- Use two introductory activities to help pupils recall previous measuring experience and to raise the issue of scales.
- Two pupils put their hands in water, one in cold and the other in warm, then both simultaneously put their hands in lukewarm water and report how it feels; one claims it's warm, the other that it's cold. Ask them to check the temperature with a thermometer.
- Ask pupils to suggest values for common temperatures,
eg freezing water, boiling water, room temperature, outside temperatures during different seasons, body temperature, the coldest place on Earth, the hottest place on Earth, hot oven temperature, safe (hygienic) fridge and freezer temperature. Then pupils:
- measure or otherwise find out about these temperatures and produce a chart of temperatures such as a 'temperature line' or bar chart; or
- conduct a survey of perception of temperature values with adults or other class groups, and work out how much those surveyed estimate values too high or too low
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- explain why using their senses is not a reliable way to measure temperature
- understand the need for a scale of temperature and use the Celsius scale of temperature
- combine results to produce a larger sample size
- present information in chart form so that it is easily assimilated
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