Before Watching
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Your students have probably observed a violent lightning storm,
but they may know little about it. To raise their curiosity, ask
students the following questions: What is the length of a
typical lightning bolt? How wide is it? How hot is lightning?
How does it travel between the ground and the clouds? Have
students note the answers to these questions as they watch the
videotape.
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One of the groups in this program is conducting studies of
thunderclouds to collect information about the electric charges
in thunderstorms. Show the students a cloud chart (available
from scientific publishers or in many earth science textbooks
and encyclopedia). Compare the different types of clouds and
describe the composition of a cloud to the class. Have students
compare the features of a thundercloud (such as altitude, shape,
and composition) with the features of other types of clouds. As
they watch the program, have students pay close attention to the
findings of the research team as it makes discoveries about the
features of thunderclouds.
After Watching
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Review and list some of the information that students learned
about lightning. Probably one of the more surprising aspects of
lightning is that the visible light in a lightning bolt actually
travels from the ground up to the cloud. However, the initial
charge of lightning travels from the cloud to the ground. Which
facts and findings were most surprising to the students?
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