Lightning in the Sky: Advanced English Class

50-minute English Lesson

In this advanced English class lesson, learn how lightning works. Hint: it’s not what your think.

Read the story

advanced English class: Lightning

What is lightning and where does it come from?

It’s electricity that starts in clouds. Lightning often stays inside a cloud or leaps to a nearby cloud. It also moves between a cloud and Earth.

To understand how it works, imagine a battery. It has two opposite ends: positive (+) and negative (-). A dark storm cloud also has two ends. The upper portion of the cloud is positive. The bottom is negative.

When you place a battery inside a flashlight, something special occurs. The positive and negative parts come together. That’s a circuit. Turn on the flashlight, and the circuit opens, electricity flows and light appears. Turn it off, and the circuit is closed.

Dark clouds are like enormous batteries. If there is no circuit, there is no lightning. A circuit can be created when a line of negative energy jumps out of a cloud and shoots toward Earth. That line is not visible. It might connect with a line of positive energy. That line could come from a tree, tower or the ground. When the negative and positive lines come together, a sudden and massive circuit is created.

This circuit is not lightning. It is a path. Negative energy from the cloud shoots down the path. Positive energy rushes up. Electricity is now flowing rapidly along the path. This fast-moving energy crashes into air in the atmosphere. That crashing triggers three events.

First, electricity heats up the air surrounding the path. The temperature of that air is hotter than the sun.

Second, intense heat alters the colour of the air. For a brief moment, that line of air appears like a flash of white or pale blue light. That’s lightning.

Third, that air produces a loud noise. That’s thunder.

Back to the first question: what is lightning? It’s the result of electricity flowing along a path. When we see lightning, we are actually observing a narrow column of extremely hot air. That air also makes thunder.

Lightning is attractive and dangerous. Each year, it kills 24,000 people. Like many things in nature, we can appreciate its beauty, but it also deserves our respect.

Listen to the story without reading

Advanced English class story

English listening lesson: Gap Fill

LISTEN TO THE STORY AGAIN AND FILL IN THE BLANKS.

What is lightning and where does it ________ __________ ?

It’s __________ that starts in clouds. Lightning often stays inside a cloud or __________ to a nearby cloud. It also moves between a __________ and Earth.

To understand how it works, __________ a battery. It has two opposite ends: positive (+) and __________ (-). A dark storm cloud also has two ends. The upper __________ of the cloud is positive. The bottom __________ is negative.

When you place a battery inside a __________ , something special occurs. The positive and negative parts come together. That’s a __________ . Turn on the flashlight, and the circuit opens, electricity __________ and light appears. __________ __________ off, and the circuit is closed.

Dark clouds are like __________ batteries. If there is no circuit, there is no lightning. A circuit can be created when a line of negative energy __________ out of a cloud and __________ toward Earth. That line is not visible. It might connect with a line of positive __________ . That line could come from a tree, tower or the __________ . When the negative and positive lines come together, a sudden and __________ circuit is created.

This circuit is not lightning. It is a __________ . Negative energy from the cloud __________ down the path. Positive energy __________ up. Electricity is now __________ rapidly along the path. This fast-moving energy crashes into air in the __________ . That crashing __________ three events.

First, electricity heats up the air __________ the path. The temperature of that air is __________ than the sun.

Second, intense __________ heat alters the colour of the air. For a brief moment, that line of air __________ like a flash of white or pale blue light. That’s lightning.

Third, that air produces a loud noise. That’s __________ .

Back to the first question: what is lightning? It’s the result of __________ flowing along a path. When we see lightning, we are actually observing a narrow __________ of extremely hot air. That air also makes thunder.

Lightning is attractive and dangerous. Each year, it kills __________ people. Like many things in nature, we can appreciate its beauty, but it also __________ our respect.

ESL discussion questions

TALK ABOUT THE advanced English class story.

1. What kind of story is this?
2. Do you like lightning? Have you ever seen a big lightning storm?
3. Where does lightning come from?
4. Describe how lightning is like a battery.
5. Describe the three events that take place when a bolt of lightning appears in the sky.

ESL reading activities: synonym match

MATCH THE WORD OR PHRASE ON THE LEFT WITH THE CORRECT SYNONYM.

English listening lesson anagrams

MOVE THE LETTERS. MAKE A WORD FROM THE ENGLISH LISTENING lesson.

1. PTRACPAEEI
2. NRWAOR
3. SALHF
4. SOSHTO
5. ESPAL
6. RCITUIC

Writing practice

WRITE THE FIVE SENTENCES. PUT THE WORDS IN THE CORRECT ORDER.

1. triggers / events / three / That / crashing
2. to / Lightning / inside / nearby / or / a / a / stays / cloud / often / cloud / leaps
3. on / the / opens / electricity / and / light / appears / flows / and / circuit / flashlight / the / Turn
4. the / cloud / shoots / path / energy / from / the / down / Negative
5. the / result / along / path / a / electricity / flowing / It’s / of

More ESL reading activities

Another ESL reading activity? Try this free English listening comprehension lesson about salt, the only rock that people eat.

Watch a short video and takes notes

Do you like ESL reading activities like this one? Here’s another. Click here to watch a YouTube video: what happens when a person gets hit by lightning?

1. Watch the video.
2. Take notes.
3. Make a list with at least eight facts.

ESL reading activities: get the worksheet

Want to print out these ESL reading activities? Click to download the PDF worksheet.

Click to see the answers.