Maths of Practical Life: Temperature

Our second Maths of Practical Life Measurement topic was Temperature.
(The first was Time and my notes for it are here). Reading a thermometer is a challenging new skill so I highly recommend practicing at home as well!

Thursday, November 8

• list situations where temperature matters (weather report, climate/biome, other planets, baking in an oven, proofing yeast, glassblowing, sickness/fever, car engine, making a baby bottle)
• brainstorm how a thermometer works... why does the line move?
  
  Total Immersion Red Alcohol Single-Scale Thermometer
  – 20 to 110 Degrees C
• discuss atoms, molecules, the three states of matter (particularly water), and expansion due to heat and contraction due to cold; act out expansion and contraction with our bodies
• explain the Fahrenheit and Celsius scales
• do Thermometer 1 activity from NEED EnergyWorks student packet
  (individually)
• explain temperature conversion formulas between Fahrenheit and Celsius (if you have older children who can solve them, I recommend these free math problems for extra practice)
• do Heat 1 activity from NEED EnergyWorks student packet
  (in pairs)
• review that Nature always seeks a balance; heat moves into colder areas and coolness move into hotter areas until there is equilibrium
• continue calendar making project and make art and write in numbers for March 2019

  

Friday, November 9

• enjoy special presentation from a co-op parent, glass artist Chad Goodpastor, who told us how temperature plays a part in his work!

  He explained the difference between glassblowing and lampworking and showed us a video of each one, reviewed atoms and molecules (as well as the term "coefficiency of expansion") and the three states of matter (and the debate as to whether glass is a solid or a liquid), discussed some of the elements from the periodic table (especially borosilicate, since adding boron makes a tremendous difference in the strength of glass, and the use of metals to created colored glass), and shared a few examples of finished pieces for us to see and touch.

  Just yesterday I just purchased some new Pyrex beakers and stirrers (below) for our classroom science experiments, so I was very pleased to hear that borosilicate is the strongest glass on the planet! I was amazed to find that he keeps his two kilns at a constant temperature of 1100 degrees Fahrenheit and that the melting point of borosilicate is 2300 degrees Fahrenheit.


1000 mL Pyrex beaker


600 mL Pyrex beaker


glass stirring rod

• continue calendar making project and make art and write in numbers for April 2019

  

BONUS TIME - Friday, November 9

• enjoy Penguin Day in our Science Club study of Birds (and this, coincidentally, had a lot to do with our study of Temperature):
  • read An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Hutts Aston

    

  • look at results of Ink Blot Penguin art project and discuss Penguin Camo
  • look at Antarctica Biome Puzzle and the extent of the ice shelf
  • watch March of the Penguins movie (80 minutes, rated G)

  

Monday, November 12

• do Reading Temperature Worksheet for more practice
  (in pairs)
• do Making a Thermometer Hands-On Activity for even more practice
  (individually)
• do Heat 3 activity from NEED EnergyWorks student packet
  (as a whole group)
• review the idea of equilibrium and explain what happened the time I tried to make the Heat 3 experiment results even better by adding HOT water instead of warm (and how & why that skewed the results)
• give students time to add Temperature to their MLB (the Thermometer Stamp from Montessori Services is very handy for this)
• do second step in flower artwork
• continue calendar making project and make art and write in numbers for May 2019

  

Tuesday, November 13

• do "A Good Conductor" activity from Physics is Fun! A Sourcebook for Teachers, page 89 (wooden rod, copper rod, two strips of paper, tape, candle, matches)

  

• do variation on "A Good Conductor" activity with near-boiling water and a collection of spoons (wood, plastic, horn, sterling silver, stainless steel, iron)
• do "How Penguins Stay Warm" Blubber Demonstration
• use the thermometer to check the temperatures of the near-boiling water and the ice water; watch the red line move quickly up as it went in the hot water and quickly down as it went from hot to cold
• do third step in flower artwork; do second step in ladybug artwork
• continue calendar making project and make art and write in numbers for June 2019

  

Thursday, November 15

• review conductors & insulators; look at lunchboxes and socks; discuss cotton clothing vs wool clothing on a cold wet day
• do Temperature Cup Lab
  (in pairs)
• give students time to add Conductors & Insulators to their MLB
• continue calendar making project and make art and write in numbers for July 2019

  

Friday, November 16

• bake Basic Muffin recipe in metric to conclude Temperature and introduce units for Volume (ml, l) and Mass (g, kg)
• continue calendar making project and make art and write in numbers for August 2019

  

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