Measuring Temperature

By: Kelly Owen

Learning Objectives

Help students to understand how temperature is measured

Understand why measuring temperature is important

Be able to predict between two objects to see which one is hotter.

How I used Technology: Temperature Probes

The First thing we did was talk about temperature and discuss how temperature can be measured and what things temperature is used for on a daily basis.

Instruction

We then discussed What we were going to do and We explained how the temperature probes worked and we did a demonstration of how they worked.

Small group interactions

Then we got into two groups (I took a group and my teacher took a group) and we used the temperature probes to measure all kinds of things.

Small group interactions continued

The students brainstormed ideas of different things that they could measure the temperature of below is a list of things they brainstormed:

Metal tray of the white board Armpit Shoe Hair (on someone’s head) Hands Rubbing hands together Cup of water (cold)

Small Group interactions continued

Then the students predicted which of the objects they chose would get hotter or colder or which ones would stay the same

Then the students were able to use the temperature probes and measure those objects and see if their predictions were right.

Things that went well!

The students loved the probes and were very engaged in what we were learning about.

They all wanted to make predictions and they all were able to use the temperature probes.

The students were able understand the activity and ho it was important to what we were learning about.

What could have gone better

I wish that we could have had more resources so that the students would have been able to be in even smaller groups working with the temperature probes because they would have liked to be able to play with them for a longer period of time.

I also think that it was hard to manage the students when they had the temperature probes.

What Would I do Differently?

I think that I could have brought more technology

I also think that it would have been helpful for me to talk to my teacher about how to better manage the students while they had the temperature probes.

Student Use of Technology

The students were able to use the temperature probes to measure different things around the room

The technology was able to promote active learning about temperature instead of just discussing temperature.

Technology Use is Essential

The whole lesson is based on temperature. So measuring the temperature was an essential part of the lesson.

This was great lesson to be able to measure temperature using technology.

Focus on Learning Task

Measuring the temperature was an essential part of the lesson.

By being able to see the gradual change of the temperature probe on the computer the students were able to see how their movement and action changed the temperature.

Added Value

It was so much better to be able to compare three temperatures on the chart at the same time.

It was a good clear exposure for them to see graphs and be able to learn that when the line goes up its getting hotter and when the line goes down its getting colder.