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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lightning and Thunder

For Teachers 5th
In this lesson, 5th graders begin to describe the atmosphere;describe weather conditions along with seasonal changes. Students further explain safety precautions during severe weather and go onto Describe patterns of changing weather...
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Website
Dan Satterfield

Lightning: The Shocking Statistics

For Students 3rd - 8th
This informative article provides statistics on lightning strikes, common sense suggestions on the dos and don'ts if lightning is in the area, and links to more sites dealing with lightning.
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Website
Other

Nlsi: Lightning's Social and Economic Costs

For Students 9th - 10th
Scholarly article which discusses the cost of lightning and thunderstorms. Provides information about the economic cost and a personal cost, as well as discusses what one can do to prevent or limit the costs of lightning.
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Website
Other

Physics.org: Lightning Has Energy to Toast 100,000 Slices of Bread

For Students 9th - 10th
A beginner's guide to understanding what causes lightning in a thunderstorm. Highlights the major ideas while giving fun, interesting facts.
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Unit Plan
NOAA

Noaa: National Weather Service: Jet Stream Online School for Weather: Lightning

For Students 9th - 10th
The National Weather Service presents this comprehensive site on lightning. Learn how lightning is created, what makes the sound of thunder, and ways to be safe during a storm. Learning lessons, frequently asked questions, and review...
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Article
NASA

Nasa: Spirits of Another Sort

For Students 9th - 10th
What is a sprite? Read this article to learn more and even discover how to find one. (June 10, 1999)
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Website
NOAA

Noaa: Nssl: Questions and Answers About Lightning

For Students 9th - 10th
Find out the causes of lightning, the strikes of lightning, the flashes, safety, and damage. Great place to have your questions about lightning answered.
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Article
BBC

Bbc: Week of 5 19 14:template Solar Wind 'Triggers Lightning on Earth'

For Students 9th - 10th
Scientists have learned that when gusts of high-speed solar particles enter our atmosphere, the number of lightning bolts increases. Learn more about how this phenonemon works.
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Website
NASA

Lightning & Atmospheric Electricity Research at the Ghcc

For Students 9th - 10th
This is the homepage for the Global Hydrology and Climate Center's Lightning Team. On this site, you will data from the Lightning Team's experiments; documents, reports, press releases, and an assortment of other information related to...
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Handout
Encyclopedia of Earth

Encyclopedia of Earth: Weather & Climate: Lightning

For Students 9th - 10th
Explains what lightning is, how it is created, what happens inside thunderstorms, how lightning develops during a storm, types of lightning, how individuals and groups can stay safe, chances of being struck by lightning, and answers to...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Nova Teachers: Lightning: Classroom Activity

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This lesson plan allows students can create static electricity and compare it to lightning.
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Website
Dan Satterfield

Dan's Wild Weather Page: Lightning

For Students 3rd - 8th
Learn facts and statistics about the weather phenomenon of lightning. This illustrated article also includes a lightning experiment and safety tips.
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Website
Other

National Lightning Safety Institute: Personal Lightning Safety

For Students 9th - 10th
This website provides a variety of resources to help you stay safe from lightning.
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Website
Other

Kidstorm: Lightning

For Students 3rd - 8th
Learn about lightning formation and lightning safety with this detailed webpage.
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Interactive
South Carolina Educational Television

Etv: Nasa Online: Lightning and Static

For Students 3rd - 5th
The concepts of lightning and static charges are made easy to understand by watching this interactive graphic website. Basic terms are explained and illustrated as well.
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Website
Curated OER

Weather Dude: Thunder and Lightning

For Students 9th - 10th
Weather site highlights the severe weather occurrences of thunder and lightning. Click on the link to hear a music clip.
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Website
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Ucar: How Lightning Forms

For Students 3rd - 8th
Weather site for kids provides information as to how lightning impacts our lives. Discover lightning safety tips, how to tell how far away a storm is, how lightning forms as well as read an amazing story about ball lightning.
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Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science: Thunderstorms

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] How thunderstorms form and their effects.
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Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science: Thunderstorms

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] How thunderstorms form and their effects.
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Lesson Plan
American Geosciences Institute

American Geosciences Institute: Earth Science Week: Lightning

For Teachers 5th - 8th
This activity will demonstrate the attraction of positive and negative charges and what happens when those opposite charges meet each other.
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Article
NASA

Nasa: Where Lightning Strikes

For Students 9th - 10th
A written and audio story about where in the world lightning has most often struck and is most likely to strike. Discusses how NASA was able to obtain this information. (Dec. 5, 2001)
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Interactive
University of Wisconsin

The Why Files: Light on Lightning! Danger!

For Students 9th - 10th
Experience the acoustical shadow caused by a lightning bolt, and discover the dangers of a lightning storm.
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Website
NASA

Sci Jinks: A Brief History of Lightning Detection

For Students 3rd - 8th
When was the very first lightning bolt detection device used? Find out and discover the evolution of the process.
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Activity
Read Works

Read Works: When Lightning Strikes

For Teachers 4th
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students read lightning: what causes it, when it is seen, and how to stay safe during a lightning storm. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in author's purpose.