Summary
Who’s in charge here? Electricity runs our world. It comes from the movement of charge, a property of matter. When a buildup of charge is suddenly released, the effects can be dazzling: lightning bolts! They show the power of static electricity, the kind that comes in bursts. Electricity also runs the many devices we’ve come to depend on. But they need a steady flow of charge, also known as current electricity. Through a series of discoveries spanning centuries, scientists figured out how to get electricity to flow—and uncovered one of the forces that rules our entire universe. Press “play” to hear the story!
Viewer safety
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
A few questions to talk through after watching Electricity:
- What is one new thing you learned about electricity?
- Can you explain it to a partner in your own words?
- Where might you see this in the real world?
- What is one question you still have?
Quick work-a-long
Try it:
- Write one sentence explaining electricity.
- Draw or give one example of your own.