Temperature graphs

In the following lesson students will locate and record daily high temperatures for several major cities. This data will then be displayed on line graphs. Students will choose one city, and based on its high temperatures, write a paragraph describing appropriate clothing and activities for that location. They will draw a picture of themselves dressed in the clothing and participating in an activity they described.

A lesson plan for grade 3 Mathematics

By Kaye Clark

Learn more

• WRAL.com This news website can be used to gather temperature information without using the daily newspaper.

Related pages

• Solar energy hot box: This hands-on science lesson is great because it allows students to get out of their seats and move about, as well as allows students to work in cooperative groups. The teacher is more of a facilitator and students are more in charge of their own learning processes.
• Project Groundhog: The students will determine the groundhog prediction of either six more weeks of winter or an early spring and see if the prediction was accurate by recording daily weather data for six weeks. Over that six week period the students will be comparing their weekly data with schools around the USA and Canada using the Project Groundhog website.
• Measurement centers: During a center-based activity groups of students will rotate around the classroom practicing non-standard unit of measurement concepts. In addition, they will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with measuring with rulers and will participate in a lesson about capacity.

Related topics

• Learn more about mathematics, measurement, and temperature.

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• relate temperatures to everyday situations.
• gather, organize, and display data.
• use graphs to make predictions.
• organize and write a paragraph on a specific topic.
• demonstrate creativity and skill in drawing.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

3 hours

Materials/resources

• daily newspaper (for at least 7 days)
• graph/grid paper
• drawing paper
• crayons, colored pencils

Activities

1. Students record the daily high temperatures for 5 major world cities for one week.
2. Students graph the different temperatures.
3. Students will choose a favorite city and decide what clothing and activities would be appropriate for that location based on their temperature graphs. (Each student can choose his/her own city.)
4. Students write a paragraph describing what they would wear and what activities they would do in their city, based on the high temperatures they found.
5. Students draw themselves dressed appropriately and participating in the activity they described.

Assessment

Evaluate graphs: sufficient data collected, correctly displayed and labeled, etc. Paragraphs and illustrations should match location chosen.

Supplemental information

Comments

This activity is a good one to use after students have had experience reading and recording various temperatures, using both Fahrenheit and Celsius thermometers. Previous discussions on what temperatures would be considered “hot” or “warm” or “cold” would be helpful. Map skills can also be incorporated as students locate their cities on a world and/or U.S. map.