Name __________________________ Date__________________________ Thunder and Lightning By Wendy Pfeffer 1. Here comes a storm! 4. _________ 2. Black clouds sweep across the sky. 5. _________ 3. Strong winds whip through the trees. 6. _________ 4. Lightning flashes. 7. _________ 5. Thunder crashes. 8. _________ 6. Rain begins to fall. 7. This is a thunderstorm. 9. _________ 8. How do thunderstorms happen? 10. _________ 9. It takes a few steps for a thunderstorm to form. 11. _________ 10. On hot days, puddles of water dry up. 12. Where does 11. Your wet bathing suit dries, too. the water go? 1. _________ 13. It goes up into 2. _________ the clouds. 3. _________ 14. You cannot see it. 16. _______ 15. But this is happening all the time. 17. _______ 16. How does this happen? 18. _______ 17. Hot air turns water into a gas you cannot see. 19. _______ 19. Hot air rises like a balloon. 20. _______ 20. It carries water vapor up to the clouds. 21. _______ 21. Cold air in the clouds turns the water vapor back into 22. _______ 23. _______ 24. _______ 18. This gas is called water vapor (vay-pur). water. 22. Storm clouds hold billions of drops of water. 23. Some drops join together. 25. Winds push 24. They get heavy and fall to Earth as rain. the other drops 12.__________ around in the 13. _______ 14. _______ 15. _______ storm clouds. 26. The drops bump into one another. 28.________ 27. The bumping causes static electricity (stat-ik i-lek- 29.________ triss-uh-tee). 28. You see a flash. 30.________ 29. You hear a sizzle. 30. Sometimes, static electricity makes your hair crackle 31.________ when you comb it. 31. When electricity starts to flow, it isn’t static anymore. 32._________ 32. Electricity flows through the air like a river flows on the ground. 33. When electricity flows through a cloud, a giant spark lights up the sky. 34. This is 25.________ lightning! 26.________ 35. There are many types of 27.________ lightning. 36. Some of them are zigzag, ribbon, ball, and sheet 38._________ lightning. 37. Zigzag lightning follows two or more paths. 39._________ 38. It branches out like the limbs of a tree. 39. Ribbon lightning looks like streamers in the sky. 40._________ 40. Astronauts (as-truh-nawtz) have seen other type of lightning. 41. These strange glows about thunderstorms have been named blue jets, sprites, and elves. 42. Blue jets rise from the tops of clouds. 33._________ 34._________ 35._________ 41._________ 42._________ 43. Sprites are flashes of red light. 44. Elves are thin rings of light. 45. Scientists (sie- uhn-tistz) are learning 36._________ 37._________ what causes these different kinds of lightning. 46.__________ 46. They are studying lightning very carefully both from the earth and from outer space. 47.__________ 47. Every lightning flash make thunder. How 48.__________ does a flash of light make sound? 49.__________ 48. As lightning flashes, it heats the air. 50.__________ 49. The hot air pushes out. 50. Then it rushes back. 51.__________ 51. The hot air pushes out again and rushes back, 52.__________ over and over. 52. This makes the sound you hear. 53. The sound is thunder. 43. __________ 54. The sound 44.__________ of thunder travel fast. 55. But light 45.__________ travels about a million times faster than sound. 56.__________ 56. So you see lightning before you hear thunder. 57. __________ 57. Thunder may be scary, but it cannot hurt you. 58. Lightning can be dangerous (dayn-jur- uhss). 58.__________ 59.__________ 60.__________ 59. It splits trees. 60. It starts fires. 61. Lightning can knock a person off his or her feet. 61.__________ 62. If lightning strikes a 53.__________ person, he or she 54. __________ may be badly 55.__________ hurt. 63. How can you be safe from lightning during a thunderstorm? 64._________ 65.__________ 64. Stay in a house or a car. 65. Keep away from open doors and windows. 66.__________ 66. Do not use the telephone, television, computer, or shower. 67. If you are outside, stay away from water, open fields, and trees. 67.__________ 68.__________ 69.__________ 68. Do not lie down on the ground. 69. Take off any metal, like jewelry. 70.__________ 70. As the storm moves away, thunder rumbles and rolls. 71. When the storm stops, the air often feels 62._________ cool and clean. 63._________ 72. Puddles, left from the storm, give birds a drink and kids a place to play. 73. If the sun is shining after the rain, you may see a rainbow! 71.__________ 72.__________ 73.__________