C is for Cloud

During the month of March we are learning all about weather, beginning with clouds.  This was a really fun lesson to plan.

Joseph, Max, and Delainey have their preschool routine down!  They know exactly what to do when they arrive and what comes next.  We started the morning off with handwriting practice.  We then moved into circle time where we learned about the great storm and flood that Noah and his family endured.  We learned a rhyme about raindrops and sang a few songs about weather.  

For show and tell I asked Max to bring something that he would wear on a sunny day, and he chose to bring basketball shorts.  Joseph was instructed to bring something that he would wear on a windy day, and he chose a coat.  Delainey was supposed to bring something that she could wear on a rainy day, and she brought a raincoat.  What smart little children.  We talked about how it is important to dress for the weather.

Next we moved into the first part of our lesson on clouds.  We talked a bit about the water cycle and evaporation.  I had the children rub hand sanitizer in between their hands and shake them.  This object lesson helped the children learn about evaporation.

Then we talked about what clouds are made of.  I had the children blow their warm breath on a cold spoon.  A tiny cloud appeared. We talked about how the tiny cloud on the spoon is like the clouds in the sky, formed when warm, moist air and cool air come together.  

We also made a batch of ice cold lemonade to illustrate the same concept of combining warm air and cold air to create water vapor.  Then we drank the lemonade with snack.  The kiddos were thrilled about this!

Next we did a little science experiment.  We made a cloud in a bottle using warm water, matches, and pressure.  We all had fun with this.

After our science experiment we talked about the different types of clouds using our cloud finder  We went outside to see what kind of clouds were in the sky.  Unfortunately there was not a cloud in the sky.  

Each of the children got to take home their own cloud finder and use it to observe the clouds, and record data on their cloud observation chart.  

During the last part of our lesson I read "The Little Cloud" by Eric Carle.  It talks about how clouds can look like different shapes, like sheep and airplanes.  After the story Joseph, Max, and Delainey got to make their own cloud shapes using cotton balls and glue.  Then they had to tell me what kind of cloud they made, with the help of our cloud finder.  Delainey made a cumulus cloud, Max made a cirrus cloud, and Joseph made a stratocumulus cloud.  

We had lots planned for preschool this week, and we managed to squeeze it all in.  Our little scholars seemed to understand what clouds are made of, but it will take a little more time to understand how they are formed.  I think they will also enjoy making cloud observations each day.