### **General Instructions to the Teacher:**

-   This task took 2^nd^ grade students approximately two 45 minutes to
    complete.

-   Directions are generally read to students although some advanced
    students at the upper primary grades may be able to read and work on
    their own.

-   Students may work individually, or in groups. If group work is the
    norm for your classroom, it is recommended that the final question
    be assigned as an activity for individual students or students
    working with partners as the largest working unit.

### **Advanced Preparation and Set Up:**

### Each item in a GLOBE Classroom Assessment begins with an assessment framework statement / goal that cues the student and teacher to the critical features of the item. If this information is not useful to your students, remove the bold parenthetical statement at the beginning of each item.

### It is critical that the students work with colored pictures. Here are some suggestions for dealing with this if you do not have access to a color printer/copier:

### make one classroom copy of the pictures (laminate them for future use); display the pictures in a prominent place; work as a class to complete items 1 -- 4; display this single poster on a bulletin board in a prominent location in the classroom or school

### use pictures of different cloud types from magazines; this could be a homework assignment OR students could spend an extra day completing this prep work before beginning the activity; if you have enough pictures, continue with activity as written or follow the suggestion above

### take photographs of your site and use these

### **Materials:**

-   one color copy of the six cloud pictures for each student / group

-   glue / tape to mount cloud pictures to poster

-   paper/area suitable for student posters -- butcher paper, several
    sheets of paper taped together, bulletin board area, paper grocery
    bags with bottom removed and slit down one side to create large
    blank area

![](media/image1.jpeg){width="4.5in" height="3.1958333333333333in"}

![](media/image4.jpeg){width="4.25in" height="2.9993055555555554in"}

![](media/image5.jpeg){width="3.682638888888889in" height="5.375in"}

1)  **(Take GLOBE Measurements: Make cloud observations that are
    accurate and appropriate)** Divide the pictures into groups by
    looking at the shape of the cloud. Name the type of cloud that you
    find in each picture.

> *A = stratus B = no clouds or clear*
>
> *C = cumulus D = cirrostratus*
>
> *E = cirrostratus F = altostraus*

2)  **(Summarize and Communicate: Ask students to create a presentation
    that summarizes their knowledge about clouds and cloud types)** Use
    the pictures to make a poster that tells about clouds. Put the
    picture of the cloud type that is closest to the earth at the bottom
    of the poster. Put the picture of the cloud type that is highest in
    the atmosphere at the top of your poster.

*(sequenced from closest to earth to highest in atmosphere)*

*A C F D/E*

3)  **(Interpret GLOBE data: Explain the relationship between cloud type
    and atmospheric location of each cloud type)** Write the name of
    each cloud next to it. Under the name of the cloud, write where this
    type of cloud forms in the atmosphere -- is the cloud [close to the
    ground]{.underline}, trees and buildings? [Very high]{.underline} up
    in the sky? Or at an [in-between]{.underline} level?

> *A, C are low clouds*

####### F is a middle level cloud

> *D/E are high level clouds*

4)  **(Take measurements: Make accurate and appropriate measurements)**
    Decide how much of the sky is covered with clouds in each of the
    pictures. Is it MORE than half the sky? LESS than half the sky? Or
    is the sky clear, with NO clouds? Write the amount of cloud cover
    under the name of the cloud and its altitude.

> *A is 70% covered by clouds (\> half)*
>
> *B is 0% covered by clouds (NO clouds)*
>
> *C is 60% covered by clouds (\> half)*
>
> *D is 10% covered by clouds (\< half)*

####### E is 20% covered by clouds (\< half)

######## F is 100% covered by clouds (\> half)

5)  **(Interpret GLOBE data: Infer patterns & trends in the pictures and
    explain the relationship between cloud type and precipitation)**
    Will it rain or snow later in the day from any of these clouds? How
    can you tell?

> *Student answers will vary but may contain information related to the
> height of the clouds in the atmosphere, the color of the clouds or the
> general cloud cover.*
>
> *For example:*
>
> *It probably will not rain or snow at **site A** -- stratus clouds
> usually do not produce rain or snow.*
>
> *Right now, it doesn't look like it'll rain or snow at **site B**
> because there are NO clouds in the sky.*

*The cumulus clouds at **site C** could turn into cumulonimbus and cause
rain later in the day.*

> *The cirrostratus clouds at **sites D and E** are very high up and
> contain ice crystals but there is not enough water to produce rain or
> snow.*
>
> The altostratus clouds at **site F** could produce rain or snow. These
> clouds are grey which means lots of water in them.

Table 1 shows the early morning temperature at each of the school sites
from the pictures on your poster.

#####  Table 1: Early morning temperature at Schools

+-----------------+-------------------------+-------------------------+
| School Site     | Temperature °C          | Temperature °F          |
+-----------------+-------------------------+-------------------------+
| #### A          | 12.5                    | 54.5                    |
+-----------------+-------------------------+-------------------------+
| B               | 0                       | 32                      |
+-----------------+-------------------------+-------------------------+
| C               | 20                      | 68                      |
+-----------------+-------------------------+-------------------------+
| D               | 7.8                     | 46                      |
+-----------------+-------------------------+-------------------------+
| E               | 14                      | 57.2                    |
+-----------------+-------------------------+-------------------------+
| F               | 11                      | 51.8                    |
+-----------------+-------------------------+-------------------------+

6)  **(Analyze and Compare GLOBE data: Identify similarities and
    differences)**

> Which of these schools has weather MOST LIKE the weather at your
> school today? What information did you use to decide your answer to
> this question?
>
> *Answers will vary. Students should compare temperature and cloud
> cover. They may also include other environmental variables such as
> plant types, geology (hills) or man-made structures (roads, buildings
> etc.).*

7.  **(Analyze and Compare GLOBE data: Identify similarities and
    differences)** Which of these schools has weather MOST DIFFERENT the
    weather at your school today? What information did you use to decide
    your answer to this question?

> Answers will vary. Students should compare temperature and cloud
> cover. They may also include other environmental variables such as
> plant types, geology (hills) or man-made structures (roads, buildings
> etc.).

Imagine that you are a grown up who lives in a town that has one school.
You have a morning radio show. Every morning on your way to work you
drive past the school. On your radio show you tell the listeners what
the weather is like at the school. You tell the children how to dress
for school. Is it important to wear a raincoat? Should they bring an
umbrella? etc.

8)  **(Communicate: Ask students to compose informal discourse that
    informs, explains, and persuades)** Choose one of the school sites
    shown in pictures A - F that you would like to write about. Use the
    information in the picture and the temperature information in Table
    1 to write the radio report that you will give about the school.

> *Answers will vary. Students will combine information from question 5
> as well as temperature data from Table 1. Students may use °C or °F,
> but should use the temperature information to correctly inform the
> "radio listeners" how to dress for school.*