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Lesson Plan

Calibrating Thermometers

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This Calibrating Thermometers lesson plan also includes:

Engage young scientists in the upper-elementary and middle school grades with this collection of simple experiments. Whether you're teaching about heat transfer, density, or potential energy this resource has a lab for you.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Concepts
energy transfer, energy, potential energy, heat transfer, heat, thermometers, temperature, density
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Additional Tags
potential energy, density, heat transfer, thermometer, converting temperature, energy transfer, science
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Instructional Ideas
  • Use these labs to supplement science lessons on temperature measurement, properties of matter, and potential and kinetic energy
  • Implement the calibrating thermometers lab at the beginning of the year or semester, familiarizing students with lab materials and procedures
  • During the potential energy experiment assign each group a different height for their ramp, compiling and comparing the results as a whole class
  • In the density experiment, provide each group with a different object to measure, afterward having the class compare the densities of each material
Classroom Considerations
  • The thermometer calibration lab requires the use of a Bunsen burner or other source of heat, which may or may not be available in your class
Pros
  • Each lab poses a specific question that students must try to answer with their experiment
  • Guiding questions are included for helping students with developing their experimental procedures
  • Provides equations for converting between Fahrenheit and Celsius, and calculating density and potential energy
Cons
  • None