nimbus clouds are dark, gray clouds,
usually holding rain or another form of
precipitation

13. Let’s see if you have them right
Which one is number 1, 2, 3 and 4?
Now, let’s look through the window.
What type of clouds can you see today?
CUMULONIMBUS
CIRRUS
CUMULUS
STRATUS

14. Let’s see if you can remember
There are 4 clouds displayed in the
classroom
Listen to your teacher reading some
characteristics of these clouds. Once she
says, “READY, SET, CLOUD!” go to that cloud.

15. BECOME A CLOUD EXPERT
Watch the video
and complete the
chart

16. BECOME A CLOUD EXPERT
Name of cloud Meaning of the
Name
What do they
look like?
Weather
forecast

17. Clouds are made of very tiny droplets of water or ice crystals.
You are going to make the main 4 types clouds with cotton.
Instructions:
Get a blue or white cardboard to simulate the sky
Think of the physical characteristics of the 4 types of clouds
Use cotton to make those 4 clouds
Write down the name of the clouds together with their characteristics

18. 4 3 2 1
Types of clouds Includes the 4
types of clouds
(perfect spelling)
Includes the 4
types of clouds
with 1 spelling
mistake
Includes the 4
types of clouds
with 2 spelling
mistakes
Includes the 4
types of clouds
with 3 or more
spelling mistakes
Meaning of their
names
Includes the
meaning of the
names of the 4
clouds
Includes the
meaning of the
names of 3
clouds
Includes the
meaning of the
names of 2
clouds
Includes the
meaning of the
names of 1 cloud
Shapes of clouds Includes detailed
information of
the shape of the
4 clouds
Includes enough
information
Includes basic
information
Includes
inaccurate or no
information
Shape with
cotton
Cotton recreates
the 4 types of
clouds
Cotton is quite
similar to the 4
types of clouds
Cotton shape
slightly
resembles the 4
types of clouds
Cotton shape
does not look like
any type of cloud
Weather
prediction
Provides detailed
& accurate
weather forecast
Provides
sufficient
information of
Provides
information with
minor mistakes
Does not provide
weather forecast
RUBRIC

19. DAY:
TIME:
TYPE OF CLOUD:
WEATHER PREDICTION BASED ON
CLOUD:
PICTURE/DRAWING OF CLOUD:

20. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Watch the trailer. What is the movie about?

21. Plot
The book details a bedtime story narrated by a grandfather to his
grandchildren, chronicling the daily lives of the citizens of an
unordinary town called Chewandswallow characterized by its
strange daily meteorological pattern that provides the townsfolk
with all of their required daily meals by raining food. Although the
residents of the town enjoy a lifestyle devoid of any grocery
shopping or cookery, the weather unexpectedly and inexplicably
takes a turn for the worse, devastating the local community with
destructive and uncontrollable storms of either unpleasant or
dangerously oversized foods, resulting in unstoppable
catastrophes for the townspeople. Their lives endangered by the
threats of the storms, they relocate to a different community of
normal non-edible meteorological patterns, safe from the hazards
that once were presented by raining meals. However, they are
forced to learn how to obtain food the normal way.
The following morning, the man's grandchildren awaken to
discover snowfall. After bundling up and hurrying outside to play,
the granddaughter, in first-person narration, describes the scent
of mashed potatoes detected while romping with her brother,
implying that the grandfather's story might not be purely
fictitious.
Can you
make up
a story
based on
clouds?

22. Choose 4 idioms with CLOUD
Illustrate them and explain their
meaning