Learning Lesson: Head in the Clouds
| OBJECTIVE | The students will become better observers of the sky as they will see different types of clouds over several days. |
|---|---|
| OVERVIEW | Record the different types of clouds twice daily. |
| TOTAL TIME | 5 minutes for each observation |
| SUPPLIES | Scissors Brass fasteners |
| PRINTED/AV MATERIAL | Access to NWS Skywatcher Chart (at school) and/or the Cloud Classification page via the Internet Cloud observing form CloudSpotter wheel |
| TEACHER PREPARATION | Print sufficient number of copies of the Cloud Observing Form and CloudSpotter wheel for your students. If possible, plan this lesson within four days of an upcoming cold front. (For your local forecast, enter your city, St or zip code in the search box located at the top of this page.) This will help maximize the variety of clouds the students will observe. |
| SAFETY FOCUS | Foggy Weather Safety |
Clouds are divided into four types (Cirro-form, Alto-form, Cumulo-form and Stratus) at three basic levels (low, middle and high) in the atmosphere. Many locations will experience all of these different types of clouds over a period of a week or so.
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- Have the students make their CloudSpotter wheel by cutting along all dotted lines.
- Fasten the two wheels together using a brass fastener.
- Show the students how to use the wheel, the NWS Skywatcher Chart and/or the Cloud Classification webpage to determine the types of clouds they observe.
- Record cloud observation onto the Cloud Observation Form.
- Have the students repeat the cloud observation procedure again at home this evening and to make their observations as close to the same time as possible.
- Repeat for four days.
Identifying clouds can be difficult at first. Have the students make their best effort in identifying the predominate cloud(s). Discuss any changes in the cloud type between the daytime observation at school and the evening observation at home. Discuss how the types of clouds change during the week, especially if a front passes your location. Discuss how we can look at the clouds to help forecast the weather.
Foggy Weather Safety
Fog is basically a cloud on the ground. It does not matter if you are at sea-level or on top of a mountain; if there is a cloud at your local ground level then it is called fog. Some places are known for their persistent foggy weather such as the Pacific Coast, Appalachian highland region and New England. The foggiest spot in the U.S. is Cape Disappointment, WA where it's foggy for an average of 2556 hours per year (107 days). Avoid an accident by following these defensive driving tips when it's foggy:
- Avoid driving in heavy fog if possible. If you encounter foggy or misty conditions, find a safe place to park the vehicle and wait until visibility improves before driving again.
- Maintain a safe stopping distance during reduced visibility, by reducing speed so you can stop safely within the distance you can see.
- Use low-beam lights. In fog, high beams reflect back to the driver, actually reducing visibility further.
- If visibility is extremely poor, you must pull off the road and park in an area as far away from traffic as possible.
