Temperature
Background Information & Activities

© 1999-2012 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

This movie will explore temperature and explain how to read a thermometer using degrees Fahrenheit and degrees Celsius. Children will learn how to use a thermometer to see how hot or cold something is, find out the temperature at which water boils and freezes, and discover the body temperature of a healthy human. Help children explore the world around them and gather, analyze, and quantify information by using tools and making observations. Since thermometers can look different, we recommend giving children plenty of practice working with different thermometers and measuring different things—from the temperature outside to the temperature of food, drinks, and even their bodies.

Review with children that temperature tells how hot or cold something is. We can use a thermometer to measure the temperature. Today, analog thermometers no longer contain mercury due to potential health risks; they are filled with a combination of mineral spirits or alcohol mixed with red dye. In these thermometers, the red liquid rises and falls as it gets hotter or cooler. The hotter the temperature, the higher the liquid climbs up the thermometer. The lower the temperature, the lower it goes down the thermometer. You may want to present children with a few thermometers, both digital and analog, to study and experiment with.

How do we use temperature? Brainstorm with children. Explain that we use thermometers to measure the temperature outside and inside, and to check the temperatures of our bodies. We set the temperature on ovens and measure the temperature of food. How else do we use temperature?

Remind children that temperature is measured in units called degrees. There are a few different temperature scales, including degrees Fahrenheit and degrees Celsius. It is similar to how we can measure the length of an object in inches or in centimeters. The Celsius scale is part of the metric system, along with centimeters, meters, kilometers, grams, and kilograms. Water boils at 212°F or 100°C and freezes at 32°F or 0°C. The temperature of our bodies is about 37°C or 98.6°F. Write the temperatures on the board and remind children that we use a small circle in the top right corner of the number to stand for degrees and use an F or C to indicate what temperature scale we are using.

Review reading a thermometer with children. We recommend giving small groups a thermometer to work with and read. Remind them that not all thermometers look alike, so when they use one, they should look at it carefully to figure out what temperature scale a particular thermometer uses. Students should know that certain thermometers are made of glass, so they should handle them carefully to avoid breaking. On some thermometers, the numbers go up by ten, while on others they go up by five. To find the temperature, look at where the special liquid stops along the number line. Explain how to start at the number below where the liquid stops and count or skip-count up the hash marks to find the temperature. On some thermometers the marks need to be skip-counted by twos, while on others they are simply counted by ones.

Have small groups of students use thermometers to measure the temperature outside or measure the temperature of a glass of ice water or cup of warm water. You may wish to have children begin a long-term project of measuring the weather outside and recording their observations. Be sure that children take the temperature outside around the same time each day. Before they look at the temperature, ask them to guess the temperature that day. Encourage children to become weather experts!

See more lesson plans and resources: BrainPOP Educators.

Temperature Teacher Activities

© 1999-2012 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

Weather Study

Have the whole class conduct a weather study throughout the academic year. You can have different students measure the temperature each day, around the same time, and record other observations, such as weather conditions or amount of precipitation. You may want to keep a class notebook or official record and make sure all students take turns in making weather observations. At the end of the year, you can create a line graph together and map out the daily temperature to see how it changed throughout the seasons. You may wish to partner with a school in another city, state, or country, and create an online space to exchange the ongoing results of the weather study for comparison.

Temperature Challenge

Divide students into small groups and give each group a thermometer and a cup of warm water. Have children measure the water's temperature. Then challenge them to get the water to room temperature, about 70°F or 21°C. They may want to add cold water, drop in an ice cube, or even blow air on the water to cool it down. If they make it too cold, how will they warm the water up? You may wish to time the groups for added friendly competition. The first group to cool down their water to the temperature can select another temperature and have the whole class try the experiment again.

Temperature Family Activities

© 1999-2012 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

Hottest Place on Earth

Where is the hottest place on Earth? Together with your child, research on the Internet or at the library to find the answer. What's the hottest temperature ever recorded on each of the continents? Then find the hottest temperature ever recorded in your community. Compare the two temperatures. Would your child like to visit the hottest place on Earth? Why or why not? What would they bring with them? Your child may wish to research the living creatures who survive there. What special adaptations do the plants and animals have to help them withstand and thrive in the heat? What might a human do to adapt?

Morning, Noon, Night

How does the temperature change during the day? Record the temperature throughout different times in the day. You and your child may want to record the temperature outside every two or three hours or so. Then create a graph together to see how the temperature changed. What was the difference in temperature from the coolest part of the day to the hottest? How much warmer was it at noon than at eight o'clock in the morning? How does the temperature influence what your child wants to wear? Encourage your child to infer why temperature changes throughout the day and how the Sun's position affects temperature. Experiment by recording the outside temperature in both sunlight and shade.