Sky and Clouds
Grade 1 · Science · Study Guide
Look up — there is a whole science happening above your head every day!
Have you ever looked up at the sky and wondered what you are seeing? The sky is full of amazing things — the Sun during the day, stars and the Moon at night, and all kinds of clouds in between! The sky is part of Earth's atmosphere, a thick blanket of air that wraps all around our planet.
Clouds are made of millions of tiny water droplets or ice crystals that float in the air. Clouds come in many different shapes. Puffy white clouds called cumulus clouds look like big cotton balls and often mean nice weather. Thin, wispy clouds called cirrus clouds appear high in the sky and are made of ice crystals. Dark, flat clouds called stratus clouds often cover the whole sky and bring rain or snow.
The color of the sky changes throughout the day because of the way sunlight interacts with the air. The sky looks blue during the day because air scatters blue light. At sunrise and sunset, when the Sun is low, the sky turns beautiful shades of orange, pink, and red. Watching the sky and clouds is how weather forecasters predict whether it will rain or shine!
| Cloud Type | What It Looks Like | What It Usually Means |
|---|---|---|
| Cumulus | Puffy white cotton balls | Fair and sunny weather |
| Cirrus | Thin white wisps high up | Weather may change soon |
| Stratus | Flat gray blanket across sky | Cloudy, may rain or drizzle |
| Cumulonimbus | Tall dark storm cloud | Thunderstorms incoming! |
Key terms
- atmosphere
- The layer of air and gases that surrounds the Earth and protects us from space.
- cumulus clouds
- Puffy, white, cotton-like clouds that typically mean fair weather.
- cirrus clouds
- High, thin, wispy clouds made of ice crystals, found high in the atmosphere.
- stratus clouds
- Low, flat, gray clouds that spread across the sky and often bring rain or overcast days.
- weather
- The conditions in the atmosphere at a specific place and time, including temperature, clouds, and rain.
Flashcards
- atmosphere
- The blanket of air and gases surrounding Earth.
- cumulus clouds
- Puffy white clouds that look like cotton and usually mean fair weather.
- cirrus clouds
- High, thin, wispy clouds made of ice crystals.
- stratus clouds
- Flat gray clouds that cover the sky and can bring rain.
- weather
- Conditions in the sky such as sunny, cloudy, rainy, or snowy.
- water droplets
- Tiny drops of water that float together to make clouds.
Practice questions
What are clouds made of?
- Cotton and wool
- Tiny water droplets or ice crystals
- Smoke and dust
- Oxygen gas
Show answer
Answer: Tiny water droplets or ice crystals
Clouds form when water vapor in the air cools and condenses into billions of tiny droplets or freezes into ice crystals.
Puffy white cumulus clouds usually mean a storm is coming.
Show answer
Answer: False
Cumulus clouds with flat bottoms and puffy white tops are associated with fair, sunny weather. Dark cumulonimbus clouds signal storms.
What do we call the layer of air that surrounds the Earth?
- The ocean
- The atmosphere
- The stratosphere
- The biosphere
Show answer
Answer: The atmosphere
Earth's atmosphere is a multi-layered blanket of gases extending hundreds of miles above the surface, protecting life on Earth.
Dark, flat stratus clouds can bring rain.
Show answer
Answer: True
Stratus clouds form when a large mass of moist air cools and spreads horizontally, often producing light rain or drizzle.
High, thin, wispy clouds made of ice crystals are called ___ clouds.
Show answer
Answer: cirrus
Cirrus clouds form at very high altitudes (above 20,000 feet) where temperatures are well below freezing, creating delicate ice crystal wisps.
Fun facts
- A single cumulus cloud can weigh more than 500,000 pounds, but it stays up because the tiny droplets fall so slowly!
- The sky on Mars is not blue — it is a pinkish-red color because of red dust in the air!
- You can see about 2,500 stars on a clear night without a telescope — but the Milky Way has over 200 billion stars total!
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