Read the following passage. Copy and answer the questions on the worksheet in your notebook.
Name That Cloud!
What’s the weather going to be like today? We’re always asking that. We need to
know. The weather affects what we wear, what we need to take with us, and what we
do. Will we need to wear shorts, or a sweater and warm pants? Will we need to take an
umbrella or a heavy coat? Can we play outside after school? You can learn to predict
the weather. You don’t need a lot of equipment or fancy stuff – just use your eyes! Go
outside and look at the clouds. Clouds come in different shapes, sizes, and colors. You
can use what you know about clouds to find out what the weather will bring.
Okay, here’s what you need to know about clouds. Clouds are named by the way
they look. We use Latin root words to name them. Clouds come in different sizes and
shapes. They are formed and drift along at different heights in the sky. All of these
things help us name them and know what kind of weather they may bring. There are
three main types of clouds: cumulus, cirrus, and stratus.
When the weather is fair, we see Cumulus clouds. Fair weather is fine, sunny
weather with no chance of rain, snow, or any other precipitation.
Cumulus clouds are white, puffy clouds that may look like cauliflower. In Latin,
cumulus means “heap.” You may see heaps and heaps of these white, fluffy,
cotton-ball-looking clouds. Usually there are large spaces of clear blue sky
in between them. Now you know that when you see them, you will know that the
weather will be fair and sunny.
Cirrus clouds mean fair weather, too. Cirrus comes from the Latin word for
“curl of hair.” These high, wispy clouds look like curly swirls in the sky. They curl
in the direction the wind is blowing. No precipitation will fall from cirrus clouds.
They occur very high in the sky – about 4 miles to 8 miles high! They are usually
in a thin layer; sunlight passes through them.
Stratus comes from the Latin word meaning “to spread out.” Stratus clouds
spread out and usually cover the whole sky like a blanket. They occur in
horizontal layers and are usually the same color of dark gray all across the sky.
They usually bring light rain or drizzle.
Now that you have learned the three basic cloud types, you can learn about the
prefixes that go with them. Clouds are given prefixes that describe their height in the
sky where they formed. The prefix cirro- is used for clouds that are formed high in the
sky. These clouds form above 20,000 feet, or more than three miles high. High clouds
might be cirrus, cirrostratus, or cirrocumulus. These are
all made of ice crystals because they are formed so high in the sky where it is cold.
These ice crystals sometimes cause a halo around the moon.
Middle-level clouds are described with the prefix alto-. These clouds form
between 8,000 to 20,000 feet and are made of water droplets. Altocumulus clouds
look like fuzzy bubbles that are connected in long rows. These groups of fleecy-looking
clouds may be white or gray. When you see these clouds, it usually means a cold front
is coming. If it is warm and humid, a thunderstorm can be predicted. Another type of
middle-level cloud is the altostratus. These are grayish-blue clouds that usually cover
the whole sky. When you see these, you can expect widespread storms to occur. They
may bring rain or snow.
Low clouds may be called stratus, stratocumulus, or nimbostratus. These clouds
usually form below 8,000 feet. They usually produce light rain or drizzle, but they can
produce snow during cold weather. They are gray and cover the entire sky. Stratus
clouds are uniformly gray and look like fog. They may bring drizzle. Nimbostratus
clouds are dark, and when you see them, you can predict
light-to-moderate, steady precipitation. Stratocumulus clouds are lumpy. They are
different shades of light and dark gray. There may be patches of clear sky between
them. They usually only produce light precipitation.
There are two other cloud types to learn. These clouds have vertical
development. This means they grow in height. The taller the clouds, the more severe
the weather they will bring. These two types are cumulus and cumulonimbus.
Cumulus clouds are low clouds and look like puffy white cotton balls. If they don’t have
much height, you can predict fair weather. The greater their vertical development, or
the taller they are, the greater the possibility of showers with perhaps, thunderstorms.
Cumulonimbus clouds have a flat bottom rising up into an anvil-shaped top. These
are classic “thunderheads” and bring heavy precipitation, thunder, lightning, and hail.
When you see these clouds, watch out; nature will provide quite a show.
“NAME THAT CLOUD” WORKSHEET
Matching:
There are three basic cloud types that are named for their shapes. Match these cloud types to their
descriptions.
1. cirrus
a. heaps of white, fluffy clouds
2. cumulus
b. layers of clouds that blanket the sky
3. stratus
c. wispy, thin, curly clouds
Fill in the blank:
Name these cloud layers with the appropriate prefix or root word that describes their height.
1. High clouds may be: cirrus, ___________________ stratus, or ___________________ cumulus
2. Middle clouds may be ___________________ cumulus or ___________________ stratus
3. Low clouds may be stratus, ___________________ cumulus, or nimbo ___________________
Questions:
1. Heaps of white, puffy clouds that may look like cauliflower are __________________________
2. High, swirly “curls” of clouds are called ______________________
3. Clouds that are spread out in layers like a blanket are called: ____________________
4. A cloud that forms at the height of 10,000 feet would have the prefix: ____________________
5. High clouds that formed above the height of 20,000 feet would have the prefix: ________________
6. Very tall clouds that have an anvil-shaped top are called: ________________________ .
MAKE A CHART LIKE THIS IN YOUR LECTURE NOTEBOOK
Description
Cloud Name
(at least 3 sentences).
Cumulus
Cirrus
Stratus
Altocumulus
Nimbostratus
Stratocumulus
Cumulonimbus
Picture
(leave enough room for your picture)