The hot and cold activity introduces second graders to the basic workings of a thermometer. Teach children about the appearance of a thermometer when exposed to hot and cold materials. Gather materials that are both hot and cold, such as hot water, ice cubes, soup, cereal and snow. Place the materials in separate containers in the classroom. Describe each material to the class and ask them to identify whether it is hot or cold. Measure the material with a thermometer and show the children the results. Students will learn that a full thermometer equals hot temperatures while an empty thermometer equals cold temperatures.
The daily thermometer lesson is ongoing and allows students to practice reading thermometers, recording temperatures and using subtraction. Implement this activity once students have a basic understanding of how to read the temperature on a thermometer. Hang one thermometer in the classroom and a second thermometer outside a classroom window. Each morning, ask the students to describe how the weather felt outside. Let the students take readings on both the indoor and outdoor thermometer. Record the temperatures on a classroom calendar. Have the students compare the current day's temperature with the previous day’s temperature by subtracting the lower of the two to determine the difference. Explain that the temperature increased or decreased by the number of degrees calculated.
Give your second graders a chance to have hands-on experience with measuring temperatures. Teach them to associate high temperature readings with hot weather and low temperature readings with cooler temperatures. Give each child a paper outline of a thermometer. Have them color the base of the thermometer red and the vertical portion blue. Instruct them to cut out their thermometer and cut a horizontal slit at the top of the rounded base. Have the children label the thermometer's marks in 10-degree increments. Give them a long strip of red paper and have them insert it through the backside of the slit. Give them a low temperature and a high temperature. Describe a warm or cold day, and have the children reflect which temperature correlates best on their thermometers.
Use a temperature-reading game to give your students practice reading and recording temperatures. Create a worksheet containing multiple pictures of a thermometer. Each thermometer should contain degree markings and numbers. Color in a different temperature on each thermometer. Pass out one sheet to each student, and instruct him to keep the paper face down. When you say "Begin", have the students turn over their papers. They must quickly read the temperature on each thermometer and write it down. The first student to complete the readings correctly wins.