Stay Safe from Lightning

Lightning can be scary. A bright light flashes across the sky. Next, you hear a loud crack of thunder. Rain is falling. What should you do?

Go inside. Lightning is dangerous. Lightning could hit a tree or a building. It could cause an emergency such as a forest fire. But you can stay safe. Stay inside if you hear a lightning storm is coming. Go inside if you are out when a storm starts. If you are outside, stay away from tall trees.

Comprehension Questions

1. What does lightning look like?

a bright light flash 

a white cloud 

2. What can you hear after lightning strikes?

a train 

thunder 

3. What might happen if lightning hits a tree or a building?

the TV turns on 

an emergency 

4. If you are outside during a lightning storm, what should you stay away from?

cars 

tall trees 

5. Where should you go if you hear a lightning storm is coming?

6. What did you learn from "Stay Safe From Lightning"? 

7. Draw a picture of a lightning storm.

• Vocabulary
• • 
    

lightning  light · ning

Definition

noun

natural electricity produced in clouds and appearing as a bright flash of light in the sky. 

Lightning usually occurs during summer thunderstorms.

adjective

1. like lightning, especially in regard to movement. 

   Kyle moves with lightning speed on the tennis court. 

intransitive verb

1. to discharge lightning. 

   It's lightning outside tonight. 

Images

These are some examples of how the word or forms of the word are used:

1. Today, many houses are protected from lightning thanks to Ben’s invention. 
2. A thunderstorm comes with thunder and lightning. It can bring a lot of wind and rain, too. 
3. Those are storms with heavy rain, lightning, and thunder. As lightning strikes, it heats the air around it. 
4. During those storms, heavy rain and lightning are common. Large hail, or ball-shaped pieces of ice, may also fall. 
5. Think of a fire that starts when lightning strikes a tree. Other events occur slowly, such as when rocks are worn down over hundreds of years. 
6. Puffy gray clouds may mean that thunder and lightning are coming. Clouds that look like a big gray blanket mean that rain or snow is on the way. 

 

thunder  thun · der

Definition

noun

1. the loud noise you sometimes hear during a violent rain storm. 

   My children are afraid of thunder and lightning. 

2. any sound that is like this noise. 

   I hear the thunder of the waves. 

verb

1. to give forth or produce thunder. 

   The sky thundered all night. 

2. to make a sound of or like thunder. 

   The airplane thundered over our heads. 

3. to express oneself loudly and with great force. 

   The speaker thundered at the audience. 

intransitive verb

1. to move or proceed with a sound like thunder. 

   The avalanche thundered down the mountain. 

transitive verb

1. to express loudly and vehemently. 

These are some examples of how the word or forms of the word are used:

1. Next, you hear a loud crack of thunder. Rain is falling. 
2. When that happens, you hear a loud sound called thunder. How do rainbows form? 
3. If you hear thunder, go to a safe place. Thunder means that lightning is nearby. 
4. Those are storms with heavy rain, lightning, and thunder. As lightning strikes, it heats the air around it. 
5. When the air expands, we hear a loud crash called thunder. The sound reaches us after we have seen the lightning. 
6. Puffy gray clouds may mean that thunder and lightning are coming. Clouds that look like a big gray blanket mean that rain or snow is on the way. 

emergency  e · mer · gen · cy

Definition

noun

1. a sudden dangerous situation that requires immediate action or help. 

   Fires and floods are kinds of emergencies. 

   This is an emergency! Call the doctor! 

Images

Spanish cognate

emergencia: The Spanish word emergencia means emergency.

These are some examples of how the word or forms of the word are used:

1. It could cause an emergency such as a forest fire. But you can stay safe. 
2. The best thing, experts say, is to have a plan for what to do if this kind of moving-earth emergency happens. 
3. Landslide is the word many people use to describe this kind of emergency. This landslide happened when very heavy rains soaked the ground near Oso.