Temperature


 * TEKS: 3.12

Teaching Point - Reading a thermometer.

Objective: The student is expected to use a thermometer to measure temperature.**


 * Day One:**

Begin the lesson by asking students, "How can we tell what the temperature is?" Example responses: We can feel the temperature or see our bodies react to temperature, as when we sweat or shiver. We can see evidence of the temperature by observing a pond or pool of water freezing and thawing. We see wilting plant leaves on really hot days. We see heat rise in a shimmer from hot pavement.

Lead students to realize, however, that we cannot tell the temperature accurately just by feeling it or observing our surroundings. We depend upon an instrument called a thermometer for accurate readings.

Pass out thermometers to each group of students. (Review safety precautions and point out that if thermometers are dropped or banged on a table they will break.) Have students look at their thermometers. Lead students to make the following discoveries of the parts of a thermometer and how to read a thermometer: As you pick up the thermometers, tell students that we will be learning how to read a thermometer and then we will get these back out to practice.
 * a glass bulb connected to a long, thin glass tube
 * glass tube has numbers written on it
 * inside bulb and in the tube is a liquid (either mercury or colored alcohol)
 * two commonly used scales on thermometers - Fahrenheit and Celcius - point out how these are shown on the thermometer
 * handling the thermometer can affect its reading as heat transfers from your hands
 * your eyes should be level with the top of the liquid in the tube to read it accurately
 * the liquid rises and falls as the molecules expand and contract with the heat or cold

There is a power point that will walk you through teaching the kids to read a thermometer.




 * Day Two:**

Give students the handout that shows the freezing point of water, boiling point of water, and body temperature. Discuss these with your class and have them glue the charts into their Math Journals.

Make a class graph similar to the one below. Have a whole group discussion and complete the graph, guiding students to figure out "reasonable temperatures" for the activities listed.


 * Temperature of… ||  ||
 * the oven when you bake cookies ||  ||
 * a day when you would need to wear a coat to school ||  ||
 * bath water ||  ||
 * a sick child with a fever ||  ||
 * a pot of boiling spaghetti ||  ||
 * a day when it would be good for swimming ||  ||
 * a snowy day ||  ||

Have two sets of the following cups of water ready before class begins. Have a thermometer ready in each one.

Cup 1 - room temperature water (explain this vocabulary to students) Cup 2 - water with ice cubes Cup 3 - water that has been heated in the microwave

Before students try to read thermometer, have them make predictions on their charts.



Rotate students through reading the thermometers in each of the cups. Discuss the results after everyone has had a chance to read each thermometer. Have students put their charts in their Math Journals.


 * Day Three:**

Use the "Step Up to TAKS" worksheet to teach the different ways that temperature questions can be asked: students have to read a thermometer and tell the temperature, students have to choose from several thermometers and find the correct one that corresponds with the word problem. Have stduent work with a partner or in small groups to complete the "Temperature" worksheet. THis worksheet discusses finding the differences in temperature between two thermometers adn other skills.


 * Day Four:**

Centers - "What's My Temperature"


 * Day Five:**

Review and test.


 * Additional Activities:**