Make Your Own 3-D Cloud Chart

  In 1803 a British pharmacist named Luke Howard devised a system for classifying clouds into three main forms or types: cirrus from the Latin word for a lock or wisp of hair; cumulus, meaning a pile or heap and stratus, from the Latin for layered or spread out. Later scientists added alto, meaning high and nimbus, Latin for dark rain cloud, to create a classification system of ten major cloud formations that is still in use today.

Be aware that if you paint the foam board, it will bow some as the paint dries. Another option, of course, is to buy colored foam board. We decided to paint ours because we already had white foam board. We dappled it for a sky look.

We decided to make a cloud chart using a foam board, some paint and cotton balls glued to the board. 

First we painted the foam board blue for the sky.
Then we divided the board into four columns across and three rows down.

We labeled the columns: Cirrus (wispy), Cumulus (puffy), Nimbus (shapeless) and Stratus ( layer, or "blanket"), for the basic cloud shapes.

We labeled the rows: Cirro ("wispy", icy, over 20,000 feet) , Alto ("higher" than usual, between 6-20,000 feet) and Strato low "layer", below 6,000 feet), for the altitudes of the clouds.

Now, we needed to add the clouds made from cotton balls and to shape them as closely as we could to the clouds for each block in the grid. Even though the name could be figured out by the chart, we labeled each cloud type to make it easy.

Some of the clouds include some dark rain clouds, so we added that with some  dabs of watered down paint. Some of the clouds are gray at the bottom and white at the top.

We attached a string for hanging, and now we have a cloud chart to display and use.

sources and inspiration:

• World War II Days; Discover the Past with Exciting Projects, Games, Activities, and Recipes (American Kids in History Series), David C. King