Here you’ll find a variety of lesson plans, with one for each age group. Feel free to mix and match the activities that work best for your students. There’s also an alternative lesson plan at the end for even more flexibility.
Note the Optional Q&A won't be available until after the live interview with the author.
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Pre-K Lesson Plan (Ages 3-4)
Learning Objectives
Identify and name basic emotions
Practice empathy by considering how others might feel
Connect weather conditions to mood states
Materials
Book and/or Read Along Video
Procedure (25 minutes)
(5 mins) Gather the students on the rug and introduce the idea that the weather can change just like our feelings.
(10 mins) Watch the read along video of Please Cloud, Don't Cry.
(10 mins) Create cloud art using cotton balls and construction paper, talking about what the clouds might be feeling today.
Kindergarten Lesson Plan - Age 5
Learning Objectives
Develop active listening skills
Recognize that people and nature can have complex emotions
Express personal emotions through drawing
Materials
Book and/or Read Along Video
Procedure (30 minutes + 20 minutes optional Q&A)
(5 mins) Introduce the concept of personification, explaining that sometimes we pretend things like clouds have feelings to help us understand them.
(10 mins) Watch the read along video together.
(10 mins) Have students draw a picture of a cloud that represents their own current mood and explain why.
(5 mins) Wrap up by discussing the importance of being kind to everyone, regardless of their mood.
(20 mins) Watch the author's Q&A interview video. Lead a discussion prompting students to come up with new questions they would like to ask the author.
1st Grade Lesson Plan - Age 6
Learning Objectives
Analyze how lyrical language helps convey the mood of a story
Identify the turning point where the protagonist changes her perspective
Express emotions through a combination of art and descriptive writing
Materials
Book and/or Read Along Video
Procedure (45 minutes + 20 minutes optional Q&A)
(5 mins) Discuss the concept of a 'lyrical' story and how words can sound like music.
(10 mins) Watch the read along video or read the book and ask students to listen for words that describe sounds or feelings.
(20 mins) Students will write a short three-line poem in their journals about a time they felt like a 'grey sky.'
(10 mins) Use watercolor paints to create a background that matches the mood of their poem.
(20 mins) Watch the author's Q&A interview video. Lead a discussion prompting students to come up with new questions they would like to ask the author.
2nd Grade Lesson Plan - Age 7
Learning Objectives
Discuss the author's inspiration and the concept of neurodiversity in storytelling
Evaluate how perspective-taking changes the outcome of a conflict
Compare and contrast literal weather with emotional weather
Materials
Book and/or Read Along Video
Procedure (45 minutes + 20 minutes optional Q&A)
(5 mins) Explain that the book was inspired by the author's neurodivergent daughter and discuss what it means to see the world uniquely.
(10 mins) Watch the read along video or read the book, focusing on the dialogue between the girl and the cloud.
(15 mins) Divide the class into groups to create a 'Mood Map' on chart paper, listing ways to help a friend who feels 'cloudy.'
(15 mins) Each student draws a scene of what the cloud might see looking down at the earth, practicing a shift in perspective.
(20 mins) Watch the author's Q&A interview video. Lead a discussion prompting students to come up with new questions they would like to ask the author.
Alternative Lesson Plan - Ages 3 - 7
Learning Objectives
Engage in sensory exploration to regulate emotions
Practice self-soothing techniques inspired by the story's comforting tone
Develop social-emotional awareness through collaborative play
Materials
Book and/or Read Along Video
Procedure (40 minutes + 20 minutes optional Q&A)
(5 mins) Set up a 'calm down corner' with soft blankets to create a safe environment for the story.
(10 mins) Watch the read along video or read the book while students are allowed to hold soft toys or blankets to enhance the comfort theme.
(20 mins) Introduce a sensory bin filled with blue rice and cloud-shaped items for students to explore while talking about 'calm' and 'stormy' feelings.
(5 mins) Practice 'cloud breaths' where students inhale deeply and blow out slowly like a gentle breeze.
(20 mins) Watch the author's Q&A interview video. Lead a discussion prompting students to come up with new questions they would like to ask the author.