Science Lesson Kit · Teacher Resource
How Do Clouds Form? Water Vapor & Condensation — 5E Lesson Plan
Earth Science · 45 minutes
Grade 3
5E lesson flow
01
Engage
6 min
Teacher Does
Show a shrinking puddle and clouds; ask how unseen water can move.
Students Do
Offer one prediction.
Ask
- Can air contain unseen water?
Look For
Recognizes invisible gas.
02
Observe
10 min
Teacher Does
Demonstrate dry cold-cup condensation in a tray.
Students Do
Sketch outside cup before and after.
Ask
- Where did the outside drops come from?
Look For
Distinguishes outside condensation from leaking.
03
Explain
9 min
Teacher Does
Present vapor, cooling, droplets and cloud formation images.
Students Do
Order the cloud pathway.
Ask
- Why can clouds be seen?
Look For
Correct use of vapor and tiny droplets.
04
Practice
10 min
Teacher Does
Guide the new five-day cloud-cover data example.
Students Do
Make and defend a limited evidence claim.
Ask
- What can a short record not prove?
Look For
Does not assume seasonal patterns.
05
Assess
8 min
Teacher Does
Distribute the independent lunchbox and sky log worksheet.
Students Do
Complete new evidence questions and pathway drawing.
Ask
- Where did outside drops come from?
Look For
Applies ideas to a new surface and time record.
06
Reflect
2 min
Teacher Does
Collect an exit ticket.
Students Do
Explain cloud visibility in a sentence.
Ask
- Does every cloud mean rain?
Look For
Rejects the every-cloud-rains misconception.
Student goal
I can explain how clouds become visible and how cooling moist air can cause condensation.
Learning objectives
- Explain that clouds contain tiny droplets or ice crystals formed from water vapor.
- Use a safe cold-cup model to explain condensation and its limits.
- Read simple sky observations and support a limited claim with evidence.
Materials
- Sturdy clear plastic cup
- Ice and cold water
- Dry cloth and tray
- Printed cloud-cover log
- Observation cards and pencils
Before class
- Use cold water only; do not heat water or produce smoke.
- Check room humidity; have close-up photograph ready if no outside droplets appear.
- Dry outside of cup before starting.
- Set up a tray and paper towels.
- Prepare a separate cloud-cover log for the worksheet.
Safety & supervision
Review these precautions before students begin the investigation. Follow your school's safety procedures.
- No hot water, boiling steam or smoke.
- Wipe spills immediately.
- Avoid glass and electric appliances near water.
- Never taste investigation water.
Prior knowledge
- Water can be liquid or gas.
- Weather can change each day.
Vocabulary
- water vapor
- Invisible water in gas form.
- evaporation
- Liquid water changing into invisible water vapor.
- condensation
- Water vapor cooling and changing into liquid drops.
- cloud
- A visible collection of tiny water droplets, ice crystals, or both.
- droplet
- A very small drop of liquid water.
- cloud cover
- How much of the sky is covered by clouds.
Differentiation
- Use a picture-only gas/liquid sorting set.
- Allow pupils to say observations aloud before writing.
- Provide a cooling-condensation sentence frame.
- Compare fog and clouds as an extension.
Assessment
- Accurately locate droplets on the outside cup surface.
- Explain vapor is invisible, cloud droplets visible.
- Use sky-log evidence without extending conclusions to a whole season.
- Review the independent worksheet responses.
Exit ticket
Why can clouds be seen while water vapor cannot?
Extension
Record cloud cover over a longer interval and compare actual observations.