Math Lessons Using Thermometers
Use Temperature to Teach Math Skills
Reading a thermometer is a skill that all children should learn. Once this skill is taught, the thermometer can then be used to teach students about graphs, interpreting data and how to use the data. Add interest to math lessons with these ideas.
Graphing Lesson Ideas
Show children how to read the thermometer and then have them check the temperature at the same time each day. The students should record this information each day for a week. After the week is up, show the students how to put the information in a graph.
To make the graph, draw a large L on your paper. The “x” axis is the bottom of the L or horizontal across the graph and the “y” axis is the side of the L or vertical on the graph. Underneath the graph label the X axis “Days of the Week” and write each day of the week across the bottom. On the side, label the Y axis “Temperature” and chose a frequency of temperatures up the axis.
For example, if your temperatures collected showed very little change, then a frequency of 1 degree would be sufficient: 70, 71, 72, 73, 74 etc. If there was greater variability, chose a different frequency: 70, 72, 74, 76 etc.
Once your graph is ready, start putting your data, or collected temperatures from the week, on the appropriate place on the graph. Once all the temperatures are graphed, students can either connect the temperatures with a line (for a line graph) or draw columns up to each day’s temperature (for a bar graph).
Interpreting the Data on a Graph
Using the temperatures the students gathered, they can find the mean (average), mode (most frequent) and the median (middle) temperature of the week. Teach students how to find each by having them first put all the numbers in order from least to greatest.
Mode: The mode is the number that occurs most often in the list.
Median: To find the median, cross off the numbers on either end of the list until the middle number is all that is left. That is the median!
Mean: To find the mean or average temperature of the week, add all the numbers together, and divide by the total number of numbers, which in this case should be 7 if the students recorded the temperature for an entire week.
Teach Prediction with a Graph
Weathermen watch for patterns in the weather that help them to predict what the weather will be the in the future. A prediction is coming up with a reasonable guess based on what information is known. Have the students do the same thing. After having charted the temperature for a week, look at the pattern and predict the next day’s temperature. Discuss how close the predictions were the next day.
Be creative and use what you know about temperature to use the thermometer as a teaching tool in your classroom. This has the benefit of getting students involved in math class, helping to reinforce the lessons and enabling them to remember more.
You may be interested in other math lesson ideas including great hands-on ideas and information on how to teach students with a math disability.
Using the Thermometer to Teach Math Skills
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