DISCUSS:

If you touched a cloud, what do you think it would feel like? Why do you think it would feel that way?

DISCUSS:

What did you notice as the skydiver fell through the cloud?

DISCUSS:

What do you think would happen if you took a cup of warm water, but instead of letting any of the water gas escape or go up out of the glass, you trapped it?

Video trouble?

Discuss

Now that your students know about water vapor, discuss what's going on in these situations.

When you take a hot shower, why does the mirror in the bathroom fog up?
On a cold day, why do you sometimes see your breath?
Early in the morning, why is the grass sometimes covered with drops of dew?

Here's what we think:

cloud

1 of 15

a collection of tiny water droplets that are visible in the air

matter

15 of 19

anything that takes up space and has weight; can be in different forms such as solid, liquid, or gas

Video trouble?

states of matter

3 of 15

the different forms of matter that include solid, liquid, and gas

solid

4 of 15

a state of matter, such as water when it is frozen ice

liquid

5 of 15

a state of matter, such as water when you can pour it

gas

6 of 15

a state of matter, such as water when it is steam

water vapor

7 of 15

water when it is a gas, such as steam

Video trouble?

rain

8 of 15

water drops that fall from clouds

fog

9 of 15

a cloud near the ground

evaporation

10 of 15

the process of a liquid changing to a gas

Video trouble?

condensation

11 of 15

the process of a gas changing to a liquid

melt

12 of 15

when a solid turns into a liquid, such as when ice melts into water

boil

13 of 15

to heat a liquid until it bubbles and turns quickly into a gas

experiment

14 of 15

a test used to discover new information about a question

observe

15 of 15

to pay close attention to something

Image & Video Credits

Mystery Science respects the intellectual property rights of the owners of visual assets. We make every effort to use images and videos under appropriate licenses from the owner or by reaching out to the owner to get explicit permission. If you are the owner of a visual and believe we are using it without permission, please contact us—we will reply promptly and make things right.

Exploration

clouds by Unsplash / cropped, adjusted color

cloud in summer by zsoravecz / cropped, adjusted color

sheep clouds by followtheseinstructions , used under CC BY-SA / cropped, adjusted color, flipped

large cloud by Mark Ahsmann , used under CC BY-SA / cropped, adjusted color

cloud shape by ikinitip / cropped, adjusted color

room cloud 2 by Berndnaut Smilde / None

room cloud 1 by Berndnaut Smilde / None

what are clouds? by abogawat / cropped, adjusted color

bonfire by Tomasz Sienicki , used under CC BY-SA / heavily modified

cottoncandy by cyclonebill , used under CC BY-SA / cropped, adjusted color

cloud marco by Jeff Kubina , used under CC BY-SA / heavily modified

Madame Recamier by Jacques-Louis David / heavily modified

hand by Steph684 / heavily modified

mountains behind clouds by Unsplash / cropped, altered aspect ratio

fog by MichaelDiederich , used under CC BY-SA / cropped

foggy street by Cablekid , used under CC BY-SA / cropped, adjusted color

water drops by JB Kilpatrick , used under CC BY / cropped, adjusted color

skydivers by Laura Hadden , used under CC BY / heavily modified

skydiving by Peter Shankman

cloud time lapse by viperior , used under CC BY / cropped, adjusted speed

ocean by kaboompics.com

evaporating puddle by thatwimpydeer / trimmed, adjusted speed

boiling water by LIFEOFVIDS , used under CC BY / altered aspect ratio

pot by Frank C. Müller, Baden-Baden , used under CC BY-SA / heavily modified

ice cube by Pierre (Rennes) , used under CC BY / cropped

water glass by PublicDomainPictures / adjusted color, modified

water evaporation by Conor Shore

droplets by Pink Sherbet Photography , used under CC BY / heavily modified

drinking water by Amanda Mills

sprinklers by Beth Coll Anderson , used under CC BY / cropped

water spray by D Jabi , used under CC BY / heavily modified

waves breaking by Saltvand , used under CC BY / adjusted color

waterfall by Luke Price , used under CC BY / cropped

clouds over field by pcdazero / adjusted color

mist by PublicDomainPictures / heavily modified

squirt bottle by Anne Swoboda , used under CC BY-SA / heavily modified

humidifier by 29cm , used under CC BY-SA / heavily modified

Activity

pencil by Charm / cut out

pencil #2 by JohannPoufPouf / heavily modified

Credits

“The video of the skydiver was a "lightbulb" moment for the kids. Even though they were initially predicting that clouds felt like cotton candy and pillows, they at the point all conceded that it felt like water. Then, the connection to fog really resonated because we live in a valley that experiences fog all winter long.”

“The students loved the activity with the warm water. I loved having the step by step directions/video clips to use during the lesson. Thank you for making Science engaging for the students and simple to implement for teachers!”

“This is a fantastic lesson! We did the condensation investigation with 3rd grade. The videos were an excellent lead into the investigation. The activity was simple, easy to use, and to the point. Thank you,”

“The students had such a great time learning about clouds! The experiment was really simple and yet they learned so much from it. Coincidentally it rained the day after the experiment. We went outside to talk about the puddles and what might happen to them. The day after that they talked about evaporation when they saw the puddles were gone. Thank you for making this so easy to teach. It also keeps the students engaged!”

“The lesson was very organized and well paced: There was enough time built into each step for all students to savor each concept without the stress of feeling rushed or stressed. There was the feeling of joy, excitement, and success instead. Thank you!”

“The students loved the videos and doing the hands on experiments. They had questions about the clouds but it was answered when we watched to the end of Doug's presentation. This was just an amazing mini unit. I have never seen my students so intrigued and engaged. ”

“I don't think my kids had ever really thought about what clouds feel like! I teach special education so I was able to easily modify the lesson and provide extra structure. I liked that the experiment was simple and adaptive.”

“The videos are so clear and easy to follow. You offered explanations of vocabulary that was really helpful for English Learners. Students loved the skydiver video. The hands on activity was easy, but engaging and very effective at allowing students to discover what makes up a cloud. Thank you for all your amazing work!!”

“I loved how the hands on experiment tied in so well with the information relating to weather, and it really gave my kids deeper understanding about the water cycle, the atmosphere, and how clouds form.”

“My students are deaf and hard of hearing, so they need a lot of visuals and hands on activities. I loved how the videos of the skydivers to show what is in a cloud were so awesome and a good matching level for my students. The hands-on activities,and great visuals help them have a better understanding of the activity and concepts related to the activity. ”

“Great lesson. I teach high school students with moderate to severe disabilities and they LOVE these lessons. The videos provide the visual component they need to learn and the experiments provide the hands on. We love this website!!”

“My 8-year old and 6-year old LOVED the whole thing. They were spellbound by the short video lectures, and had a ton of fun with the activity. My 8-year old was able to fill out the worksheet independently and also helped my 6-year old fill out her worksheet. They both wanted to do another Mystery Science lesson right away the next day.”

“The best part was that the lesson was laid out with everything I needed. It was easy to follow. The videos are excellent and the students the loved the experiment! It kept everyone's attention. Thank you! ”

“I did it with my 5th graders even though I thought it might be too easy for them. They all really enjoyed the lesson - some actually thought clouds were solid and soft, so there was some learning going on. ”

“I LOVED that I could do almost the who lesson without needing to put a huge amount of prep time into it. Obtaining the clear cups with lids and hot water was the most challenging and time consuming part of the lesson. I continue to hear my students discussing clouds types when we are outside. I also loved the cloud identification part and being in the Pacific Northwest, I was able to take pictures of our local landmarks with clouds. The kids identified the clouds and were excited that they knew the area! Unfortunately, we are continuously struggling to keep the pace with our current common core curriculum in math and reading, which pushes science to the back ground way too often!! Thanks again for your help! Donna Hollon”

“The students were engaged throughout the lesson! They got into some great discussions about the nature of clouds and what causes clouds to form. Interestingly, the lids with water vapor felt quite cool to the touch, even while the water at the bottom of the cups was still warm. The video stops at just the right places to enable you to wait for students to complete a step before continuing on. I think the students with vaporizers at home are going to attempt to create their own indoor clouds at home!”

“Students were able to better understand the process of evaporation through the "sped up" video example and the concept was reinforced when trapping water in a cup. Engaging and little prep required! ”

“It made us want to feel a cloud. It made our teacher want to bring her humidifier to school tomorrow. It was fantastic to watch the video and see the droplets form in the cup. We liked seeing the picture of the cloud that was created in a room. We had fun watching the water evaporate and learning what the word evaporation means. ”

“This was a wonderful lesson that engaged all of my students. The activity was fun for them and they understood the concept. Thanks for this wonderful website...I love that I can learn with the kids!!”

“My students loved the videos throughout the lesson. The lab was the perfect length for the amount of time I had to teach my class. I taught this lesson to three groups of fourth graders and they were involved and excited throughout the lesson. Excellent Job! Thank you! ”

“All the students were engaged in the video presentations and the discussions afterwards. The students especially enjoyed the hands-on experience of the Gas Trap experiment. The questions for the students to answer as they did their experiment were easy to understand and helped show their understanding of water in gas form.”

“They loved it! Straight up. To be honest, they enjoy doing Mystery Science more than they do the materials that come with our science kit provided by the school corporation that I work for. I think it is really cool that Mystery Science is interactive and in such a digital age that is key.”

“Oh my goodness, my kids LOVED making "the cloud!!" And they were captivated by the videos! I loved the way that the slideshow showed real examples of things they would understand, and then provided time/questions for discussion. And then followed up the experiment with further information/video. Best purchase I've made all year!”

“It's hard to just pick just one part! The video lessons and guidance are terrific! The skyjumpers in the video as an example really grabbed my son's attention. The experiment was fun, fundamental in understanding, and the walk-through video makes him feel independent. Thank you!”

“The exploration was the best part. Listening to the class and hearing their comments when they were checking out the water on the sides of the clear cup, etc. It's like magic for them. Also helps them gain a greater understanding. Thanks for all you guys do.”

“The best part was the expression on my kids' faces when we learned that clouds were not soft, cotton-candy like, but water droplets. All my children took home their cups and lids to do the experiment again at home. When they came back, they reported all that they had done at home. They were so excited!”

“I LOVE every Mystery Science lesson I have shown to my class. I loved watching them experience seeing a cloud in a glass in this particular one. Also, the pictures of clouds were amazing and my students were able to pick out the type of clouds in the sky the next day.”

Gas Trap Experiment printout	1 per student
Clean-up Supplies (Eg. Paper Towels) In case of spills.	Details 1 roll per class
Container for Water Any container that can hold about one cup of hot water will work.	Details 1 container per group
Scissors	1 pair per student
Clear Plastic Cups w/ Lids (16 oz) Any waterproof lid will do. It doesn’t have to fit tightly. You could also use clear jars.	Details 1 cup per student

Where do clouds come from?

Discuss

cloud

matter

states of matter

solid

liquid

gas

water vapor

rain

fog

evaporation

condensation

melt

boil

experiment

observe

Image & Video Credits

Standards

Jump to

16 mins

30 mins

4 mins

Extend this lesson

Unit Reading

Activities

Mini-lessons

Discussions

Transcripts

Where do clouds come from?

Discuss

cloud

matter

states of matter

solid

liquid

gas

water vapor

rain

fog

evaporation

condensation

melt

boil

experiment

observe

Image & Video Credits

Activity Prep

Vocabulary

Decide How to Distribute Hot Water

16 mins

30 mins

4 mins

Unit Reading

Activities

Mini-lessons

Discussions

Transcripts

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