About Temperature Master
Temperature is a number children see constantly and understand loosely. They know 40 degrees is hot without knowing what 15 feels like, and they rarely connect the numbers to the physical facts of water freezing and boiling. This game reads a thermometer and ties the value to a real condition, so the scale acquires meaning rather than remaining a set of numbers.
What this game teaches
- Reading a thermometer scale in degrees Celsius
- The freezing point and boiling point of water
- Matching a temperature to a familiar condition
- Reading values between marked intervals
- Comparing temperatures to decide which is warmer
How to play
- A thermometer appears showing a temperature.
- Read the value on the scale.
- Move through the presets to see a range of temperatures.
- Ten presets complete a level, across ten levels.
Before you start
A child should be able to read two-digit numbers and count in intervals. Negative numbers appear at the colder end, which may be new.
For teachers
Anchor the scale to three fixed points children can feel: 0 for ice, around 37 for body temperature, 100 for boiling water. Everything else can be placed relative to those, and children who have those three anchored can estimate the rest sensibly.
For parents
Check the weather forecast together and ask what to wear. Connecting a number to a decision is what gives it meaning.
Related games
- Cross Addition Puzzle — Class 3-6
- Fraction Color Game — Class 3-6
- Fruit Math — Class 3-6