Any day outdoors
View Sequence overviewStudents will:
- identify that temperature is a distinctive characteristic of the weather.
- use a scale to describe temperature.
- identify that thermometers can be used to measure temperature.
Students will represent their understanding as they:
- discuss their experiences of observing and recording the weather.
- physically represent their understanding on a simple scale.
- follow instructions to describe temperature.
- use a simple temperature scale to describe temperature.
In this lesson, assessment is formative.
Feedback might focus on:
- Have students identified differences in air temperature?
- Have students used a variety of vocabulary words to describe the different temperatures?
- Have students shared examples of how different temperatures have affected the clothes they wear?
- Have students described how plants and animals are affected by different temperatures?
Whole class
Class science journal (digital or hard-copy)
Word wall
Weather watch class table
Demonstration copy of Our temperature tool Resource sheet
A source of warm or hot hair
A source of cold air (e.g. a freezer, a refrigerator, an air conditioner, a fan)
Self-adhesive notes or cards/strips of paper to record temperature words
Selection of thermometres, such as colour-band, alcohol and digital thermometers
Optional: bucket of ice cubes
Optional: Images taken with a thermal camera
String or chalk to mark physical temperature scale
Optional: Different types of thermometers (e.g. colour-band, alcohol and digital thermometers)
Each student
Individual science journal (digital or hard-copy)
A paper fan or piece of card
Our temperature tool Resource sheet on A4 thin card
Coloured pencils, including red and blue
Scissors
Peg or large paper clip
Optional: digital devices for recording a daily weather report for parents
Safety note
Take care when using electrical sources of hot air. Station yourself or another adult with the heat source.
Lesson
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkRe-orient
Review the weather watch table and add today's entry. Discuss what the class has observed and recorded about the weather.
Review the previous lesson, focusing on the decision tree that was created to decide if the cloud cover would impact our picnic plans.
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkIdentifying and constructing questions is the creative driver of the inquiry process. It allows students to explore what they know and how they know it. During the Inquire phase of the LIA Framework, the Question routine allows for past activities to be reviewed and to set the scene for the investigation that students will undertake. The use of effective questioning techniques can influence students’ view and interpretation of upcoming content, open them to exploration and link to their current interests and science capital.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to spend some time considering the mindset of students at the start of each Inquire phase. What do you want students to be thinking about, what do they already know and what is the best way for them to approach the task? What might tap into their curiosity?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkDescribing different temperatures
As in Lesson 2, explore weather information reports from websites (WillyWeather or Bureau of Meteorology), this time focusing on the numbers that represent the predicted temperature for the day. Discuss what students think the numbers tell us about what the weather will be like that day. Discuss the word ‘temperature’ and what it means.
Highlight/recall the language about temperature that students have used in this and previous discussions about the weather. For example:
- Do you remember when Aden said that it was cold this morning?
- Do you remember when Sascha told us it was hot after lunch on Monday?
Link the idea that we use words to describe what the air feels like to us and how it makes our bodies feel, such as 'cold' and 'hot'. Brainstorm and record temperature words to describe how the air feels. Record these on cards or self-adhesive notes (to enable them to be moved later on).
Language/vocabulary choices
The word ‘temperature’ is introduced in the second Investigate routine of this lesson.
The word ‘temperature’ is introduced in the second Investigate routine of this lesson. At this stage, focus descriptions around ‘How does it feel?’, concentrating on how hot or cold does it feel.
The word ‘temperature’ is introduced in the second Investigate routine of this lesson. At this stage, focus descriptions around ‘How does it feel?’, concentrating on how hot or cold does it feel.
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkThe Investigate routine provides students with an opportunity to explore the key ideas of science, to plan and conduct an investigation, and to gather and record data. The investigations are designed to systematically develop content knowledge and skills through increasingly complex processes of structured inquiry, guided inquiry and open inquiry approaches. Students are encouraged to process data to identify trends and patterns and link them to the real-world context of the teaching sequence.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the diagnostic assessment (Launch phase) that identified the alternative conceptions that students held. Are there activities that challenge these ideas and provide openings for discussion? What content knowledge and skills do students need to be able to complete the final (Act phase) task? How could you systematically build these through the investigation routines? Are there opportunities to build students’ understanding and skills in the science inquiry processes through the successive investigations?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkExperiencing different temperatures
Explain that the students are going to investigate some different types of air to find out what it feels like.
Ask students to blow on their hand and share descriptions (adjectives) of how the air feels. Discuss if using pursed lips (colder) provides a different response than an open mouth (hotter due to the slower speed of the air). Record responses in the class science journal.
Have students walk past a source of warm or hot air. Share descriptions of how the air feels, noting if the terms students use have already been recorded on cards/self-adhesive notes, and recording them if they have not been.
Provide each student with a paper fan or piece of card. Ask students to fan themselves and share and record descriptions of how it feels, again noting if the terms students use have already been recorded on cards/self-adhesive notes, and recording them if they have not been.
Have students walk past a source of cold air to share and record descriptions of how it feels, again noting if the terms students use have already been recorded on cards/self-adhesive notes, and recording them if they have not been.
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkFollowing an investigation, the Integrate routine provides time and space for data to be evaluated and insights to be synthesized. It reveals new insights, consolidates and refines representations, generalises context and broadens students’ perspectives. It allows student thinking to become visible and opens formative feedback opportunities. It may also lead to further questions being asked, allowing the Inquire phase to start again.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the diagnostic assessment that was undertaken during the Launch phase. Consider if alternative conceptions could be used as a jumping off point to discussions. How could students represent their learning in a way that would support formative feedback opportunities? Could small summative assessment occur at different stages in the teaching sequence?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkOrdering temperature words
Review the descriptions/words used for different air temperatures that you have recorded during the lesson on cards or self-adhesive notes.
As a class, order the descriptions/words from hottest to coldest and number them.
Conclude this Inquire cycle by adding the relevant vocabulary to the word wall.
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkThe Investigate routine provides students with an opportunity to explore the key ideas of science, to plan and conduct an investigation, and to gather and record data. The investigations are designed to systematically develop content knowledge and skills through increasingly complex processes of structured inquiry, guided inquiry and open inquiry approaches. Students are encouraged to process data to identify trends and patterns and link them to the real-world context of the teaching sequence.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the diagnostic assessment (Launch phase) that identified the alternative conceptions that students held. Are there activities that challenge these ideas and provide openings for discussion? What content knowledge and skills do students need to be able to complete the final (Act phase) task? How could you systematically build these through the investigation routines? Are there opportunities to build students’ understanding and skills in the science inquiry processes through the successive investigations?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkWhat is today’s temperature?
You might like to lead the following discussion and observation about the current weather outside, if appropriate for your students and context.
- How do you know it is hot/cold?
- What do you feel that makes you think it is hot/cold?
- Why do you think it feels hot?
- What do you think is making it feel cold?
- How do your pets/dogs/cats behave when it is hot/cold?
- How do you think the local animals are affected by the hot/cold?
- Can we tell if a plant is too hot?
- Wilting leaves etc.
Make a line with string or chalk to create a physical temperature scale, long enough for all students to place themselves along. Ask students to hold each of the temperature cards created, with ‘hot’ at one end of the line, ‘cold’ at the other end, and the other cards spaced appropriately in between.
Optional: Discuss with students to determine the appropriate placement of each of these cards. For example, if they have used the word 'freezing' they may decide that is actually colder than 'cold', reorganise appropriately.
Once the physical temperature scale is set up, ask the other students in the class to stand on the line closest to the card that best describes the current temperature. Ask students to give reasons why they chose to stand at that point, for example, ‘I feel cold because there’s a cold wind out here’ or ‘I feel hot because the Sun is hot’.
Introduce different weather scenarios (for example at night, in different weather conditions or in a different season). Students place themselves on the scale according to how they imagine they would feel, and give reasons for where they have chosen.
Discuss what other words might go on the scale between hot and cold, and add those words to cards to be included in the scale.
Revise the word ‘temperature’ as a way of describing how hot it is.
Return to the classroom if needed and review the language recorded from the first inquiry cycle in this lesson.
Discuss:
- the words students could use to describe the outside temperature today.
- the different ways students might have seen temperature being measured, such as when they have been sick, using a thermometer at home or school.
Introduce Our temperature tool Resource sheet to show that there are four temperature words on the right-hand side that can be used to indicate the temperature.
Optional: You might like to create your own version of the temperature tool using the words offered by the students.
Discuss how colours can be used to demonstrate temperature.
- What colour might represent hot? Why do you think that?
- What about cold? Or warm?
- What colours do they use on hot and cold water taps? Why do you think they use those colours?
Using the Our temperature tool resource sheet, students colour the boxes with the temperature words in them using appropriate colours, and draw pictures of activities and/or clothing suitable for the four temperatures in the boxes on the left-hand side.
Students add the temperature tool to their science journals, gluing along the left hand edge only. This will allow them to slide a peg or large paper clip up and down the right side of their temperature tool to mark the temperature each day.
Use the demonstration copy of the Our temperature tool resource sheet to create a version for the whole class and use it to describe the day’s temperature.
HIGH TECH: Use digital devices to record a daily weather report for sharing with parents.
Explain that the tool is a type of thermometer, using colours and words to describe the temperature. If possible, show students different types of thermometers, such as colour-band, alcohol and digital thermometers or the colours on a thermal image.
Measure the temperature in the classroom and outside and compare it to students’ descriptions.
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkFollowing an investigation, the Integrate routine provides time and space for data to be evaluated and insights to be synthesized. It reveals new insights, consolidates and refines representations, generalises context and broadens students’ perspectives. It allows student thinking to become visible and opens formative feedback opportunities. It may also lead to further questions being asked, allowing the Inquire phase to start again.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the diagnostic assessment that was undertaken during the Launch phase. Consider if alternative conceptions could be used as a jumping off point to discussions. How could students represent their learning in a way that would support formative feedback opportunities? Could small summative assessment occur at different stages in the teaching sequence?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkHow temperature impacts our choices
Discuss:
- how students know when their pets are hot/cold.
- How do they behave? How can we help them?
- how temperature can affect:
- what activities we can do.
- the food we eat.
- the clothes we wear.
- how temperature may affect the planning of the class picnic.
Provide students with examples of activities, food and clothing and ask them to use their temperature tools to show the temperature best suited to each example.
- What would be a suitable temperature for wearing gloves?
- What would be a suitable temperature for going swimming outside?
- What traditional clothes might tell us about where people came from?
Discuss students’ suggestions and reasons and use them to create a decision tree for determining temperature. Link the different temperatures to how they might plan for a picnic.
Allow students time to draw their decision tree in their science journals.
Reflect on the lesson
You might:
- add to/review the class word wall.
- review how temperature impacts on clothing and activity choices.
- make predictions about tomorrow's weather.
- review the students’ question page in the class science journal and review the questions related to wind. Add any new questions students might have.
As you continue to fill in the weather watch table, refer back to the details about temperature explored in this lesson.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ observation of the weather
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have observed the daily and seasonal weather patterns for tens of thousands of years.
Observing the effects of the weather across the many regions of Australia have allowed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to identify daily and seasonal changes that explain and inform aspects of daily life.
More information about this can be found in cross-curriculum priority resources provided by ACARA.
Observing the effects of the weather across the many regions of Australia have allowed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to identify daily and seasonal changes that explain and inform aspects of daily life.
More information about this can be found in cross-curriculum priority resources provided by ACARA.