(photo from our backyard in spring 2007 of cumulus clouds)

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the

work of his hands" - Psalm 19:1

I've been busy with preparing the CM Carnival, but also have been working hard planning a mini unit study on clouds.  We plan on wrapping up our structured school year by spending the next week or so studying clouds and then moving on to a unit study on oceans (since we will be visiting one lovely big ocean for vacation this summer!).  We're getting started today on our study, however will go at it low key to start, because after a week of cloudy weather, the last couple of days have been clear blue skies!

Following are the basic plans for our clouds unit; my hope is to post each day as to what we actually ended up doing.

~ The main book that I will be using to read from everyday will be (it's the closest thing to a "living book" that I could find):

Clouds, by C. Webster

~ There are gobs of internet sites on weather and clouds out there, these are the ones that caught AND kept my attention:

www.weatherwizkids.com/cloud.htm

www.wildwildweather.com/clouds

www.eo.ucar.edu/webweather/cloud3.html

~ We will “cloud watch” for several minutes each day and fill out a Cloud Identification sheet (you may click on this link to download the worksheet I made - in Mircrosoft Excel).

~ To aid in identification we will also be using our “cloud finders” which we will be making by using the guide found here:  http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/reproducibles/profbooks/cloudkey.pdf

~ Watch the excellent video:  The Wonders of God's Creation - Planet Earth, Sanctuary of Life, by Moody Press

~ Poetry – The Cloud, by P. Shelley. Study, appreciation, and memorization.

The Cloud

by Percy Bysshe Shelley

I bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowers,

     From the seas and the streams;

I bear light shade for the leaves when laid

     In their noonday dreams.

From my wings are shaken the dews that waken

     The sweet buds every one,

When rocked to rest on their mother's breast,

     As she dances about the sun.

I wield the flail of the lashing hail,

     And whiten the green plains under;

And then again I dissolve it in rain,

     And laugh as I pass in thunder.

I sift the snow on the mountains below,

     And their great pines groan aghast;

And all the night 'tis my pillow white,

     While I sleep in the arms of the blast.

~ Science Experiment ~ “Make Your Own Cloud”

Wild Science Projects About Earth's Weather, by R. Gardner

We will fill out a Science Journal page (you may click on this link to download the worksheet I made - in Mircrosoft Excel).  We have already completed a few other appropriate experiments in recent weeks that you can read about here: Science Experiments.

~ One whole day devoted to ART!

We will start out the day using Amanda’s (from Hearts and Trees) Clouds Art Show, and fill out the Clouds in Art Notebooking Pages.

Skies and the Artist, by E. Sloane

Using the above book, we will have an art lesson on how to draw clouds and give our hand at trying it ourselves.

Monet and the Impressionists for Kids, by C. Sabbeth

And then we'll try our hand at painting them using the activity “Painting the Shimmering Sky” on page 26 of the above book. 

Last, but certainly FIRST, is Bible Study.  I was amazed and in AWE, which I shouldn't have been because of Psalm 19:1, of how many verses I found where our Lord used(s) clouds for His purposes ~ to guide, to appear in, to come to, to cover, to see, to return in, to go...AMAZING.  Here is just a list of the verses we will be reading and studying:

Genesis 9:13 - God set His rainbow in the clouds as a sign

Exodus 13:21 - God went ahead of the Israelites in a cloud to guide them

Exodus 16:10 - The Glory of the Lord appeared in a cloud

Exodus 19:9 - God came to them in a dense cloud

Leviticus 16:2 - God dwelled in a cloud over the atonement cover

Luke 12:54 - Jesus used clouds in His lesson

Luke 21:27 - Jesus will return on a cloud

1 Thessalonians 4:17 - we will be caught up together with the Lord in the clouds to go to Heaven

ADDITIONS:

4/17

Sensory Activity - use a can of shaving cream to let the kids make different kinds of clouds with, we did this today and wow was it, of course, a hit!

4/20

 Books -

 The Man Who Named the Clouds

by Julie Hannah and Joan Holub

Lori from Camp Creek Press thoughtfully lead me to this absolutely fantastic and FREE e-book:

Take a Cloud Walk

 by Jane Kirkland

OTHER POSTS IN REGARDS TO THIS STUDY:

Clouds Unit - Day 1

Clouds Unit - Two More Great Resources

Clouds Unit - Day 2 - Beautiful Bible Lesson

 Cloud Study - Finishing Up