Help young children understand the meaning of temperature. Fasten a picture of a sunny day onto one inside flap of a folder and a picture of a cold snowy day onto the opposite flap. Glue some pictures of winter wear, summer wear, snow toys and tools, and beach toys onto index cards. Place the cards into small envelopes to include inside the folder. The children should sort the cards and place the seasonal pictures on either the winter or summer pictures.
Make three copies of different pictures of thermometers with the line markings, but no numbers. One can be a personal thermometer, another a rectangular indoor or outdoor thermometer and a third one can be round. Glue one copy on the outside front flap, one to the inside front and one to the inside back of the folder. Cover each copy with clear self-adhesive plastic. On the back of the folder, attach an envelope. Slip some cards in the envelope with written temperature numbers. Add a red wipe-off crayon and a small eraser sponge to the envelope as well. The children should take a card from the envelope and mark the one of the thermometers with the crayon to indicate where the line would be on a thermometer for that temperature.
Copy and cut out different thermometer shapes. Write a temperature number on the back of each shape. On the front, make the markings to indicate where the temperature line would be. Create some right and some wrong ones. Place the thermometers inside an envelope. On one inside flap of the folder, print "right" and on the other flap print "wrong." The students should place the thermometers under the "right" or "wrong" word.
Although many thermometers have markings for both Fahrenheit and Celsius, it still takes some understanding for children to learn to make the conversions themselves. A typical method of conversion is called 9/5. Print a page with the formula for converting each way on a sheet of paper to attach to the front of a folder. The formula is:
Celsius to Fahrenheit, multiply the C number by 9, divide the answer by 5, and add 32.
Fahrenheit to Celsius, subtract 32 from the F number, multiply by 5, and divide the answer by 9.
Draw or copy several small thermometers on one sheet of paper, with a different Fahrenheit temperature marked on each thermometer. Do the same on a second piece of paper with a Celsius temperature marked on each thermometer. Provide blank pieces of paper for the students to write the correct conversion answers. Provide answer sheets in an envelope if you wish.