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Vocabulary and Writing Worksheet

dew point evaporation foggas precipitation relative humidity

1. Choose the best vocabulary word for each sentence and write it in the blank.

a. ___________________ refers to the percentage of water vapor in the air at a specific temperature compared to the amount it could hold.

b. Water vapor is a ___________________ . You can’t swim in water that is in this form.

c. Water vapor, which helps create clouds, gets into the air by means of ___________________ .

d. The bottoms of clouds show us where the ___________________ has been reached.

e. When clouds rest on the ground, they are known as ___________________ .

f. Rain, snow, sleet, and hail are all types of ___________________, which comes from some—but not all— kinds of clouds.

2. Proverbs and poems are two different types of writing that people can use to express themselves creatively. Aproverb always teaches a lesson and can be a catchy way to memorize a rule. A poem can do these things,too, but it can also just be a creative way of talking about the world and your experiences in it. Many poemsrhyme, but not all.

On a separate sheet of paper, write a proverb about a weather observation you have made, and then write apoem about clouds. Share your writing with the rest of the class.

Clouds and What They Mean

Answer Key

Relative humidity

gas

evaporation

dew point

fog

precipitation

Depending on the ability level of the class, additional instructions may be useful before assigning thisexercise. For example, you may wish to specify length, meter, rhyme scheme, or a specific style, such as ahaiku. Answers will vary and should be primarily graded based on the observations made for proverbsand on the creativity of the poetry.

Answer Key

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Identifying Cloud TypesMatch the cloud name to its description. Remember that the altitude of a cloud is important to what kind ofcloud it is.

Clouds and What They Mean

1.

2.

The highest clouds. They are made up of ice crystals and float in thechilly air more than four miles above you. The name for these wispy-looking clouds comes from the Latin word for curl. Some people callthem mare’s tails.

Layered but puffy clouds that occur at middle and lower elevations.

Thick, puffy clouds that can be found at middle altitudes.3.

Low-lying clouds that are generally producers of rain and snow.4.

5. Small cottony rows of cloud tufts that are made of ice crystals andfound at high elevations.

The big rain cloud, part of its name means clouds, signifying rain to theancient Romans. These clouds can rise to heights of more than 50,000feet. When their tops reach the fast-moving jet stream, they become cir-rus-like and are called anvil heads. Some people also call these cloudsthunderheads, because they can bring heavy rain, lightning, and thunder.

6.

7. The lowest clouds, they hang like a ceiling at less than 6,000 feet.Their name comes from the Latin word to spread, as in layers. Theseclouds appear as a general overcast and can produce widespread rainand snow.

8. Wispy clouds that are found at middle elevations.

Clouds of vertical development, they get their name from the Latinword for pile or heap. The lowest are the puffy clouds of a summer day.

9.

10. Wispy, thin sheets of clouds that are made of ice crystals and foundspreading at high elevations.

Altocumulus Cirrus NimbostratusAltostratus Cumulonimbus StratocumulusCirrocumulus Cumulus StratusCirrostratus

Cirrus

Stratocumulus

Altocumulus

Nimbostratus

Cirrocumulus

Cumulonimbus

Stratus

Altostratus

Cumulus

Cirrostratus

-50

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Clouds and What They Mean

010

20

30

40

50

-40

-30

-20

-10

Reading a ThermometerTemperature Worksheet 2

Answer the following questions, using the thermometer below. On the thermometer, the bigger numbers on theoutside circle indicate degrees Fahrenheit; the smaller numbers inside indicate degrees Celsius. 1. When the temperature is 32 degrees Fahrenheit, what is the temperature in degrees Celsius? What do you know

about this temperature?When the temperature is 32 degrees Fahrenheit, we know it is also 0 degrees Celsius. This is the tempera-ture at which water freezes.

2. What is the temperature on the thermometer below in degrees Fahrenheit? degrees Celsius?It is approximately 60 degrees Fahrenheit, or 15 degrees Celsius. Accept all answers that are close to thesevalues.

3. Your Canadian pen pal writes you a letter in July and tells you that the temperature—where she lives—hasalready reached 35 degrees Celsius. What is the equivalent temperature in degrees Fahrenheit? Would youexpect that kind of temperature in July? Why or why not?The equivalent temperature is 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Answers will vary depending on location.

4. What is the temperature outside today in degrees Celsius? in degrees Fahrenheit?Answers will vary.

5. It’s 5 degrees Celsius outside. What is the approxi-mate temperature in degrees Fahrenheit? Should youdress for warm or cold weather?When it’s 5 degrees Celsius outside, it is approxi-mately 40 degrees Fahrenheit. You should dress forcold weather because the temperature is near thefreezing point.

6. One winter morning, you look out the window and seea dark nimbostratus cloud blanketing the sky. Then,you turn on the radio and the weather forecaster tellsyou to expect rain, sleet, and snow all day and a hightemperature of 40 degrees Celsius. Which piece ofinformation in this forecast seems wrong? Why?The temperature—40 degrees Celsius—is incorrect—and maybe just the word Celsius. 40 degrees Celsius isequivalent to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, a very hot tem-perature that you might expect in the summermonths—not on a winter morning. Also, since a nim-bostratus cloud is outside and we know that nimbo-stratus clouds generally are producers of rain andsnow, the other information is likely to be correct.

Answer Key

Answers to Give it a try! fromTemperature Worksheet 1

1. 20˚ C 3. 86˚ F2. 40˚ C 4. 50˚ F

1. Cirrus

2. Cirrostratus

3. Cirrocumulus

4. Altocumulus

5. Altostratus

6. Stratocumulus

7. Stratus

8. Nimbostratus

9. Cumulus

10. Cumulonimbus

Clouds and What They Mean

Recognizing Cloud Types

Using the Cloud Bank, write the name of each cloud next tothe right number below. Remember that it’s important to consider a cloud’s altitude, or height above ground, when identifying cloud types. In addition, think about the word origin worksheet you just completed. Use the Latin meanings inthe clouds’ names to figure out what they look like or where theyare located in the picture.

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1

2

3

4

5

6

7 8

9

10

Cloud BankAltocumulus CumulonimbusAltostratus CumulusCirrocumulus NimbostratusCirrostratus StratocumulusCirrus Stratus

Recognizing Clouds–Worksheet 2

Answer Key

Did you know? Latin originated more than 2,500 years ago in ancient Rome and was the primary written language of western Europe for hundreds of years, until about 600 years ago when people began

using their own local languages for writing. But even then, Latin continued to be used as the language of scientists and scholars for another 350 years. As you might imagine, the words of a

language used for so long and by so many people would creep into many languages. In fact, abouthalf of the words in the English language are of Latin origin.

Let’s take a closer look at how Latin and English words are related. Our word nimbostratus—as inthe nimbostratus cloud—for example, is made up of two Latin words. To find out exactly what animbostratus cloud is, we can break apart the word into its Latin parts. In Latin, nimbus means cloud,which signified rain and water to the ancient Romans. Stratus means to spread, as in layers. If we putthese two meanings together, we might reason that a nimbostratus cloud is a gray rain cloud thatspreads across the sky as a general overcast. In fact, our guess is right on target. Nimbostratus clouds

are low-lying clouds that are generally producers of rain and snow.

Latin words can be found in many of the names of the cloud types you are studying. First, look up the five Latin words below in the dictionary and writethe meaning next to each word. Then, using the Cloud Bank at the right, writethe names of the clouds that use the Latin root word(s) in them. Remember: Each Latin word will have more than one cloud type next to it.Some of the cloud types may be used twice.

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Using Word Origins to Identify Clouds

Clouds and What They Mean

1. alto–means high but has come to mean middle sometimes.

altocumulus, altostratus

2. cirro–means curl.

cirrocumulus, cirrostratus, cirrus

3. cumulus–means pile or heap.

altocumulus, cirrocumulus, cumulonimbus, cumulus, stratocumulus

4. nimbus–means cloud, which signified rain to the ancient Romans.

cumulonimbus, nimbostratus

5. stratus–means to spread, as in layers.

altostratus, cirrostratus, nimbostratus, stratocumulus, stratus

Cloud BankAltocumulus CumulonimbusAltostratus CumulusCirrocumulus NimbostratusCirrostratus StratocumulusCirrus Stratus

Recognizing Clouds–Worksheet 1

Answer Key

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Quiz

Clouds and What They Mean

1. What is evaporation?Evaporation is the process by which moleculesconvert from liquid form to gas. Evaporation ofwater occurs when water reaches its boiling point.

2. Define dew point.The dew point is the temperature at which watervapor in the air converts to water droplets. Thesedroplets attach to dust particles in the air andform clouds. In addition, they can attach toobjects on the ground and form dew.

3. What is relative humidity? How can it be increased?Relative humidity is the percentage of water vaporin the air at a certain temperature compared tothe amount it could hold. Since relative humidityis dependent both on temperature and vapor levels, it can be increased by 1) adding moremoisture to the air or by 2) decreasing the tem-perature, since air at lower temperatures holds lessmoisture.

4. What are clouds made of? How high off the groundare they?Clouds are made up of tiny water droplets or tinyice crystals. Clouds can be as high as 20 milesabove the ground; they can rest on the ground;and they can be anywhere in between.

5. Dew point and relative humidity are both impor-tant to the creation of clouds. What is the third scientific principle that is essential to cloud forma-tion? How does this principle work—in terms ofcloud formation?The third scientific principle that is important tocloud formation is: Hot air rises. As hot air nearthe ground rises, it reaches the colder air above.Eventually, the colder air chills the rising air towhere the dew point is reached; some of the watervapor in the air condenses on small dirt particlesin the air, and a cloud forms.

Answer Key

6. Looking up at the sky one afternoon, you see a big,tall cloud that is puffy and white—and looks like itwon’t produce any rain. What type of cloud areyou observing?Cumulus

7. As you are getting ready for school one morning,you notice that the sky is gray. Your mother makesyou take a raincoat “just in case” it rains. Whattypes of clouds are in the sky?Nimbostratus or stratus

8. What type of clouds are known as thunderheads,and why do some people call them that?Cumulonimbus clouds are known as thunderheadsbecause they can bring heavy rain, lightning, and thunder.

9. Sometimes, part of a cloud’s name is derived from aLatin word. If you know what this Latin wordmeans, then you can easily figure out certain char-acteristics of that cloud type. What do these threewords mean in Latin? With which cloud types arethey associated? Why?a. nimbus—Refers to clouds, rain, and water.

Associated with cumulonimbus and nimbostratus clouds because both types of clouds are producers of rain.

b. alto—Means high but has come to refer to middle. Associated with altocumulus and altostratus clouds because both types are found at middle elevations.

c. stratus—Means to spread, as in layers. Associated with stratus clouds because these clouds hang like a ceilingin the sky and can produce widespreadrain and snow.

10. Name three types of precipitation.Answers will vary, but may include rain, snow, sleet, hail, or drizzle.