WP 1.5

WP 1.5 Investigating Why Clouds Produce Rain 
Objective: KWBAT gather evidence from the text and sim to understand how temperature changes lead to rainfall.

Part 1: Warm Up

2

What happens when water vapor cools? Select ALL that apply.

1

The energy that transfers out of an air parcel to form clouds originally comes from:

1

Notice the clouds of different sizes in the photos below. In which photo do you think the most cooling and energy transfer occurred to form the clouds?

0

Explain why you chose that cloud.

Sentence Starter:
I think Cloud _ had the most cooling and energy transfer because...

4

Categorize the items by what they show!

Energy from the Sun
Precipitation
Condensation
Evaporation

ITEM 1
ITEM 2
ITEM 3
ITEM 4

Part 2: Rereading "What are Clouds? Excerpt

In the previous lesson, we read about clouds to study this question: What causes an air parcel to cool?
Today, we will further investigate why energy transfers and how it affects the temperature of an air parcel and the amount of rain.

Cloud Formation and Energy Cooling is an important cause of rainfall— cooling air parcels can cause clouds to form and rain to fall. What causes an air parcel to cool? The process is driven by energy. When a warm air parcel is surrounded by colder air, the energy from the warm air parcel is transferred to the colder air until the temperature of all the air is equal. While an air parcel is losing energy, the temperature of the air parcel decreases. The energy transfer that causes the warm air parcel to cool can also cause the water vapor in the parcel to condense into liquid water. This liquid water is what forms a cloud. The more energy the air parcel loses, the more it cools and the more liquid water it forms, making more rainfall possible. When the droplets of liquid water in the clouds become big enough, they fall to the ground as rain.

0

How do clouds form?

Sentence starter:
Clouds form when...

1

What causes an air parcel to cool?

0

What information from the article excerpt helped you figure out what causes an air parcel to cool?

Identify the quotes or the images that helped you!

Part 3: Making Different Weather Events

Next, you will work to make three different weather events: a cloud with no rain, a cloud with some rain, and a cloud with a lot of rain.

Launch Lab mode in the Sim.

In Build and set the water vapor between medium and high.
Refer to the first weather event and decide how to change the surrounding air temperature and air parcel temperature to make a cloud with no rain.
Run the Simulation.
Go to Analyze and check if you have the desired weather event. If you do, fill out the information in the data table. If you do not, go back to Build and change the conditions.
Repeat steps 2–5 for a cloud with a lot of rain.
Then answer the questions below.

2

Complete the data table using the steps above.

Remember, your goal is to make two different clouds:
One cloud with Level 0 Rain and
One cloud with Level 3 or Level 4 Rain.

1

For the cloud with A LOT of rain (Level 3 or Level 4 rain), the starting temperature of the air parcel was ________________ the surrounding air temperature.

1

For the cloud with A LOT of rain (Level 3 or Level 4 rain), the final temperature of the air parcel was ________________ the surrounding air temperature.

0

Using the temperature data, describe the direction that energy transfers and when it stops for the clouds that had rain.

Sentence starter:

According to the temperature data, energy transfers from....to......
Energy stops transferring when...

0

Use evidence from the Sim to answer the Investigation Question: What causes an air parcel to cool?

Sentence starter:

According to the Sim, _______ causes an air parcel to cool.
I know this because....

Part 4: Exit Ticket

1

On Saturday, an air parcel lost 139 MJ of energy to the surrounding air.
On Sunday, an air parcel lost 72 MJ of energy to the surrounding air.

On which day was there more rain?

0

How do you know it was that day? Use evidence from today's lesson.

Sentence Starter:

I know it was _____ because...

0

WP 1.5

WP 1.5 Investigating Why Clouds Produce Rain

Part 1: Warm Up

What happens when water vapor cools? Select ALL that apply.

The energy that transfers out of an air parcel to form clouds originally comes from:

Notice the clouds of different sizes in the photos below. In which photo do you think the most cooling and energy transfer occurred to form the clouds?

Explain why you chose that cloud.Sentence Starter:I think Cloud _ had the most cooling and energy transfer because...

Categorize the items by what they show!

Part 2: Rereading "What are Clouds? Excerpt

How do clouds form?Sentence starter:Clouds form when...

What causes an air parcel to cool?

What information from the article excerpt helped you figure out what causes an air parcel to cool?Identify the quotes or the images that helped you!

Part 3: Making Different Weather Events

Launch Lab mode in the Sim.

Complete the data table using the steps above.Remember, your goal is to make two different clouds:One cloud with Level 0 Rain and One cloud with Level 3 or Level 4 Rain.

For the cloud with A LOT of rain (Level 3 or Level 4 rain), the starting temperature of the air parcel was ________________ the surrounding air temperature.

For the cloud with A LOT of rain (Level 3 or Level 4 rain), the final temperature of the air parcel was ________________ the surrounding air temperature.

Using the temperature data, describe the direction that energy transfers and when it stops for the clouds that had rain.Sentence starter:According to the temperature data, energy transfers from....to......Energy stops transferring when...

Use evidence from the Sim to answer the Investigation Question: What causes an air parcel to cool?Sentence starter:According to the Sim, _______ causes an air parcel to cool.I know this because....

Part 4: Exit Ticket

On Saturday, an air parcel lost 139 MJ of energy to the surrounding air. On Sunday, an air parcel lost 72 MJ of energy to the surrounding air. On which day was there more rain?

How do you know it was that day? Use evidence from today's lesson.Sentence Starter:I know it was _____ because...

OPTIONAL: What slide was the symbol on?One point extra credit if correct!

WP 1.5 Investigating Why Clouds Produce Rain

Part 1: Warm Up

What happens when water vapor cools? Select ALL that apply.

The energy that transfers out of an air parcel to form clouds originally comes from:

Notice the clouds of different sizes in the photos below. In which photo do you think the most cooling and energy transfer occurred to form the clouds?

Explain why you chose that cloud.Sentence Starter:I think Cloud _ had the most cooling and energy transfer because...

Categorize the items by what they show!

Part 2: Rereading "What are Clouds? Excerpt

How do clouds form?Sentence starter:Clouds form when...

What causes an air parcel to cool?

What information from the article excerpt helped you figure out what causes an air parcel to cool?Identify the quotes or the images that helped you!

Part 3: Making Different Weather Events

Launch Lab mode in the Sim.

Complete the data table using the steps above.Remember, your goal is to make two different clouds:One cloud with Level 0 Rain and One cloud with Level 3 or Level 4 Rain.

For the cloud with A LOT of rain (Level 3 or Level 4 rain), the starting temperature of the air parcel was ________________ the surrounding air temperature.

For the cloud with A LOT of rain (Level 3 or Level 4 rain), the final temperature of the air parcel was ________________ the surrounding air temperature.

Using the temperature data, describe the direction that energy transfers and when it stops for the clouds that had rain.Sentence starter:According to the temperature data, energy transfers from....to......Energy stops transferring when...

Use evidence from the Sim to answer the Investigation Question: What causes an air parcel to cool?Sentence starter:According to the Sim, _______ causes an air parcel to cool.I know this because....

Part 4: Exit Ticket

On Saturday, an air parcel lost 139 MJ of energy to the surrounding air. On Sunday, an air parcel lost 72 MJ of energy to the surrounding air. On which day was there more rain?

How do you know it was that day? Use evidence from today's lesson.Sentence Starter:I know it was _____ because...

OPTIONAL: What slide was the symbol on?One point extra credit if correct!

Explain why you chose that cloud.

Sentence Starter:
I think Cloud _ had the most cooling and energy transfer because...

How do clouds form?

Sentence starter:
Clouds form when...

What information from the article excerpt helped you figure out what causes an air parcel to cool?

Identify the quotes or the images that helped you!

Complete the data table using the steps above.

Remember, your goal is to make two different clouds:
One cloud with Level 0 Rain and
One cloud with Level 3 or Level 4 Rain.

Using the temperature data, describe the direction that energy transfers and when it stops for the clouds that had rain.

Sentence starter:

According to the temperature data, energy transfers from....to......
Energy stops transferring when...

Use evidence from the Sim to answer the Investigation Question: What causes an air parcel to cool?

Sentence starter:

According to the Sim, _______ causes an air parcel to cool.
I know this because....

On Saturday, an air parcel lost 139 MJ of energy to the surrounding air.
On Sunday, an air parcel lost 72 MJ of energy to the surrounding air.

On which day was there more rain?

How do you know it was that day? Use evidence from today's lesson.

Sentence Starter:

I know it was _____ because...

OPTIONAL: What slide was the symbol on?
One point extra credit if correct!

Explain why you chose that cloud.

Sentence Starter:
I think Cloud _ had the most cooling and energy transfer because...

How do clouds form?

Sentence starter:
Clouds form when...

What information from the article excerpt helped you figure out what causes an air parcel to cool?

Identify the quotes or the images that helped you!

Complete the data table using the steps above.

Remember, your goal is to make two different clouds:
One cloud with Level 0 Rain and
One cloud with Level 3 or Level 4 Rain.

Using the temperature data, describe the direction that energy transfers and when it stops for the clouds that had rain.

Sentence starter:

According to the temperature data, energy transfers from....to......
Energy stops transferring when...

Use evidence from the Sim to answer the Investigation Question: What causes an air parcel to cool?

Sentence starter:

According to the Sim, _______ causes an air parcel to cool.
I know this because....

On Saturday, an air parcel lost 139 MJ of energy to the surrounding air.
On Sunday, an air parcel lost 72 MJ of energy to the surrounding air.

On which day was there more rain?

How do you know it was that day? Use evidence from today's lesson.

Sentence Starter:

I know it was _____ because...

OPTIONAL: What slide was the symbol on?
One point extra credit if correct!