Show students the "Electricity's Power" segment, having them focus on the professions — lightning researcher, scientist specializing in electricity in space, and a lineman.
Next, have each student choose one profession. Each student's task is to learn about the profession and write a story as if they worked in that field.
As students work on their stories, make sure they include the following:
Encourage students to be as creative as possible. Have them incorporate details about the profession to make the piece exciting or suspenseful.
Ask volunteers to share their stories. Try to have all three professions covered in the student presentations.
Conclude the lesson by asking students if they realized how many professions involved electricity. Discuss whether the activity broadened their ideas about career options.
Definition: Energy associated with the movement of electrical charges
Context: The power of running water can move turbines in a generator, resulting in the production of electrical energy.
Definition: An individual who has knowledge of electrical systems and who can build and fix electrical systems.
Context: During power outages, people often turn to an electrician for help.
Definition: The dramatic collision of a positively charged object and a negatively charged object that produces an electrical spark
Context: Lightning, or the discharge of an electrical spark, occurs when electrons move from areas of negative charge to areas of positive charge.
Definition: A specialized worker who sets up and repairs power lines
Context: The lineman, whose job requires climbing on power lines to inspect or repair them, has a difficult and dangerous job.
Definition: The type of electricity associated with the accumulation of excess electrical charges on objects
Context: Lightning is the most dramatic example of static electricity, but we usually experience it after walking on a carpet and then touching something containing metal.
This lesson plan addresses the following national standard: