Instructional Video7:13
Weatherthings

Weather Things: Basic Weather Instruments

6th - 8th
Weather forecasting requires observation. Beyond the things we can see, hear and sense, meteorologists need detailed data to observe distant weather, whether that is distant along the ground, or distant up into the sky. Weather...
Instructional Video1:27
Visual Learning Systems

The Nature of Electricity: What Is Electric Charge?

3rd - 8th
This video describes the basic role that atoms play in creating electrical charges, as well as the nature and creation of static electricity. Various methods of charging are discussed, emphasizing the role that insulators and conductors...
Instructional Video4:05
Weatherthings

Weather Things: Advanced Weather Instruments

6th - 8th
Weather forecasting requires observation. Beyond the things we can see, hear and sense, meteorologists need detailed data to observe distant weather, whether that is distant along the ground, or distant up into the sky. Weather...
Instructional Video2:24
Weatherthings

Storms: hurricanes

6th - 8th
Children on a playground use creativity and their imaginations to simulate the many different types of storms found on Earth. From thunderstorms to wind storms, to snow storms and rain storms, to hurricanes and tornadoes, the children...
Instructional Video7:35
Physics Girl

My Dad Was Hit by Lightning (Twice!)

9th - Higher Ed Standards
You have a one in a million chance of being struck by lightning—and 90 percent of those who are struck survive! As part of a larger series on physics, the narrator interviews her father who has survived being hit by lightning twice. It...
Instructional Video4:31
SciShow

Great Minds: Benjamin Franklin, Founding Nerd

9th - 12th
Did Benjamin Franklin really fly a kite to discover electricity? Answers this question and many others with a video that discusses Franklin and his contributions to science. There isn't time to cover all of his inventions and...
Instructional Video2:27
MinuteEarth

How to Survive a Lightning Strike

6th - 12th Standards
What should you do if you are in the middle of a field when a lightning storm approaches? The video considers the best options for clothing, body position, and more. It highlights how cars and homes protect you from lightning and what...
Instructional Video4:11
Fuse School

Plasma: The Fourth State of Matter

9th - 12th
So, what's the big deal about plasma? Part two of a 14-part series of videos about solids, liquids, and gases helps scholars gain understanding of this important fourth state of matter. The video describes how a gas becomes plasma, how...
Instructional Video3:31
Fuse School

Nitrogen Cycle

9th - 12th
In an atmosphere that contains so much unusable nitrogen, how do organisms get the nitrogen they need to survive? The narrated video discusses how atmospheric nitrogen is converted into the materials we need to build proteins in our...
Instructional Video3:38
SciShow

Electromagnetism - Electrostatic Force: The Four Fundamental Forces of Physics #4a

9th - 12th Standards
An electrifying video explains the electricity portion of the electromagnetic force. It connects everything from lightning to static electricity. Diagrams and a visual aid assist in clarifying the role of electrons to the process to...
Instructional Video3:38
SciShow Kids

What Causes Thunder and Lightning?

K - 5th Standards
Don't be afraid of thunderstorms! Watch a video that explains the science behind thunder and lightning. The speaker relates real-world experiences to the main components of a thunderstorm.
Instructional Video4:33
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1
Crash Course Kids

Weather vs. Climate

3rd - 8th
What is weather? How is weather different from climate? Factors such as temperature, thunderstorms, precipitation, and wind speed refer to weather. Climate consists of the overall patterns of weather in a particular region of the...
Instructional Video3:40
TED-Ed

The Most Lightning-Struck Place on Earth

4th - 8th
Lake Maracaibo, a bay connected to the Gulf of Venezuela, is the most lightning-struck place on Earth. Learn about the conditions that make it so, in this short video. 
Instructional Video3:39
1
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TED-Ed

The Science of Static Electricity

6th - 12th Standards
Add some spark to your physical science instruction with this short video on static electricity. Taking a look at the fundamental structure of atoms, this fun film explains how rubbing objects together can cause electrons to move...
Instructional Video2:28
Curated OER

Thunder and Lightning

4th - 8th
What happens when two Van de Graaff machines are placed close together? Watch the electrons jump from one generator to the other creating baby lightning and thunder.
Instructional Video2:09
Curated OER

Lightening

3rd - 12th
Lightning is a powerful electrical discharge in the sky. Want to learn more about lightning? Watch this video to find out more interesting facts and see fantastic images.
Instructional Video3:16
Curated OER

How Does a Van de Graaff Generator Work?

4th - 8th
What is a Van de Graaff, and how does it work? Joanne and Steve show us the parts of a Van de Graaff generator and explain how one works. No actual experiment is conducted here, but it may be interesting to show your class this video...
Instructional Video0:33
Curated OER

Lightning & Rain at 2000 FPS

6th - 12th
Slow motion flashes of lightning illuminate the sky in this video. Use in an earth science class when reviewing storms and weather or even in a physics class.
Instructional Video
BioEd Online

Bio Ed Online: Static Electricity

9th - 10th
Static electricity is an electric charge on the surface of an object. When the difference between the charge on the object and the charge on a nearby object becomes great enough, a spark of electric current leaps between them. Learn...
Instructional Video
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Chemistry: States of Matter Follow Up

9th - 10th
Ever wondered how lightning forms or what stars are composed of? These answers can be found in this video lecture about the fourth state of matter, plasma. This video lecture is a follow-up to a states of matter and bonding lectures....
Instructional Video
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Lightning!

9th - 10th
This video segment adapted from NOVA explains the mysterious force of lightning.
Instructional Video
NASA

Science Casts: Iss "Firestation" to Explore the Tops of Thunderstorms

9th - 10th
Sometimes, Earth mimics a supernova, producing a Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flash from the tops of thunderstorms. A new lightning sensor on the International Space Station could solve the mystery of these energetic bursts. [3:53]
Instructional Video
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Ucar: Earth's Global Electric Circuit

9th - 10th
Our electric atmosphere has a lot more to it than lightning and thunderstorms. Learn about Earth's Global Electric Circuit and its connection to space weather. Also includes a lesson plan and learning activities.
Instructional Video
National Geographic

National Geographic: The Science of Lightning

9th - 10th
Lightning is a beautiful natural phenomenon, but it is also deadly. Learn how lightning occurs and how to protect yourself from it. [2:38]