Cloud Clues

Looking up at the clouds can tell us much more than whether it’s a nice day outside. This reading passage introduces students to the different types of clouds and explains how meteorologists use their shapes, heights, and movements to predict changing weather. Readers discover why towering cumulonimbus clouds often signal thunderstorms, why flat stratus clouds bring gray skies, and why wispy cirrus clouds can hint that weather changes are on the way.

Students practice identifying main ideas, interpreting informational text, and making connections between observations and scientific explanations. Vocabulary including cumulus, stratus, cirrus, cumulonimbus, forecast, and meteorologist is woven naturally into an engaging narrative. Written in an encouraging, teacher-friendly voice, this worksheet inspires students to become careful observers of the sky and understand how clouds serve as nature’s weather clues.