What should you do in a lightning storm?

You are going to 

• listen to a short radio interview about lightning


• look at vocabulary connected with storms, thunder and lightning and extreme weather


• do a comprehension exercise

1) Discuss

Public domain

• What kinds of extreme weather do you have in your country?


• What are the most dangerous kinds of weather?


• What is lightning?


• Are you afraid of it?


• Have you ever been struck by lightning?


• Do you know anyone who has been struck by lightning?


• What should you do in a lightning storm?


• Should you swim in the sea?


• Are you safe in a car?


• What are "wellies" and is it OK to wear them in a thunderstorm?


• What happens when lightning strikes a plane?


• Can lightning strike twice in the same place?






• What's a myth? Can you think of any examples?

Suggested examples of extreme / dangerous weather (students may have more).

Highlight below

tornado  hurricane  blizzard  thunderstorm  flood  hurricane  drought  lightning  ice  fog  heatwave  gales / high winds monsoon













2) Listen

Listen to lightning engineer Rhys Phillips on BBC Radio 4's PM program talking about lightning. 

How many of the questions above do you hear the answers to?

listen to ‘Thunderbolts of lightning, very very frightening’ on Audioboo

Listen again.

A) Do the vocabulary match and listen again.

Then do the comprehension exercise below.

B) Now fill in the gaps in the summary.

Download exercises here









3) Discuss

• What other dangerous kinds of weather are there? Think of some examples. 


• What should you do to avoid being hurt?

4) Write

Turn the information about lightning into an advice leaflet.

or

Make an advice or information leaflet about weather in your country.











5) Check Vocabulary

Can you explain the meaning of these words?

More

Weather forecast Elementary, Intermediate, Listening, Upper Intermediate, Weather 



The Truth About British Rain - The Great British W...Advanced, Describing a cycle, IELTS, Life in the UK, Listening, Upper Intermediate, Weather, Writing



Suggestions and Advice (Why don't you...? / Have you tried?) Advice, Intermediate, Modal Verbs, Suggestions



Giving Advice - should / ought to / had better / must / have to / can't. Advice, Intermediate, Modal Verbs, Pre-Intermediate 

Foil People Sculptures

My fifth graders are learning about human gestures with foil sculptures and then personalizing them into things the students like to do. This project is very easy and SO much FUN!

First we made our sculptures, then students used a variety of materials to give their sculpture personality!

Here are a few finished sculptures!!

Directions:

1. Begin with a large rectangle of heavy duty foil

2. Draw one line at the bottom with a sharpie a little longer than the length of your hand

3. Then draw two lines at the top the same length

4. Cut on the lines

the two bottom flaps will be the legs. Gently roll them into a cylinder form

don't squeeze them yet. Remind kids when they begin to squeeze the arms and legs to do it VERY VERY VERY VERY gently because if you squeeze your sculpture tight it will become brittle and will break and will not be able to stand on its own

  Gently squeeze the legs a TINY TINY bit

 5. join the two ends of the middle together and join them by rolling them together (just the tips of the ends)

6. Now roll the arms into a cylinder just like the legs and gently gently squeeze but don't squeeze all the way

 Now Roll the top of the head down and every so gently pinch in the sides so it makes a ball, (don't squeeze the head too tight or it will be tiny and fall off)

Bend the feet, Hands, knees, and elbows

Then decorate!!! Have fun!!