Curated OER
Lightning Rod
In this lightning rod worksheet, students make a lightning rod out of batteries, breadboard, light bulbs, wires, and more. Students also answer 2 questions.
Dan Satterfield
Dan's Wild Weather Page: Lightning
Learn facts and statistics about the weather phenomenon of lightning. This illustrated article also includes a lightning experiment and safety tips.
Florida State University
Florida State University: Magnet Lab: Timeline of Electricity and Magnetism: 1750 1774
With his famous kite experiment and other forays into science, Benjamin Franklin advances knowledge of electricity, inspiring his English friend Joseph Priestley to do the same.
Famous Scientists
Famous Scientists: Prokop Divis
Learn about Prokop Divis in this article that discusses his life and discoveries especially with creating the first grounded lightning rod.
Other
K 3 Learning Pages: Web Resources Thunderstorms
Check out this comprehensive list of web resources on thunderstorms and safety. Students and teachers will benefit from the links found on this site.
PBS
American Experience: Technology Timeline: 1752 1990
Short descriptions of important technological innovations produced in America and the date of their introduction.
Other
Pocantico Hills School: Benjamin Franklin: A Man of Many Talents
This student-created project site looks at the life of Benjamin Franklin and his experiments with lightning. Includes a timeline, a glossary, a printable quiz, and many illustrations.