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Weather instruments & clouds

Match weather instruments and cloud types (cirrus, cumulus, stratus) to what they measure or indicate. Review suitability for your learners before teaching.

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Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 7-9

Weather instruments & clouds

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. Which weather instrument measures air or water temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) or Fahrenheit (°F): a thermometer or a barometer?
Which weather instrument m… · Weather instruments & clouds
2. Which airport and marina instrument uses a striped fabric cone on a pole to show both wind direction and approximate wind strength: a windsock or a sundial?
Which airport and marina i… · Weather instruments & clouds
3. If a wind vane points toward the East, from which direction is the wind blowing: from the East (an easterly wind), or from the West?
If a wind vane points towa… · Weather instruments & clouds
4. On a sunny afternoon at the coast, land heats up faster than the sea, drawing cool air inland from the water. What is this breeze called: a sea breeze or a land breeze?
On a sunny afternoon at th… · Weather instruments & clouds
5. Why do you see the flash of lightning before you hear the clap of thunder from a distant storm: light travels much faster than sound in air, or lightning happens ten minutes earlier?
Why do you see the flash o… · Weather instruments & clouds
6. What tiny water droplets form on cool grass and leaves early in the morning when water vapour condenses on cold surfaces: dew or hail?
What tiny water droplets f… · Weather instruments & clouds
7. What causes a rainbow to appear in the sky when the Sun shines on falling raindrops: sunlight is refracted, reflected and dispersed into colours inside the water droplets, or clouds paint the sky?
What causes a rainbow to a… · Weather instruments & clouds
8. What are the fluffy, white, flat-based clouds that look like cotton wool floating in a blue sky on a sunny day: cumulus clouds or stratus clouds?
What are the fluffy, white… · Weather instruments & clouds
9. What are the thin, wispy, feathery high-altitude clouds made of ice crystals in fair weather called: cirrus clouds or cumulonimbus clouds?
What are the thin, wispy, … · Weather instruments & clouds
10. Where should you place a rain gauge to get an accurate rainfall measurement: in an open area away from trees and building roofs, or directly under a tree?
Where should you place a r… · Weather instruments & clouds
11. Why are weather station thermometers housed inside a white, slatted wooden box (a Stevenson screen): to shade the thermometer from direct sunlight while allowing air to circulate freely, or to keep rain inside?
Why are weather station th… · Weather instruments & clouds
12. What do we call a cloud that forms right at ground level or sea level and reduces visibility: fog (or mist) or hail?
What do we call a cloud th… · Weather instruments & clouds

12 questions · Seed 43 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

View the answer key

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 7-9

Weather instruments & clouds

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. Which weather instrument measures air or water temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) or Fahrenheit (°F): a thermometer or a barometer?
Thermometer
A thermometer measures how hot or cold the air or liquid is.
2. Which airport and marina instrument uses a striped fabric cone on a pole to show both wind direction and approximate wind strength: a windsock or a sundial?
Windsock
A windsock fills and extends horizontally when strong winds blow.
3. If a wind vane points toward the East, from which direction is the wind blowing: from the East (an easterly wind), or from the West?
From the East (an easterly wind)
Winds are named after the direction they blow FROM, and a wind vane points into the oncoming wind.
4. On a sunny afternoon at the coast, land heats up faster than the sea, drawing cool air inland from the water. What is this breeze called: a sea breeze or a land breeze?
Sea breeze
Warm air rises over the heated land and cooler air flows in from the sea as a sea breeze.
5. Why do you see the flash of lightning before you hear the clap of thunder from a distant storm: light travels much faster than sound in air, or lightning happens ten minutes earlier?
Light travels much faster than sound in air
Light travels at ~300,000 km/s, whereas sound in air travels at ~340 m/s (about 1 km every 3 seconds).
6. What tiny water droplets form on cool grass and leaves early in the morning when water vapour condenses on cold surfaces: dew or hail?
Dew
When overnight surfaces cool below the dew point, water vapour condenses into liquid dew.
7. What causes a rainbow to appear in the sky when the Sun shines on falling raindrops: sunlight is refracted, reflected and dispersed into colours inside the water droplets, or clouds paint the sky?
Sunlight is refracted, reflected and dispersed into colours inside the water droplets
Each raindrop acts like a tiny prism, splitting white sunlight into a spectrum.
8. What are the fluffy, white, flat-based clouds that look like cotton wool floating in a blue sky on a sunny day: cumulus clouds or stratus clouds?
Cumulus clouds
Fair-weather cumulus clouds have rounded white tops and flat bases.
9. What are the thin, wispy, feathery high-altitude clouds made of ice crystals in fair weather called: cirrus clouds or cumulonimbus clouds?
Cirrus clouds
Cirrus clouds form high in the troposphere and look like delicate white feathers.
10. Where should you place a rain gauge to get an accurate rainfall measurement: in an open area away from trees and building roofs, or directly under a tree?
In an open area away from trees and building roofs
Trees and roofs block or funnel rainwater, distorting the measurement.
11. Why are weather station thermometers housed inside a white, slatted wooden box (a Stevenson screen): to shade the thermometer from direct sunlight while allowing air to circulate freely, or to keep rain inside?
To shade the thermometer from direct sunlight while allowing air to circulate freely
A Stevenson screen ensures the thermometer measures true air temperature in the shade.
12. What do we call a cloud that forms right at ground level or sea level and reduces visibility: fog (or mist) or hail?
Fog (or mist)
Fog is a stratus cloud whose base touches the ground or sea surface.

12 questions · Seed 43 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 7-9

Weather instruments & clouds

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. Which weather instrument measures air or water temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) or Fahrenheit (°F): a thermometer or a barometer?
Which weather instrument m… · Weather instruments & clouds
2. Which airport and marina instrument uses a striped fabric cone on a pole to show both wind direction and approximate wind strength: a windsock or a sundial?
Which airport and marina i… · Weather instruments & clouds
3. If a wind vane points toward the East, from which direction is the wind blowing: from the East (an easterly wind), or from the West?
If a wind vane points towa… · Weather instruments & clouds
4. On a sunny afternoon at the coast, land heats up faster than the sea, drawing cool air inland from the water. What is this breeze called: a sea breeze or a land breeze?
On a sunny afternoon at th… · Weather instruments & clouds
5. Why do you see the flash of lightning before you hear the clap of thunder from a distant storm: light travels much faster than sound in air, or lightning happens ten minutes earlier?
Why do you see the flash o… · Weather instruments & clouds
6. What tiny water droplets form on cool grass and leaves early in the morning when water vapour condenses on cold surfaces: dew or hail?
What tiny water droplets f… · Weather instruments & clouds
7. What causes a rainbow to appear in the sky when the Sun shines on falling raindrops: sunlight is refracted, reflected and dispersed into colours inside the water droplets, or clouds paint the sky?
What causes a rainbow to a… · Weather instruments & clouds
8. What are the fluffy, white, flat-based clouds that look like cotton wool floating in a blue sky on a sunny day: cumulus clouds or stratus clouds?
What are the fluffy, white… · Weather instruments & clouds
9. What are the thin, wispy, feathery high-altitude clouds made of ice crystals in fair weather called: cirrus clouds or cumulonimbus clouds?
What are the thin, wispy, … · Weather instruments & clouds
10. Where should you place a rain gauge to get an accurate rainfall measurement: in an open area away from trees and building roofs, or directly under a tree?
Where should you place a r… · Weather instruments & clouds
11. Why are weather station thermometers housed inside a white, slatted wooden box (a Stevenson screen): to shade the thermometer from direct sunlight while allowing air to circulate freely, or to keep rain inside?
Why are weather station th… · Weather instruments & clouds
12. What do we call a cloud that forms right at ground level or sea level and reduces visibility: fog (or mist) or hail?
What do we call a cloud th… · Weather instruments & clouds

12 questions · Seed 43 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 7-9

Weather instruments & clouds

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. Which weather instrument measures air or water temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) or Fahrenheit (°F): a thermometer or a barometer?
Thermometer
A thermometer measures how hot or cold the air or liquid is.
2. Which airport and marina instrument uses a striped fabric cone on a pole to show both wind direction and approximate wind strength: a windsock or a sundial?
Windsock
A windsock fills and extends horizontally when strong winds blow.
3. If a wind vane points toward the East, from which direction is the wind blowing: from the East (an easterly wind), or from the West?
From the East (an easterly wind)
Winds are named after the direction they blow FROM, and a wind vane points into the oncoming wind.
4. On a sunny afternoon at the coast, land heats up faster than the sea, drawing cool air inland from the water. What is this breeze called: a sea breeze or a land breeze?
Sea breeze
Warm air rises over the heated land and cooler air flows in from the sea as a sea breeze.
5. Why do you see the flash of lightning before you hear the clap of thunder from a distant storm: light travels much faster than sound in air, or lightning happens ten minutes earlier?
Light travels much faster than sound in air
Light travels at ~300,000 km/s, whereas sound in air travels at ~340 m/s (about 1 km every 3 seconds).
6. What tiny water droplets form on cool grass and leaves early in the morning when water vapour condenses on cold surfaces: dew or hail?
Dew
When overnight surfaces cool below the dew point, water vapour condenses into liquid dew.
7. What causes a rainbow to appear in the sky when the Sun shines on falling raindrops: sunlight is refracted, reflected and dispersed into colours inside the water droplets, or clouds paint the sky?
Sunlight is refracted, reflected and dispersed into colours inside the water droplets
Each raindrop acts like a tiny prism, splitting white sunlight into a spectrum.
8. What are the fluffy, white, flat-based clouds that look like cotton wool floating in a blue sky on a sunny day: cumulus clouds or stratus clouds?
Cumulus clouds
Fair-weather cumulus clouds have rounded white tops and flat bases.
9. What are the thin, wispy, feathery high-altitude clouds made of ice crystals in fair weather called: cirrus clouds or cumulonimbus clouds?
Cirrus clouds
Cirrus clouds form high in the troposphere and look like delicate white feathers.
10. Where should you place a rain gauge to get an accurate rainfall measurement: in an open area away from trees and building roofs, or directly under a tree?
In an open area away from trees and building roofs
Trees and roofs block or funnel rainwater, distorting the measurement.
11. Why are weather station thermometers housed inside a white, slatted wooden box (a Stevenson screen): to shade the thermometer from direct sunlight while allowing air to circulate freely, or to keep rain inside?
To shade the thermometer from direct sunlight while allowing air to circulate freely
A Stevenson screen ensures the thermometer measures true air temperature in the shade.
12. What do we call a cloud that forms right at ground level or sea level and reduces visibility: fog (or mist) or hail?
Fog (or mist)
Fog is a stratus cloud whose base touches the ground or sea surface.

12 questions · Seed 43 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification