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http://www.cityofportsmouth.com/school/dondero/msm/weather/index.html

Lesson Title: Clouds and Weather Patterns

Grade Level: 4

BEFORE READING:

I. Motivation:

(Students will be taking a short field trip outside to observe the clouds. Materials should be gathered before the start of the lesson.) "We are going to take a field trip outside today. While you are outside, I would like each one of you to observe the clouds in the sky for a few minutes. Once you've spent some time looking at them, you will then recreate a cloud or two with cotton balls. I will bring out paper, cotton balls, and glue." (Show an example of a recreated cloud) . "Your cloud may look something like this."

(After everyone has created their cotton ball clouds, gather up the materials and students and head to the computer lab.)

II. Prior Knowledge:

(This is started after the students are back inside.) "Based on the clouds you observed a few minutes ago, what do you think those clouds can tell us about the weather? (Students may say that gray clouds tell us it will rain. White clouds tell us it will be nice outside. If there are a lot of clouds in the sky, the weather might be bad.) Can we predict what the weather will be like by looking at them? (Students may respond by saying that we can predict what the weather will be like by looking at the clouds. Weather people predict the weather using clouds.) What do you know about the types of clouds? (Students may respond with information about cloud names, or they may just know that clouds can be puffy, wispy, or dark.)

III. Purpose:

"Our purpose for observing the clouds outside today, as well as reading from a Website, is to learn about the types of clouds in the sky and what they can tell us. You all are going to read an informational Website about the types of clouds on your own. The site will describe how clouds are used to forecast the weather just by understanding what each kind of cloud means. Different clouds in the sky have different names. You will be reading to find out what the three types of clouds are called and what each type of cloud looks like. Why would it be important to learn about clouds and what they can tell us about the weather if we can just watch the weather on T.V. or read about it in the paper?" (The idea is to get students to think about how we can use the clouds to predict the weather on our own.)

"Today, individually, you will be reading about the types of clouds on an Internet Website. You will also be reading to find out how we can make predictions about the weather by understanding what each type of cloud can tell us. In order to remember the different types of clouds, and weather patterns that come with each, you all will be filling out a chart."

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DURING READING

IV. Text Structure

"The text on the Website that you will be reading will describe each type of cloud. The Website you will be reading is designed so that you can see what the three types of clouds look like by the pictures that are given, you can read what the clouds look like by the way the text describes them, and you can also read what type of weather each cloud brings. That information is all within a paragraph."

V. Vocabulary

(These are the words that the students should know in order to understand the lesson.)

"Before you begin reading, let's review a few key terms that will allow you to understand the material. Since we have already studied what a cloud is, can someone explain to me what it is? (A cloud is made up of billions of tiny drops of water that condensed from air.) We have also learned about precipiation. Can someone explain what that word means? (Any form of water that falls from the air is called precipitation.) How does precipiation relate to clouds? (Clouds develo moisture that creates precipitation.) There is one more key term that relates to what you will be reading. It's fog. Someone please explain what fog is. (Fog is a cloud that touches Earth's surface.)

*Teacher Note: These are key terms that the students will need to know by the end of the lesson.

Cumulus clouds are puffy and and form when large areas of warm, moist air rise up from Earth's surface.
Stratus clouds are flat, gray blankets that cover the sky, and they form when warm, moist air rises very slowly.
Cirrus clouds look like commas or wisps of hair, and they form when the air rises high enough for ice crystals to form.

VI. Content

*Teacher Note: Students should know the water cycle before learning about cloud types. Students should understand the concepts of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.

"While you are reading about the three types of clouds, be sure to ask yourself some questions to monitor your understanding of what you are reading."

1. Does this make sense?

2. If it doesn't, where did I lost track? (Go back and reread.)

CLOUD WEBSITES

*Teacher Note: Several different Website are provided to accomodate all reading levels within fourth grade. All readability levels should be considered with caution. Reading cues should also be considered when selecting student readings.

Cloud Types: FK 3.1

This student-friendly Website offers a simple and clear explanation of cumulus, cirrus, and stratus clouds. The graphic cues include a clear pictures with easy-to-read font. Syntactically, most of the text is written with simple sentences, and semantically, many of the adjectives are highly familiar words to fourth grade students. The readability on this text is supportive and does lend a fair representation of the ability level needed.

http://www.cityofportsmouth.com/school/dondero/msm/weather/index.html

Forecast the Weather: FK 4.9

This readability level does not accurately match the demands of the text. The reading ability for this text is much lower, but the information within the site is insiteful with stimulating graphics.

http://ils.unc.edu/parkproject/kids/skilz/clouds/clouds.html

Clouds: FK 6.5

Although this site appears to require a readability above fourth, the readability assigned to this site does not accurately reflect the demands of the text. This website was chosen for the the students who are average fourth grade readers. The readability level does not explain the support by the cues which available to aid in student comprehension. The graphics on the website include a large amount of white space. This along with clear font size and style gives the reader a clear description text structure of each cloud type, which is given in bold print. Photos of clouds allow for an accurate representation. The text structure is composed of mostly compound sentences which include clear, descriptive vocabulary. Basic schema of weather patterns such a rain, lightening, and thunder are needed to comprehend this text.

http://www.rcn27.dial.pipex.com/cloudsrus/clouds.html

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AFTER READING

VII. Strategy Instruction: CLOUD DESCRIPTION CHART

(After everyone has finished reading their Websites, give direct instruction on how to fill out the chart.)

Description: "Just reading about the three types of clouds may not be enough to remember all of the information you just learned. To help you keep all of the information straight, you will be filling out a Cloud Description Chart. Within this chart, you will write the three types, draw a picture of each, write the description as well as the type of weather each cloud brings."

Model: "I am going to show you how to get started. On my chart, I am going to start by writing one cloud type that I read about. Cirrus is one type of cloud. I will write "cirrus" in the first box under the 'cloud name' column. Next, I am going to do my best to draw what a cirrus cloud looks like. Under the description column, I am going to write some describing words to help me remember what a cirrus cloud looks like. In the last box, I am going to write what kind of weather can come with when cirrus clouds are in the sky. All of this information is in the Website that you just read."

Guided Practice: (The students should begin filling out the chart using the information on the Website to help them. Make sure the students have the correct three types of clouds and descriptions.)

Differentiated instruction note:
Learning disabilities- Part of the chart can be filled out. The names of the clouds and the weather patterns can already be given. The student would only need to draw and describe each cloud.
Writing impairments-The chart would be filled out except for the pictures. The student would be given pictures of each cloud type, and he or she would have to cut and glue the picture with the correct type of cloud.
Talented and gifted- Give the student the following list of words to place in next to the appropriate cloud in the weather pattern box. The goal is to have the student practice associating weather words with weather patterns.
(stormy, blustery, blazing hot, blizzard, drought, humidity, tornado, typhoon, mist, low pressure, high pressure)

VIII. Questioning

Teacher Note: The questioning will be done as a whole group. The questions may spark new questions or lead into a discussion.

Question-answer-relationship (QAR)

On this site, there is a link on the left that opens a document describing the four types of questions of the QAR. This document gives a student-friendly description. The four types are right there, think and search, author and you, and on your own.

http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=232

What types of clouds bring bad weather? (Right There) stratus and cirrus

Describe what cumulus clouds are made of and how they are formed. (Think and Search) They are made of tiny water droplets, and they are formed when sunshine warms pockets of moist air and cause them to rise quickly and condense into water droplets.

Do you think it's possible for cirrus clouds to form in the sky near the equator? Why or why not? (Author and You) Maybe not because the weather is very warm near the equator. It may still be cold enough for them to form very high up in the sky, but the only time cirrus clouds form is when it is very cold and ice crystals condense. (This may spark a discussion)

How do you feel when you walk outside and clouds are completely covering the sky? Why? (On Your Own) I feel sad because the sun is not shining, and if the clouds are completely covering the sky, that usually means that it will be cold or rainy that day.

IX. Writing to Learn Activity

Independent Practice: "I think you all have learned so much today about clouds and the weather patterns that form. What you are going to do now is complete a RAFT. Your role will be a weather reporter, you will be writing to television viewers, your writing will be in the form of a weather report, and the topic will be the current cloud conditions that we are seeing today. As you write to the viewers of your weather report, I would like you to include everything you know about the type of cloud that is in the sky today (the cotton cloud that was made). You need to include how the cloud is formed, what it looks like, and what weather it brings. This is a just a short paragraph, but it needs to be written so that you could present it.

Differentiated instruction note:
Writing impairments- The student can dictate their thoughts into a tape recorder or have an adult record their thoughts.
Learning disabilities- The student can work with a partner to write the paper together, or the student can write their thoughts in notetaking form instead of paragraph form. The main points from the rubric are still necessary.

R-Role of a weather reporter

A-Audience is television viewers

F-Format is a weather report

T-Topic is the current cloud type outside

Teacher Note: The students can use a lined sheet of paper. The RAFT should not be graded based on GUMPS.

X. Closure

"Before we end our learning about clouds, let's review what we have learned about clouds. What was the purpose of reading the Websites today? (We read the Websites to learn about the three types of clouds, what each looks like, and what weather they bring.) Why is it helpful to understand that the three types of clouds bring different kinds of weather? (It's important so that we will be able to predict what the weather will be like and for our safety.) What was the purpose of completing a cloud description chart? How well did the cloud description chart work to organize the information you found?"