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Thunderstorms


Grade Level:

  • Grade 4

Objectives:

  • The student will investigate the attraction between two different charges to understand the concept of lightning in a thunderstorm.

Estimated Time for Completing Activity:

  • 1 class period.

Virginia SOLs:

  • 4.6 - The student will investigate and understand how weather conditions and phenomena occur and can be predicted. Key concepts include weather factors (temperature, air pressure, fronts, formation and type of clouds, and storms); and meteorological tools (barometer, hygrometer, anemometer, rain gauge, and thermometer).

National Science Standards:

  • Earth and Space Science - Standard D - Item 1: The sun, moon, stars, clouds, birds, and airplanes all have properties, locations, and movements that can be observed and described.

Prerequisites:

  • Study of clouds.

Class of Activity:

  • Exploratory

Materials Needed:

  • Worksheet, combs (1 for each group), paper circles (from hole punch), optional: wintergreen lifesavers, mirros.

Teaching Procedures:

  1. Pass out worksheet. Have students rad through top section. Discuss.
  2. Have students complete activity with combs in small groups.

    When two objects have different charges, sparks of electricity form to balance out these charges. Lightning bolts are one example. On a smaller scale, static charges that are different will attract one another, and static charges that have the same charge will repel (or push away) from each other.

  3. Last activity could be done at home or if there is a "darker" place in the school to take the class, this is a fun demonstration.

Conclusion/Summary:

  • Think of other ways where this might happen (with a balloon and small pieces of plastic or styrofoam).

    Answers to Crash, Boom, Bang.

    Severe thunderstorms can develop when warm, moist air and cool, dry air meet.

Extensions:

    Juvenile reading resources.
  • Branley, Franklyn M. Flash, Crash, Rumle, and Roll. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1985. Explaisn how and why a thunderstorm occurs and gives safety tips.
  • Hiscock, Bruce. The Big Storm. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1993. Describes a devastating storm that moved across the United States in 1982.
  • Galiano, Dean. Thunderstorms and Lightning. New York: Rosen Publishing Group, 2000. Examines all aspects of thunderstorms.
  • Sipiera, Paul P. and Diane M. Thunderstorms. New York: Children's Press, 1998. Explains weather conditions associated with thunderstorms.

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Lesson Plan submitted by Karen Hooker, Williamsburg James City County Public Schools, Williamsburg, VA, USA, for NASA's S'COOL Project