Make a Thermometer to Study the Temperature
Grade Range
3rd
Group Size
2-3 students
Active Time
100 minutes
Total Time
100 minutes
Area of Science
Weather & Atmosphere
Key Concepts
Temperature
Learning Objectives
- Define temperature
- Record temperature data with a homemade liquid thermometer
- Make graphs representing temperature data
- Interpret, compare, and explain temperature data
- Understands that outdoor air temperature changes over time and with place
Credits
Sabine De Brabandere, PhD, Science Buddies
OverviewStudents experience the weather every day: they feel cold spring mornings and warm summer afternoons. This hands-on lesson helps them quantify how hot or cold it is by using a thermometer they will make themselves! Based on their gathered data and observations, students can infer patterns about how temperature varies by location and time. NGSS AlignmentThis lesson helps students prepare for these Next Generation Science Standards Performance Expectations:
Materials![]() For each group of students:
Technical note:
When choosing the materials for the homemade thermometer, consider that narrower tubes (straws) result in a more accurate thermometer because the same expansion or contraction of liquid and air will cause a rise or fall over a longer distance. As a drawback, the narrow straw might decrease the maximum temperature that the thermometer can reach. It might also be harder for students to drop the liquid in the tube while making the thermometer. Science Buddies staff found that a 0.2 inch diameter straw works well. For the class:
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Grade Range
3rd
Group Size
2-3 students
Active Time
100 minutes
Total Time
100 minutes
Area of Science
Weather & Atmosphere
Key Concepts
Temperature
Credits
Sabine De Brabandere, PhD, Science Buddies
Learning Objectives
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