Static electricity is the cause of lightning.
Lightning forms because of an accumulation of electrical charges inside a cloud due to friction from dust, ice, and water droplets. The bottom of a cloud becomes negatively charged and discharges a lightning strike when enough charge has built up. Materials Procedures Adaptations Discussion Questions Extensions Evaluation Suggested Readings Links Vocabulary Academic Standards Credit Printable version of the lesson plan in rich text format. Use our Teaching Tools to create custom worksheets, puzzles and quizzes about this topic. Back to Top 1.