Our World: Cool Clouds

Learn how clouds are formed and watch an experiment to make a cloud using liquid nitrogen. Find out how scientists classify clouds according to their altitude and how clouds reflect and absorb light, giving them different colors.

Discussion and writing prompts

1. Clouds do much more than produce rain or snow. How do clouds influence Earth's weather, climate, and energy balance? Choose one type of cloud discussed in the video. Explain how it forms, what weather conditions associated with it, and how it affects the amount of sunlight reaching Earth's surface.

2. NASA uses satellites to observe clouds around the world. Why are satellite observations important for studying clouds instead of relying only on observations made from the ground?

3. Clouds are part of Earth's water cycle and are influenced by changes in temperature, wind, and humidity. How do these factors work together to determine when and where clouds form?

Background Information

Grades 3 through 5

• NASA eClips Our World: Cloud Inspection (video)

Grades 3 through 8

• GLOBE (Elementary) Do You Know That Clouds Have Names? (pdf)

Grades 3-12

• NASA eClips Ask SME: Project Scientist Marile Colon Robles (video)
• GLOBE Clouds Chart Sky Window (pdf)
• NASA/NOAA Introduction to Clouds (pdf)

Grades 5 through 8

• NASA eClips Real World: Earth’s Energy Balance – Energy In and Energy Out (video)
• NASA eClips Real World: Earth’s Energy Balance: Small Changes, Big Impact (video)
• NASA What Are Clouds? (webpage)

Grades 5-12

• NASA CERES (webpage)

• NASA Clouds 101 (video)

• NASA How Do Clouds Form? (webpage)

Grades 8-12

• NASA The Importance of Understanding Clouds (pdf)
• UCAR Storms and Other Weather (webpage)

Activities

Grades K through 5

• GLOBE (Elementary) Clouds Module (website)

Grades K through 12

• GLOBE Earth as a System - Water Cycle Protocol (webpage)
• NASA GLOBE Clouds: How Can You Help? (webpage)
• GLOBE Hands-On Cloud Activities (website)
• GLOBE Atmosphere Protocols (webpage)

Grades 2 through 12

• NISE Exploring Earth: Investigating Clouds (webpage)

Grades 3-5

• NASA eClips Spotlite Interactive Lesson: Clouds (pdf)
• NASA eClips Our World: Designing a Cloud Cover Estimator (pdf)

Grades 3 through 8

• NASA Space Place Unscramble the Clouds (interactive)
• GLOBE Cloud Teller (pdf)
• My NASA Data Cloud Sort Activity (webpage)
• NASA Space Place Make a Cloud Mobile (webpage)
• NASA The Types of Clouds and What They Mean (webpage)

Grades 4 through 12

• NASA JPL Make a Cloud in a Bottle (webpage)