Hey there, weather watchers! Today, we’re going to dive into the exciting world of weather reporting, just like Jessie did in Cloudy with a Chance of Classical Art. We’ll become meteorologists and create our own weather reports for a work of cloud art. Get ready to share your predictions!
Sky Stories, Be a Weather Reporter!
K-12 Resource: Activity
Dive into the exciting world of weather reporting
Project Details
- Grade Level K-5
- Subject Science, Art
- Activity Type Drawing
About
Learning Objectives
Materials Needed
- Paper or notebook
- Coloring supplies (crayons, markers, colored pencils)
- Imagination and creativity!
- Cloud Identification Guide
Assignment
Watch Video
Watch Cloudy with a Chance of Classical Art to learn about cloud paintings at the Getty Museum.
Choose Your Painting
Pick one of the paintings from the video: Van Tromp, going about to please his Masters, Ships a Sea, getting a Good Wetting by Joseph Mallord William Turner, Classical Landscape with Figures and Sculpture by Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes, or Study of Clouds with a Sunset near Rome by Simon Alexandre Clément Denis.
Van Tromp, going about to please his Masters, Ships a Sea, getting a Good Wetting, 1844, Joseph Mallord William Turner. Oil on canvas, [36 3/8 × 48 1/2 in.]. 93.PA.32. No Copyright - United States.
Study of Clouds with a Sunset near Rome, 1786–1801, Simon Alexandre Clément Denis. Oil on paper, 13 5/16 × 15 1/2 in. Getty Museum, 2005.31
Classical Landscape with Figures and Sculpture, 1788, Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes. ; Oil on panel, [11 5/16 × 16 1/8 in.]. 2004.145. No Copyright - United States
Study the Painting
Take a closer look at your chosen painting. Look at the sky, the clouds, and any other weather-related details you can find. What do you notice about the weather in the painting? Is it sunny, cloudy, rainy, or stormy?
Create Your Weather Report
Pretend you’re a weather reporter on TV, just like Jessie! Use your paper or notebook to write or draw your weather report for the painting you chose. Include the following information:
- Name of the painting and artist
- Description of the weather conditions depicted in the painting (e.g., sunny with fluffy clouds, rainy with dark storm clouds)
- Any weather-related activities or events happening in the painting (e.g., people carrying umbrellas, waves crashing on the shore)
- Predictions for the weather based on what you see in the painting (e.g., sunny skies ahead, chance of rain later in the day)
Get Creative
Use your coloring supplies to add color and details to your weather report. Make your drawings vibrant and expressive to bring the weather in the painting to life!
Present Your Weather Report
Once you’ve finished creating your weather report, share it with your family or classmates. You can read it aloud, show your drawings, or even act out a weather report like Jessie did in the script! Great job, budding meteorologists! You’ve created your very own weather reports inspired by famous paintings. Like Jessie, you used your imagination and observation skills to predict the weather in different scenes. Keep exploring and learning about the fascinating world of weather and art—you’re on your way to becoming a weather expert!
Related Materials
Cloud Identification Guide
PDF
Learn to identify different types of clouds
Cloudy with a Chance of Classical Art
Join Jessie and Justin as they discover the wonder of clouds
Cloud Spotting Adventure
Become a cloud detective and observe real clouds
Meet Simon Denis
Read about an artist who enjoyed painting the clouds in the skies outside
Extensions
Use your drawing and green screen to create a video of your weather report.
Suggested Modifications
Share examples of weather reports with students for ideas. Discuss the actual symbols used by weather reporters so students can incorporate them.