Making Thermometers

In the Measuring Temperature experiment students will learn how to measure how hot or cold the air is.  

Our vocabulary:  Temperature, thermometer, degrees Fahrenheit, weather instrument, tool, freezing, cold, cool, warm, hot.

We learned the scientific definitions for weather that is hot, warm, cool, cold and freezing.  We also learned to use a thermometer to measure the air's temperature.

The weather instrument a meteorologist uses to measure the air's temperature is a thermometer.  The purple range on or thermometer is labeled freezing for temperatures 32 degrees  (32°) and below.  

The Kindergarteners love working in a small group on their thermometers.  

The blue range on the thermometer is labeled cold, 

32° to 50° Fahrenheit.  

 The green range on our thermometer is labeled,  

cool 50° to 65° Fahrenheit.  

 The yellow range on the thermometer is labeled warm, 

65° to 80° Fahrenheit.

The orange range on the thermometer is labeled hot, 

80° to 120° Fahrenheit.  

What We Learned 

• How to use a thermometer to measure temperature
• We use the temperature to decide what to wear and what to do outside

Focus on Standard ES3A, ES3C, and I&E4B

1. Students know how to use simple tools (e.g. thermometer, weather graph, to measure weather conditions and record changes from day to day and across the seasons)
2. Students know the sun warms the land, air, and water.
3. Record observations and data with pictures, numbers, or written statements.

What is the Weather Today?

On Science Thursday we studied the weather and began making weather graphs for December.  

First we discussed our vocabulary:

Meteorologist:  A person who studies the weather.
Observe:  When you observe, you look at something very closely.
Weather Conditions:  sunny, partly cloudy, overcast, rainy.

Here we are with our weather graphs.

Next we learned about the four basic weather descriptions we observe in Los Angeles:  Sunny, partly cloudy, overcast, and rainy.  

Then we asked, "Where do you find the weather?  Well, outside of course!"  We went outside and observed that it was sunny! 

Last we wrote a paragraph that described the weather on Thursday, November 30, 2017.  

Ms. Munoz helped us write our paragraph!

We wrote, "Today the weather is sunny.  The wind was calm.  Temperature is 62 degrees."

 Ms. Luna worked with the Kindergarteners to write their paragraphs!

Next week we each get to make a thermometer and learn the scientific measurements (in degrees) for weather that is freezing, cold, cool, warm and hot.

 Focus on Standard:  Students know how to use simple tools to measure weather conditions and record changes from day to day and across seasons.  

Making Pinwheels

Our Science Question:  What can a pinwheel tell us about the wind?

First we colored the paper and constructed our pinwheel.

Next we went outside to see if the 

pinwheels would spin.

We learned that the pinwheel won't spin unless the wind is blowing!

When the wind blows the 

pinwheel spins really fast!  

One of the girls said, "My hypothesis is that the pinwheel will spin because when I walked I observed that it did spin, because when you walk you create wind."

When I hold the striped straw the 

pinwheel did spin. 

What We Learned 

• We learned that a pinwheel shows how fast the air is moving. 

• The faster the pinwheel moves, the faster the wind is blowing.

 Focus on Standard:  Students know how to use simple tools to measure weather conditions and record changes from day to day and across seasons.