PROCESS

1. Your first task is to discover what the word temperature means. Click here to see one definition of temperature.Be ready to tell your classmates what it means!

2. Next, you will have to find out what a thermometer is. and how a thermometer works.

3. Wow, that's a lot of information! But, do you believe it? One way to see if something is true, is to try it ourselves, so we are going to make our own thermometers together in small groups of four students. Each group will follow the directions in How to Make a Thermometer for Kids. Be ready to share with the other groups where you placed your thermometer and to show the water-level marks on the plastic bottle that correspond to the different places you put your thermometer. Be ready to discuss your conclusions about thermometers and how the liquid inside moves up and down to measure temperature.

4. Now, budding weathermen and weatherwomen, let's learn to "read" a thermometer to tell the temperature. Temperature is measured in units called degrees. The degrees correspond to numbers and marks on the thermometer. If you can count by ones, twos, and tens to 100, you can read a thermometer! Watch this movie to find out how! (See Mrs. Silver for username and password.)

5. So, what do temperature and thermometers have to do with how you know if it will rain or snow? You need to do one more activity in small groups of four students to find out. Let's measure the temperature of snow with a thermometer, let it melt, and measure the temperature again. Melting Snow!

6. Now, you know what temperature it has to be to snow! What is the magic snow number? If the temperature is greater than this number, it will rain. If the temperature is equal to or less than this number, it will snow! Look at the Reading Thermometers worksheet. On a separate sheet of paper write the magic snow number!. Then write numbers 1 through 8 on your paper. Read the temperature on each of the eight thermometers on the worksheet. Write an R next to the number of the thermometer if it might rain. Write an S next to the number of the thermometer if it might snow.