Montessori Geography
Types of Clouds (Montessori Nomenclature Cards and Online Mastery Quiz)
Get familiar with the basic types of clouds using our online "nomenclature cards" and test what you've learned in the online quiz that follows.
Clouds form an infinite number of shapes but there are four “core” forms and ten basic types of clouds.
Types of Clouds
Four core forms of clouds:
- Cirrus – high, wispy clouds that are the first to appear in advance of a low-pressure area
- Cumulus – clouds that look like white fluffy cotton balls with a generally flat base
- Stratus – clouds that are widespread with diffuse edges and tend to occur to the north of warm fronts
- Nimbus – the clouds from which the vast majority of precipitation occurs
The following are the ten basic types of clouds, divided by their height:
- High-level clouds – typically thin and white in appearance
- Cirrus (Ci)
- Cirrocumulus (Cc)
- Cirrostratus (Cs)
- Mid-level clouds – composed primarily of water droplets
- Altocumulus (Ac)
- Altostratus (As)
- Nimbostratus (Ns)
- Low-level clouds – composed of water droplets
- Cumulus (Cu)
- Stratocumulus (Sc)
- Stratus (St)
- Cumulonimbus (Cb) – the thunderstorm cloud
Source: US National Weather Service: The Four Core Types of Clouds; Ten Basic Clouds.
Montessori "Nomenclature Cards"
Clouds
Put your mouse pointer/cursor above the pictures to reveal the type of cloud.
For mobile users, tap on the image to reveal the same information.
* Based on cards shared by the Association Montessori Internationale
Montessori Mastery Quiz: Types of Clouds
Types of Clouds
