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 The Whys of Weather ‐ Clouds The Whys of Weather
Clouds
Have you ever looked up at clouds and wondered where they come from or
what they are made of? Clouds may look soft and fluffy, but they are wet and cold.
Clouds are made of tiny drops of water. The fluffiest clouds also have frozen
crystals of ice.
There are always small particles1 of water in the air. Usually we cannot see
them. Most of the time the water particles are spread very far apart. To make clouds,
the water particles have to come together. This process is called condensation.2 But
how does this happen?
Have you ever seen clouds in the sky pass overhead and change shape? Air
is always moving. Warm air rises. Have you ever seen the steam rise from a pot of
boiling water? That steam is water vapor.3 It is water that has turned from a liquid to
a gas. Something similar happens when clouds are formed. When the sun shines on a
lake, it warms the water. Some of that water is turned from liquid into vapor. The vapor
is made up of water particles in the air. When many of those water particles come
together, they form a cloud.
1
particle: a very small quantity or piece
condensation: water particles coming together to form a liquid
3
water vapor: fine particles of water floating in the air, causing fog or clouds. This happens at very
low pressures and at very high temperatures.
2
© 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
Questions: The Whys of Weather ‐ Clouds Name: ___________________________
Date: ______________________
1. What are clouds made of?
A
B
C
D
air
water, ice
sunlight
none of the above
2. The author uses ___________ to help organize the information in the
passage.
A
B
C
D
questions to the reader
headings
diagrams
a sequence of steps
3. Refer to the third paragraph.
What does the question, “Have you ever seen the steam rise from a pot of boiling
water?” help explain?
A
B
C
D
the formation of frozen crystals of ice
air always moving
warm water vapor rising
condensation and evaporation
4. Read the sentence:
Have you ever seen clouds in the sky pass overhead and change shape?
What is the meaning of the word overhead as used in this sentence?
A
B
C
D
close to the head
high in the sky
again and again
so quickly that it is difficult to see
5. What is the main idea of this passage?
A
B
C
D
The Earth’s atmosphere is always changing.
Science can explain most ideas that seem difficult and complicated.
The sun is the source of all energy on Earth.
Clouds are actually made of particles of water in the air.
© 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
Questions: The Whys of Weather ‐ Clouds 6. Describe how clouds are formed.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
7. Why do some clouds look different from other clouds?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the answer that best
completes the sentence.
Clouds look fluffy and soft, _____ they are actually wet and cold!
A
B
C
D
so
besides
but
after
9. Read the following sentence.
When looking up at clouds, a person is actually seeing water because
clouds are made up of tiny water droplets.
Answer the following questions based on the information provided in the
sentence you just read. One of the questions has already been answered for
you.
1. Who is the main subject of the sentence? a person
2. What is a person doing? __________________________________________
3. When? ________________________________________________________
4. Why? _________________________________________________________
© 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
Questions: The Whys of Weather ‐ Clouds 10. Vocabulary Word: steam (noun): the hot mist that forms when water boils.
Use the vocabulary word in a sentence: ________________________________
________________________________________________________________
© 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
Answers: The Whys of Weather ‐ Clouds Teacher Guide and Answers
Passage Reading Level: Lexile 550
Featured Text Structure: Descriptive – the writer explains, defines or illustrates a
concept or topic
Passage Summary: In “The Whys of Weather – Clouds,” the author explains the
formation of clouds, or the collection of condensed water droplets in the air.
1. What are clouds made of?
A
B
C
D
air
water, ice
sunlight
none of the above
2. The author uses ___________ to help organize the information in the passage.
A
B
C
D
questions to the reader
headings
diagrams
a sequence of steps
3. Refer to the third paragraph.
What does the question, “Have you ever seen the steam rise from a pot of boiling
water?” help explain?
A
B
C
D
the formation of frozen crystals of ice
air always moving
warm water vapor rising
condensation and evaporation
4. Read the sentence:
“Have you ever seen clouds in the sky pass overhead and change shape?”
What is the meaning of the word overhead as used in this sentence?
A
B
C
D
close to the head
high in the sky
again and again
so quickly that it is difficult to see
© 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
Answers: The Whys of Weather ‐ Clouds 5. What is the main idea of this passage?
A
B
C
D
The Earth’s atmosphere is always changing.
Science can explain most ideas that seem difficult and complicated.
The sun is the source of all energy on Earth.
Clouds are actually made of particles of water in the air.
6. Describe how clouds are formed.
Suggested answer: Clouds are formed when water particles come together through
the process of condensation.
7. Why do some clouds look different from other clouds?
Suggested answer: Some clouds look different from other clouds because they are
made of water in its different forms. For example, the passage states clouds are made
of tiny drops of water but the fluffiest clouds also have frozen crystals of ice.
8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the answer that best
completes the sentence.
Clouds look fluffy and soft, _____ they are actually wet and cold!
A
B
C
D
so
besides
but
after
9. Read the following sentence.
When looking up at clouds, a person is actually seeing water because clouds are
made up of tiny water droplets.
Answer the following questions based on the information provided in the sentence you
just read. One of the questions has already been answered for you.
1. Who is the main subject of the sentence? a person
2. What is a person doing? is actually seeing water
3. When? when looking up at clouds
4. Why? because clouds are made up of tiny water droplets
© 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
Answers: The Whys of Weather ‐ Clouds 10. Vocabulary Word: steam (noun): the hot mist that forms when water boils.
Use the vocabulary word in a sentence: answers may vary.
© 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.