People use electricity to light their homes. Where does it come from? It is made at power plants. A generator turns the energy of motion into electricity. Let us start at the start. Then we can see how it is made.

Here are three ways to make it. Wind can spin the blades of a wind turbine. That makes electricity. Most wind turbines have three blades. Moving water can spin a turbine too. That makes it as well. Solar panels can use sunlight to make it.

Now let us see how it gets to you. Let us follow the lines. Power lines carry it a long way. From a substation, smaller, lower-voltage lines bring it to neighborhoods and homes. That is how it gets to your house.

A battery can make electricity flow through a wire. But it only flows when it has a complete path. That path is called a circuit. Metals let it flow through them well. Glass, rubber, wood and plastic do not.

Here are two more kinds. Rubbing can move electrons from one thing to another. That is how static electricity starts. Charges that are alike push each other apart. Static electricity can make your hair stand on end. Lightning is a kind of electricity too.

Here are some rules to keep. If you see a power line on the ground, stay away from it. Tell a grown-up right away. Never climb a power pole. Never climb a tree that is near power lines. Stay away. Tell a grown-up.

Here are more rules to keep. Never put your fingers or other objects into an outlet. To unplug something, hold the plug. Never pull on the cord. Never use anything with a cord or plug around water. Hold the plug, not the cord.

Words to know

• generator: makes electricity
• turbine: a spinning machine
• circuit: a complete path