Static Electricity

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Static Electricity Lightning A WebQuest for
5th Grade Science Designed by Tom Gaska  
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Introduction Welcome to my Webquest on Static
Electricity and Lightning!  This lesson was
developed as part of the elementary science
methods course at Roger Williams University, in
Bristol, Rhode Island. This is an interactive
lesson that incorporates Science and Language
Arts. Research and other activities will be
conducted through the Internet. Students will be
directed to sites that contain information on
Static Electricity, Lightning, and Lightning
Safety.  For each site, students are given
questions and points that they should focus on.
Students will be instructed to work in groups
of four.  These groups should be split up
according to the individual teacher's decision. 
Each group member will take on a specific role
for doing research and experiments. The roles of
each member in the group will be decided by the
group  Over the course of this project, students
will conduct research,, record observations
during experiments, create a poster on lightning
safety, and finally, present their findings and
poster to the class.
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Learners This lesson is designed for a 5th
grade science class. This lesson could also be
used with students in grades 6-8. Research
informs us that students should understand the
following. 1. THE NATURE OF SCIENCE 1b
Scientific Inquiry Experimentation Upper
elementary- and middle-school students may not
understand experimentation as a method of testing
ideas, but rather as a method of trying things
out or producing a desired outcome (Carey et al.,
1989 Schauble et al., 1991 Solomon, 1992). With
adequate instruction, it is possible to have
middle-school students understand that
experimentation is guided by particular ideas and
questions and that experiments are tests of ideas
(Carey et al., 1989 Solomon et al., 1992). 4. 
THE PHYSICAL SETTING Energy forms and energy
transformation Middle- and high-school students
tend to think that energy transformations involve
only one form of energy at a time (Brook Wells,
1988). Although they develop some skill in
identifying different forms of energy, in most
cases their descriptions of energy change focus
only on forms that have perceivable effects
(Brook Driver, 1986). The transformation of
motion to heat seems to be difficult for students
to accept, especially in cases with no obvious
temperature increase (Brook Driver, 1986
Kesidou Duit, 1993). Finally, it may not be
clear to students that some forms of energy, such
as light, sound, and chemical energy, can be used
to make things happen (Carr Kirkwood, 1988). .
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• Curriculum Standards
• CONTENT STANDARD A Science as Inquiry - As a
  result of activities in grades 5-8, all
• students should develop
• Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
• Understandings about scientific inquiry
• CONTENT STANDARD B Physical Science - As a
  result of their activities in grades 5-8, all
• students should develop an understanding of
• Properties and changes of properties in matter
• Motions and forces
• Transfer of energy
• Benchmarks for Science Literacy
• Grade 6-8 BenchmarksEnergy Transformations(Benchm
  ark 1 of 2)Energy cannot be created or destroyed,
  but only changed from one form into another. Most
  of what goes on in the universe--from exploding
  stars and biological
• growth to the operation of machines and the
  motion of people--involves some form of energy
  being transformed into another. Energy in the
  form of heat is almost always one of the products
  of an energy transformation. Energy appears in
  different forms. Heat energy is in the disorderly
  motion of molecules chemical energy is in the
  arrangement of atoms mechanical energy is in
  moving bodies or in elastically distorted shapes
  gravitational energy is in the separation of
  mutually attracting masses.By the end of the 8th
  grade, students should know that
• Most of what goes on in the universe-from
  exploding stars and biological growth to the
  operation of machines and the motion of
  people-involves some form of energy being
  transformed into another. Energy in the form of
  heat is almost always one of the products of an
  energy transformation.
• Heat can be transferred through materials by the
  collisions of atoms or across space by radiation.
  If the material is fluid, currents will be set up
  in it that aid the transfer of heat.
• Energy appears in different forms. Heat energy is
  in the disorderly motion of molecules chemical
  energy is in the arrangement of atoms mechanical
  energy is in moving bodies or in elastically
  distorted shapes gravitational energy is in the
  separation of mutually attracting masses.

more
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Curriculum Standards (continued) English
Language Arts Standards Standard 4 Writing
Gathers and uses information for research
purposes Level II (Grades 3-5)     1. Uses a
variety of strategies to plan research (e.g.,
identifies possible topic by brainstorming,
listing questions, using idea webs organizes
prior knowledge about a topic develops a course
of action determines how to locate necessary
information)       4. Uses electronic media to
gather information (e.g., databases, Internet,
CD-ROM, television shows, cassette recordings,
videos, pull-down menus, word searches)    6. Use
s multiple representations of information (e.g.,
maps, charts, photos, diagrams, tables) to find
information for research topics    7. Uses
strategies to gather and record information for
research topics (e.g., uses notes, maps, charts,
graphs, tables, and other graphic organizers
paraphrases and summarizes information gathers
direct quotes provides narrative
descriptions)    8. Uses strategies to compile
information into written reports or summaries
(e.g., incorporates notes into a finished
product includes simple facts, details,
explanations, and examples draws conclusions
from relationships and patterns that emerge from
data from different sources uses appropriate
visual aids and media)    9. Cites information
sources (e.g., quotes or paraphrases information
sources, lists resources used by title) Standard
7 Reading - Uses reading skills and strategies
to understand and interpret a variety of
informational texts Level II (Grades 3-5)
    1. Uses reading skills and strategies to
understand a variety of informational texts
(e.g., textbooks, biographical sketches, letters,
diaries, directions, procedures,
magazines)    2. Knows the defining
characteristics of a variety of informational
texts (e.g., textbooks, biographical sketches,
letters, diaries, directions, procedures,
magazines)    3. Uses text organizers (e.g.,
headings, topic and summary sentences, graphic
features, typeface, chapter titles) to determine
the main ideas and to locate information in a
text       5. Summarizes and paraphrases
information in texts (e.g., includes the main
idea and significant supporting details of a
reading selection)    6. Uses prior knowledge
and experience to understand and respond to new
information    7. Understands structural
patterns or organization in informational texts
(e.g., chronological, logical, or sequential
order compare-and-contrast cause-and-effect
proposition and support)
back
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Curriculum Standards (continued) Standard 8
Listening and Speaking - Uses listening and
speaking strategies for different purposes
Level II (Grades 3-5)     1. Contributes to
group discussions    2. Asks questions in class
(e.g., when he or she is confused, to seek
others' opinions and comments)    3. Responds
to questions and comments (e.g., gives reasons in
support of opinions, responds to others'
ideas)    4. Listens to classmates and adults
(e.g., does not interrupt, faces the speaker,
asks questions, summarizes or paraphrases to
confirm understanding, gives feedback, eliminates
barriers to effective listening)    5. Uses
strategies to convey a clear main point when
speaking (e.g., expresses ideas in a logical
manner, uses specific vocabulary to establish
tone and present information)    6. Uses
level-appropriate vocabulary in speech (e.g.,
familiar idioms, similes, word play)    7. Makes
basic oral presentations to class (e.g., uses
subject-related information and vocabulary
includes content appropriate to the audience
relates ideas and observations incorporates
visual aids or props incorporates several
sources of information)    8. Uses a variety of
nonverbal communication skills (e.g., eye
contact, gestures, facial expressions,
posture)    9. Uses a variety of verbal
communication skills (e.g., projection, tone,
volume, rate, articulation, pace,
phrasing)    10. Organizes ideas for oral
presentations (e.g., uses an introduction and
conclusion uses notes or other memory aids
organizes ideas around major points, in sequence,
or chronologically uses traditional structures,
such as cause-and-effect, similarity and
difference, posing and answering a question
uses details, examples, and anecdotes to clarify
information)    12. Understands the main ideas
and supporting details in spoken texts (e.g.,
presentations by peers or quest speakers, a
current affairs report on the radio)
    14. Interprets the use of nonverbal cues
used in conversation
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The Process Each team of students will be
comprised of 4 students. Each person on the team
will have a specific job and the teams should
brainstorm what roles are needed and who will
fulfill those roles. Students should decide how
they are going to collect information from the
internet. (note taking, mind mapping, etc.)  At
this point, their decisions and information
should be explained to you before they continue.
Once students have your OK, they need to
research static electricity, lightning and
lightning safety. Students also perform
experiments using the web sites listed below.
Any changes made in the process  must be OK'd by
you. Students complete the activity by creating
a poster for lightning safety. Web sites for
research and experiments are listed in the
Resources Section of this webquest.
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Resources Needed For this lesson you will need
several computers connected to the internet for
the students to perform research and access
experiments theyll perform. The sites with
experiments and will describe specific materials
needed to perform the experiments. It is highly
recommend that the experiment web sites be
visited prior to starting this webquest so that
required materials are on hand. These sites are
listed below. Internet sites for
research Science Made Simple Static
Electricity Boston Museum of Science
Lightning Learn Physics Today
Lightning Internet sites for experiments The
Exploratorium - Static Electricity Exploratorium
Roller Science Made Simple Nova Online .
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Evaluation
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Conclusion This lesson is intended to be an
exciting way for students to learn about static
electricity, lightning, and lightning
safety.  With direction, it is hoped that they
will be able to transfer the knowledge they have
gained about inquiry of phenomena to other areas
of science that interest them. Anyone can be a
scientist if they know how to be one!
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Credits References This webquest is based on a
trade book review of Lightning by Seymour Simon
(ISBN 0-688-14638-4). For more information on
webquests or to obtain templates for a webquest
visit the San Diego State University webquest
page. Pictures used in this webquest came from
the following web pages University of
Amsterdam University of Washington University of
Wisconsin Labette County, Kansas, Governmental
Web Site bergoiata.org National Geographic