LESSON 5
What is Static Electricity?
Overview
Students will learn about electricity as a form of energy, and explore
static electricity through experimentation.
Student
Learning
Targets
•
•
•
•
NGSS
MS-PS1-1.
Background
I can define electricity and describe how electrons move within and
between atoms to create electricity.
I can construct a model of an atom and explain the atom’s particles
and their charges.
I can explain static electricity and give an example of static electricity
that I find in everyday life.
I can tell about lightning and how static electricity relates to how
lightning works.
Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple
molecules and extended structures. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis
is on developing models of molecules that vary in complexity. Examples
of simple molecules could include ammonia and methanol. Examples of
extended structures could include sodium chloride or diamonds.
Examples of molecular-level models could include drawings, 3D ball and
stick structures, or computer representations showing different
molecules with different types of atoms.] [Assessment Boundary:
Assessment does not include valence electrons and bonding energy,
discussing the ionic nature of subunits of complex structures, or a
complete description of all individual atoms in a complex molecule or
extended structure is not required.]
Electricity is an integral part of everyday life that most people can’t
imagine being without. Because most people take electricity for granted,
few understand what it is or how it is generated. Electricity can be either
static or current. When two objects come in close contact with each
other (often through friction), one object can lose electrons to the other.
Thus, one object becomes negatively charged because it gained
electrons; while the other becomes positively charged because it lost
electrons. Static electricity is the instantaneous movement of electrons
due to this imbalance of states in which electrons move from negatively
charged atoms towards positively charged atoms to restore balance. To
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understand static electricity, students must grasp the following principles
with regard to atoms and their charges:
Everything is Made of Atoms
All things on earth are made up of elements. Each element on earth has a
defined number of neutrons, protons, and electrons, making it unique.
Individual particles of elements are called atoms. Atoms are the smallest
piece of an element. Multiple atoms bonded together make molecules,
and molecules bond together to make objects.
Parts of an Atom
Atoms are made up of positively charged protons, negatively charged
electrons, and neutrons, which have no charge. The protons and
neutrons are held tightly together in the nucleus or center of the atom.
Negatively charged electrons orbit around the nucleus like planets orbit
around the sun. The charge (strength) of one negatively charged electron
is equal to the charge (strength) of one positively charged proton. When
an atom has the same number of electrons and protons, the positive
charges and negative charges are equal. This makes the overall atom
neutral, or what scientist call “balanced.”
Moving Electrons
The neutrons and protons in an atom are held very tightly together in the
atom’s nucleus. However, electrons orbiting (moving in a path) around
the nucleus are less tightly held, especially the further from the nucleus
their orbit. Electrons far from the nucleus that are more loosely held can
move from one atom to another. This movement of electrons generates
electricity. Simply put, electricity is the movement of electrons.
Some substances, like metals, lose electrons fairly easily. This property of
metals makes them good conductors of electricity. Substances like glass,
rubber, and wood hold on tightly to their electrons, making them poor
conductors of electricity, and good insulators (opposite of conductor).
Electrical Charges
When an atom loses electrons, the electrons take their negative charges
with them. Now the protons outnumber the electrons giving the atom an
overall positive charge. When an atom gains electrons, the electrons
outnumber the protons, giving the atom an overall negative charge.
Because atoms make up molecules, which in turn make up objects;
molecules and objects can have an overall positive or negative charge
because of the charge of their atoms.
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When two objects of opposite charges come in contact with each other
they attract each other (like the north and south poles of two magnets).
When two objects of the same charge (whether both are positive or
negative) come in contact, they repel each other. This repelling action is
similar to that of magnets when like poles repel.
opposite charges attract
like charges repel
http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/static.html
Static Electricity
Electricity can be generated in a couple of ways by moving electrons from
one place to another. How this movement occurs determines whether
static or current electricity is produced as a result. With static electricity,
electron movement is instantaneously. Whereas, in current electricity
electrons move continuously along a pathway called a circuit.
Lightning, static cling, and static shocks are all examples of static
electricity. Static electricity is generated when two differently charged
objects come in contact with each other (usually through friction) causing
the instantaneous movement of electrons. The electrons move from the
negatively charged object to the positively charged objects restoring
balance of both to neutral.
A charged object will also attract an object that is neutral. Through
friction, an insulating material such as a rubber balloon will take on an
overall negative charge. This happens when you rub the balloon on your
hair or wool because the balloon picks up electrons from the hair or wool
on that side of the balloon. If you hold the side of the balloon charged
with the extra electrons next to a neutral object like wood, it will stick.
This is because the negative side of the balloon repels the electrons in the
surface of the wood, causing the electrons to shift to the far side of their
orbits. In doing so, the atom’s nucleus containing the positively charged
protons is closer to the wood surface. The opposite charges of the
balloon and wood surface attract each other. This attraction lasts for a
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very short period of time. The extra electrons in the balloon leak off, and
both the balloon and surface of the wood return to their natural neutral
states.
Adapted from http://www.teachengineering.org/
See handout “Fundamentals of Electricity” which can be shared with
students.
Vocabulary
Electricity, proton, electron, neutron, charge, static electricity, current
electricity, conductors, circuits, negatively charged, positively charged,
elements
Resources
Static Electricity – http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/static.html
Static Electricity 4 – http://sciencenetlinks.com/lessons/static-electricity4/
Activity: Charge It – Free resources for K-12: www.teachengineering.org
NDT Resource Center – an easy to understand website on electricity that
explains what electricity is, using atom models. Animated:
http://www.ndted.org/EducationResources/HighSchool/Electricity/eleme
nts.htm.
Energy Story – another good website that explores energy and electricity:
http://energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter02.html.
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Materials
For each student
1 pencil
1 science notebook
1 paper towel
3 colored pencils of different colors
1 small bag of M&Ms
Renewable & Nonrenewable worksheet
For each table group
2 colored pencils of each color: orange, brown, red, yellow, blue,
green
2 magnets
For the class
Overhead transparencies of helium and copper atoms
Overhead 2 “Atom”
Overhead 6 “Static Electricity: Charged Atoms”
Overhead 7 “Static Electricity: Investigation”
Six balloons, inflated up to a circumference of about 15 inches
Three pieces of wool or fleece cloth, each piece about 2’ x 2’ or larger
Access to a faucet with a steady stream of water, a table and a wall
Six packets of unflavored gelatin; place dry contents of two packages
onto each of three paper plates
One copy for each activity station of “Static Electricity: Investigation”
Preparation
Gather together supplies, and set up static experiment stations.
Time
60 minutes
Procedure
1. Prior to starting a new topic have students review the previous lesson
by individually completing the “Renewable & Nonrenewable”
worksheet (Overhead 1).
2. Tell students that during this lesson they will have a chance to share
what they know about the form of energy called electricity. Tell them
that they are going to begin with a brainstorming activity in which
each student will take turns sharing what they already have learned
or know. Ask students to raise their hands to share their ideas. OR,
3. THINK-PAIR SHARE: Ask students to list in their journals: “What do
you already know about electricity?” After a minute, have students
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turn to a partner and share what they have recorded with each other.
Ask students to raise their hands to share their ideas and record them
on the white board or newsprint. When a duplicate response is
mentioned, put a check next to the item to indicate that another
student responded the same, rather than writing it down again.
Alternatively have students complete a K-W-L about electricity in their
journal. “What do you Know? What do you Want to know?” and then
at the end of the lesson have them reflect on the following question:
“What did you Learn?”
One example could look like this:
There are good ideas on how to set students up to activate prior
learning and to explore more information once they have gone
through the K-W-L activities
http://www.tpsnva.org/handbook/part4/ch9/prereading_strategies.php
4. Share with students that there are two kinds of electricity – static and
current.
5. Tell students that to understand electricity, they have to first
understand atoms and the parts to an atom, as atoms are the source
of electricity. Ask students: “Do you know what an atom is and the
three parts of an atom?” Take responses from students and positively
reinforce their enthusiasm.
If students are already familiar with atoms, parts of the atom, and
charges, you may choose to skip the first activity and proceed with
Static Electricity.
6. Explain that: “An atom is the smallest part of any substance. Atoms
are so small that we can’t see an individual atom. A group of atoms is
called a molecule. Even molecules are too small to see.” Ask students
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to: “Look at your hand, the desk, your paper, etc. These items are all
made up of atoms and molecules.”
7. Using Overhead 2, show a diagram of a simple atom. Point out the
protons, neutrons, and electrons. Explain that “Atoms are made up of
three parts. In the center of an atom, what scientist call the nucleus,
are neutrons and protons. Orbiting around the neutrons and protons
are electrons. They travel around the neutrons and protons like the
planets orbit around the sun. Protons have a positive electrical
charge, neutrons have no charge, and electrons have a negative
electrical charge.”
Overhead 2:
"Atom." Primary Energy Flipbook. Manassas, VA: NEED Project, 2009. 68. Print.
8. While showing Overheads 3 and 4, explain that atoms have different
numbers of protons, neutrons, and electrons, depending on what
kind of atom it is. For example, helium atoms have two neutrons, two
protons, and two electrons; while copper atoms have 35 neutrons, 29
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protons, and 29 electrons. Explain that, “helium is a gas used to fill
party balloons and copper is a metal used to make wire.”
9. Explain that: “In a stable atom – or atom ‘in balance’ – there are the
same numbers of protons and electrons. However, there may be a
different number of neutrons.”
10. List on the board or overhead these rules of atoms:
• Neutrons and protons in the center (the nucleus)
• Electrons orbit around the nucleus
• Same number of electrons (- charge) and protons (+ charge)
11. Tell students: “Using the five steps on Overhead 5, you will make a
model atom of your own with M&Ms on a paper towel. Use different
colored M&Ms for each part, one color for neutrons, one color for
protons, and one color for electrons. Once your model is done, raise
your hand and the teacher or a classroom helper will check your
model for accuracy. Once your model is correct, draw it in your
notebook using different colored pencils to match the colors of the
M&Ms. Be sure to also mark your electrons with an “E” and a
negative sign (-) and protons with a “P” and a positive (+) sign in your
notebook.” Draw the – and + signs on the board/overhead. Neutrons
are marked with an “N”.
12. Five minute Reflection: use your Science Journal to draw your atom
and then reflect on what your atom represents and what you have
learned. Use your observation skills and past knowledge. Some
starter questions, if needed: Does your model represent an authentic
atom—why? What are the characteristics of your atom? How could
you change your atom and what do you think would happen? What
questions do you have about atoms?
13. Tell students: “Don’t eat your M&Ms until I say so.” Pass out supplies
or have each student group select one person to get supplies from
the supply table.
14. Have classroom helpers roam the room and check student work for
accuracy and to facilitate student thinking as needed.
15. When everyone is done, ask a couple of students to share their work.
Point out to students a couple of different atoms and say “notice that
we have different atom models. How many of you have a model that
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looks different from your neighbor? Maybe it has more neutrons or
more protons and electrons.”
Further explain that “an electron with a negative charge is equal to
the strength of a proton with a positive charge. If an atom has the
same number of protons and neutrons, the charges cancel each other
out and the atom is consider overall to be neutral or in balance. The
number of negative charges balances the number of positive charges,
so overall the atom has no charge.”
16. Ask students: now take one of your model’s electrons and move it
away from your atom. Explain that some kinds of atoms, like metal
atoms, lose their electrons more easily than others, such as rubber.
That is why we often find that metals are good conductors of current
electricity, and poor insulators. We’ll explore conductors and
insulators more another day.
17. Ask students if their atoms are in balance now that they’ve “freed” an
electron? Why or why not? Has the overall charge of the atom
changed?
Explain to students that only electrons can move within an orbit, and
between atoms. This is because the protons and neutrons are held
tightly together in the nucleus; whereas electrons are less tightly held
in their orbits. The further out from the atom’s nucleus the more
loosely electrons are held.
Also explain that the overall charge of an atom changes to positive
when it loses an electron; and to negative when it gains electrons.
Have students practice with their models and extra M&Ms gaining
and losing electrons. Ask them to draw their atoms when they have
an overall negative charge, and again with an overall positive charge.
18. Ask students to look at the electron they moved – it represents
electricity. We can’t see the moving electrons but we can see their
effect, and use them to do work. We can even measure them, which
we will do in another lesson.
Explain and write on the board for students to copy: “Electricity is
produced when an outside force upsets the balance between charged
protons and electrons in atoms, causing the electrons to move. This
movement of electrons produces electricity.”
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19. Explain while writing on the board/overhead: “Notice that the words
ELECTRONS and ELECTRICITY are very similar. They both start with
ELECTR. The word electricity comes from the word electrons. That will
help you remember that electricity comes from moving electrons.”
20. Ask students if they can tell you the two kinds of electricity and/or
give you examples of each. Explain that when electrons move they
generate either static or current electricity depending on how they
move.
21. Ask students if they have ever seen lightning? Explain that lightning is
an example of static electricity. “When was the last time you walked
across the carpet in your socks, went to open the door to another
room, and ‘ouch!’ you felt a small shock? Have you ever pulled your
clothes from the dryer and heard them crackle? How are these
situations related? What is causing the shock you feel or the crackle
you hear? Explain to students that during this activity they will
explore static electricity, the electrical phenomenon that is causing all
of these ‘mysterious’ things to happen.” From “Charge It” at
www.teachengineering.org.
22. Provide the following definition for students to copy in their
notebooks:
Static electricity is an electric charge caused by friction that results
in attraction of dust or hair; crackling noises or sparks. The friction
causes a rearrangement or transfer of electrons giving the item the
electrical charge.
23. Tell students that to understand static electricity, we must first
understand how positively charged and negatively charged atoms and
the objects they make up react to each other. Share using diagrams
that unlike charges attract each other and like charges repel each
other. Sometimes it is easier for students to remember this principle
in romantic terms, “opposites attract.”
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opposite charges attract
like charges repel
http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/static.html
24. To further illustrate this phenomenon of charges, pass out magnets to
teams of students. Ask them to manipulate the magnets to see if
they can get the magnets to repel and attract each other. Once they
have had a few minutes to manipulate the magnets, ask teams to
share how they did this and why it happened.
25. Explain that charged atoms react similar to magnets in that opposite
charges attract each other and like charges repel each other. Ask
students, what would happen if:
• Two positive atoms came within close proximity to each other?
• How about two negatively charged atoms/objects?
• How about a positively charged and a negatively charged atom or
objects?
You may want students to draw examples of the above situations in
their notebooks and label.
26. Explain to students, while drawing for visual learners, that lightning
occurs when clouds become charged; the atoms in the upper portion
of the cloud become positively charged and the lower portion of the
cloud becomes negatively charged. Since opposites attract, the
negatively charged lower part of the cloud causes a positive charge to
build up on the ground beneath the cloud. The ground’s positive
electrical charge concentrates around any object that sticks up
including single trees, people, and mountains. The positive charge
coming from these points that are higher than the ground eventually
connects with the negative charge reaching down from the cloud. If
the charges build up and become too great, lightning flashes. The
flash of the lighting is due to electrons instantaneously moving from
the negatively charged cloud to the positively charged object on the
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ground. When lots of electrons pass from the cloud to the object,
they heat the air space causing it to glow. Remember, moving
electrons are electricity and electricity is a form of energy. Thus static
electricity is transformed to heat and light energy in the form of
lightning. You can watch a quick 1:58 min video about how static
electricity is generate in a cloud and causes lighting.
http://www.watchknowlearn.org/Video.aspx?VideoID=27642&Categ
oryID=2670
27. Tell students they are going to be doing activities that show how static
electricity works. Make sure you have identical stations set up so that
students can work in small groups, each with the following materials:
•
•
•
•
•
two balloons (blown up to a circumference of about 15 inches)
a piece of wool or fleece cloth (two feet by two feet or larger)
a copy of “Static Electricity Overhead #7: Investigation”
a pencil
a paper plate with unflavored gelatin on it (pour the dry contents
of two packages of gelatin onto the plate).
Note: this activity is adapted from “Charge It” at
http://www.teachengineering.org/.
Demonstration:
a. Show “Static Electricity Overhead #6: Charged Atoms” while you
rub a balloon on a piece of wool or fleece cloth. Explain to
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students that the surface of the balloon changes from being
uncharged to negatively charged after you rub it on the wool or
fleece cloth, or your hair. Remind students that electrons are the
negatively charged particles in an atom. When you rub the
balloon on the cloth or hair, friction causes the hair or cloth to
give up electrons to the rubber where the balloon was rubbed.
The negatively charged electrons line up (within their atoms) on
the outer edge of their orbits on the side of the balloon that was
rubbed with the cloth or hair.
b. Show how a charged balloon will stick to the wall. Ask students
why they think this happens. Remind them that the wall has an
overall neutral charge and doesn’t gain or lose electrons, though
something about the atoms and electrons in the wall closest to
the balloon does change. Let students try to guess what is
happening and then share the following explanation.
“The negatively charged side of the balloon and the neutrallycharge wall are attracted to each other because the negative
charge of the balloon causes a temporary reorientation of the
negatively-charged electrons of the atom in the surface of the
wall close to the balloon. The orientation of the electrons of the
wall move to the furthest most part in their orbits from the wall
surface, leaving the protons in the nucleus of the atom closer to
the outside of the wall and the balloon. What’s in the nucleus of
the wall atoms? Positively charged protons! So the negatively
charged balloon is attracted to the positively charged protons of
the wall atoms. While the electron doesn’t leave the atom, it
moves to a different position in its orbit. This is called charge
polarization.” Draw a diagram of the reorientation of the wall
atoms to help students visualize what is happening at the atomic
level.
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Adapted from http://www.teachengineering.org/
Activity Stations
(Divide students into small groups so they can try activities at a
station; all stations are identical): Direct two students at a time at
each station to rub the balloons on the cloth to negatively charge
a side of the balloons. Students will try each activity listed below
at their station and record their observations to share at the end
of the lesson with the class.
Static Electricity Investigation
Activity – rub balloon on cloth again
after each activity to recharge balloon!
1. Move a finger toward the balloon,
observe and listen.
2. Bring the charged side of your
balloon close to the charged side of
your partner’s balloon; observe and
listen.
3. Put the charged balloon on the table
and try to gently roll it.
4. Try to stick the charged balloon to
the wall.
5. Hold the charged balloon above a
bowl of gelatin.
6. Hold the charged balloon near a thin,
steady stream of water.
Observation – record what happens
Adapted from http://www.teachengineering.org/
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Troubleshooting Tips:
• Ask students not to hold inflated balloons next to their faces
or other students’ faces, in case the balloon pops.
• Remind students to recharge the balloon between each
experimental trial. Students sometimes unintentionally hold
or touch the part of the balloon that they charged, thus
discharging the balloon. If they do this, they might not be able
to “attach” it to another surface.
• A charged balloon does not stick to surfaces very long in
humid weather because the presence of water facilitates the
removal of electrons from the balloon to the surface more
quickly than the electrons naturally disperse on a dry surface.
This demonstrates that water is a good conductor while dry air
is a good insulator.
Activity Explanations:
A balloon rubbed on clothing becomes negatively charged because the
balloon is made from an insulating material (usually natural latex from
rubber trees). Electrons deposited on the balloon are confined to the
region that was rubbed, so only a portion of the surface of the balloon is
negatively charged.
When you hold your finger near a charged balloon you hear a crackling
sound due to the balloon discharging. The spark is too small and fast to
see with the human eye. The same thing happens if you hold two charged
balloons near each other.
When you try to roll a charged balloon, you notice that the balloon only
rolls a short distance; then it stops and wobbles about the portion of the
balloon that you charged. This charged portion of the balloon “sticks” to
the floor (a neutral insulator) due to charge polarization that occurs in
the molecules of the floor.
A charged balloon “sticks” to a wooden door, wall, ceiling, plastic chair,
window, mirror, and clothing due to charge polarization in these
insulators. It quickly slides down a metal surface because metal is a good
conductor and electrons “leak off” the balloon to the metal.
A charged balloon deflects or attracts a stream of water because water is
a polar molecule. Water molecules have an uneven charge distribution
such that the oxygen end is more negative and the hydrogen ends are
more positive. When the negatively charged balloon is brought near the
stream of water, the negative ends of the water molecules are repelled
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by the balloon. If the water molecules spin around so their negative ends
point away from the negative balloon, the attraction between the
positive ends of the water molecules and the negative balloon causes the
water stream to move toward the balloon.
When you hold a balloon over a bowl of gelatin, small stalactites of
gelatin form and hang from the balloon surface. This attraction is
explained by the polar nature of the gelatin molecules. The positive ends
of the gelatin molecules are attracted to the negative balloon. The gelatin
molecules form a chain because the positive end of each molecule is
attracted to the negative end of another molecule. (However, it may also
occur because the gelatin molecules are hydrated, meaning that each
gelatin is attached to a water molecule. If this is the case, the positive
ends of hydrated molecules form a chain.)
Some of you may have seen anti-cling or anti-static products that you
place in the dryer with your clothes or spray onto your clothes if they
stick together due to static electricity. How do you think they work? The
dryer sheets work by reducing the friction between the clothes rubbing
together. Each dryer sheet has a waxy substance on it that is transferred
to your clothing in the dryer and reduces static electricity. The anti-static
sprays work the same way by adding a waxy substance or lubricant to the
fibers of your clothes.
From “Charge It” at http://www.teachengineering.org
Career
Exploration
Invite in a scientist or engineer who uses static electricity to develop
industrial air filters that remove pollutants or design printers and copiers.
Tell students that scientists, environmental engineers, and electrical
engineers use their understanding of static electricity to develop
industrial air filters to help our environment. These “electrostatic
precipitators” use static electricity to remove pollutants without
impeding the production efficiency of industrial plants. In the home,
electrostatic air cleaners use an electrostatic force to move air molecules
and trap small airborne particles as they circulate past an array of
electrically-charged stainless steel blades. Other technologies that exploit
the properties of static electricity may be found in appliances and
machines such as copy machines and printers designed by electrical and
mechanical engineers.
From “Charge It” at http://www.teachengineering.org
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Assessment
The brainstorming session will provide you with some information about
each student’s current knowledge of electricity and provide a baseline
against which to evaluate their progress as they complete the following
lessons. Drawings of atoms in the student notebooks can also be graded
for understanding. Score worksheets provided (handout 8 of 8).
Have students write their personal answers to the following questions in
their notebooks; then discuss with their teammates.
1. Describe how to charge an object such as a balloon. How does the
object change at the atomic level?
2. What happens when two objects with the same overall charges
come in contact to each other?
3. What happens when two objects with opposite overall charges
come in contact with each other?
4. What happens when a negatively charged object comes in contact
with a neutral object? Draw a diagram of the charges of the
objects before and after contact.
5. What part of an atom can move within and between atoms?
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RESOURCES:
Short Videos that demonstrate energy
It is five times hotter than the sun and turns sand to glass in an instant. It can shoot 80
kilometres up above storm clouds. And it may even have provided the original spark that
created life itself. This stylish documentary reveals the full power of lightning, why it is so
dangerous, and what scientists are doing to protect us. (7:46)
http://www.watchknowlearn.org/Video.aspx?VideoID=14106&CategoryID=2670
Incredible dissection of lightning a great discussion for you to facilitate about electricity and
lightning.
A clip from Discovery Channel's "Raging Planet" on the subject of lightning. If you find lightning
a fascinating and beautiful force, then check this clip out. Camera technology has gotten to
where scientists have been able to record and playback a lightning strike at over 200X slower
with really cool results. (03:16)
http://www.watchknowlearn.org/Video.aspx?VideoID=56780&CategoryID=2670
Simple and quick…talks about static electricity and how it creates lightning!
As clouds get bigger with the continuous rising of air, they interact with particles of ice and dirt
to create a buildup of static electricity. Learn about the interaction of electrical charges in a
cloud with charges on the ground with help from a meteorologist in this video on
understanding weather. (01:58)
http://www.watchknowlearn.org/Video.aspx?VideoID=27642&CategoryID=2670
Graphic and quick with positive and negative charges labeled.
Lightening is a high current electrical discharge in the atmosphere. Learn more about how these
electrical discharges occur in this educational video. Run time 01:04.
http://www.watchknowlearn.org/Video.aspx?VideoID=22848&CategoryID=2670
INTERACTIVE
Simple but quick interactive graphic showing transfer of electrons and static electricity
https://www.classzone.com/books/ml_science_share/vis_sim/emm05_pg7_charge/emm05_pg
7_charge.swf
Page of all kinds of interactive games and graphics that center on electricity
SOL 4.3 Electricity - Activity Page
Conductors, insulators, open/closed circuits, parallel/series
circuits, static electricity, electromagnets
http://www.solpass.org/5s/AP/4.3scienceactivityy.htm
K-W-L charts and strategies
A Before, During, and After reading strategy
http://www.schools.manatee.k12.fl.us/711LBENNETT/reading/before__during_and_after_read
ing_strategies_.html
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K-W-L chart
http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/kwl.pdf
Here are other ways to think about the standard K-W-L charts that might work for your science
classroom.
K-W-F This is what I Know, This is what I Wonder about, This is how I will Find out
K-T-F This is what I Know for sure, This is what I Think I know, This is how I Found out
O-W-L This is what I Observed, This is what I Wonder about, This is what I Learned
P-O-E This is what I Predict, This is what I Observed, This is how I can Explain it
K-W-L-H Same as K-W-L, adding this is How I learned it
K-W-L- Plus Same as K-W-L, adding Plus= Mapping and Summarizing by drawing a concept map
or graphic organizer
B-K-W-L-Q Same as K-W-L, adding beginning step B= background knowledge and Q= (at end)
new questions
https://framework.wikispaces.hcpss.org/Determining+Starting+Points+for+Student+Growth
LESSON 5 What is Static Electricity?
Nagele, et al. 2016
page 68