Dana Sullivan
Lesson Plan
Name:
Grade:
School:
Lesson Plan for:
Lesson’s Focus:
Math Content
Standard:
Dana Sullivan
3
Roosevelt Elementary School
Math
Reading a thermometer
1.0 Students choose and use appropriate units and
measurement tools to quantify the properties of objects.
Listening & Speaking
Standard:
1.7 Students will use clear and specific vocabulary to
communicate ideas.
Anticipatory Set: (at the carpet) I want you to think back to what you’ve learned about
measurement. Before we begin today’s lesson, I’d like to gather some information from
all of you about what you already know about measurement. Each of you has a
whiteboard in your hands, and I’d like you to make a circle map like mine with the word
“measurement” in the middle. You will be writing down any words you can think of that
are related to measurement. I will give you a few minutes to get your thoughts on your
whiteboard, and then we will share our circle maps. (I will give them a few minutes to
write, then they will share with their shoulder partner, and then I will jot their ideas on
my whole class circle map.
Objective:
(at the carpet) Today you will be learning about another kind of
measurement that is related to the weather. You will learn how to read a thermometer to
find the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. You will be able to practice reading a
thermometer, and by the end of the lesson you will need to show me that you can read a
thermometer by yourself. I also want you to listen closely for new vocabulary words
because we’ll be reviewing them at the end of this lesson.
Purpose:
(at carpet) The reason why you need to know how to read a thermometer
is because it’s an important skill to know in life. This is a math concept that we use in
our everyday lives. When someone is sick, we use a thermometer to see if that person
has a high temperature. When we want to find out what the weather is like outside and
what clothing we should wear, we also use a thermometer to find out the temperature.
Input: (at carpet) Now I need to give you some information so that you can be able to
read a thermometer by yourself. Finding the temperature means that you are finding out
how hot or cold something is. (I will explain to them the 4 new vocabulary words which
are temperature, thermometer, Mercury, and degrees Fahrenheit. I will talk and show
how the thermometer is a vertical number line. I will explain that the lines represent the
temperatures between the numbers on the thermometer. The red line that moves up and
down has a name, and it is called Mercury. I will also show how the numbers increase in
order from numbers below zero to numbers above 200 degrees Fahrenheit. I might also
point out that each thermometer can be different in real life so they need to be careful to
read the thermometer closely!
Modeling: (at carpet) I am going to be thinking out loud, and I just want you to listen to
my thinking and watch what I am doing. By watching me practice reading a
thermometer, you will be better able to read a thermometer by yourself. Then, I will
model reading 3 different numbers on the thermometer. One in which the red line falls
right at 50 degrees Fahrenheit, one in the middle at 65 degrees Fahrenheit, and one tricky
one at 79 degrees Fahrenheit. I will talk aloud my strategies for how I would figure out
each type of problem.
Check for Understanding: (at carpet) I want to see if you are understanding what I am
talking about. Now is the time for you to show me if you understand how to read a
thermometer. You have whiteboards in your laps. I want you to erase your circle maps.
I am going to show you a picture of a thermometer. I want you to read the thermometer
and decide what temperature the thermometer is showing. Then, write down the number
in degrees Fahrenheit that the thermometer is showing. I will show them what the
abbreviation looks like so they won’t have to write out degrees Fahrenheit each time. I
will have them practice with new numbers like 90 degrees Fahrenheit, 45 degrees
Fahrenheit, and 59 degrees Fahrenheit. I will have them think-pair-share before writing
down the first and second problems. For the third problem they will write down the
answer and then talk to their partner afterwards. They will see if they have matching
answers, and if they don’t have the same answer they will talk about why they don’t.
Guided Practice: (kids will be in the middle of the classroom standing up) Students will
practice matching pictures of thermometers with the number that the thermometer
illustrates utilizing the Mix-Freeze-Match SDAIE strategy. Before we begin this activity
I will model for them the language structure I would like for them to practice. I will post
the sentence on the board. They need to practice this sentence during this SDAIE
activity. The language structure will be, “The temperature of my thermometer is
_________degrees Fahrenheit.” At the end they will talk to their matching partner
about what strategy they used to read the thermometer. We will share our findings with
the whole class.
Closure: (sitting at their regular desks) I want to find out from you what you learned
today, and you are going to be working with your table to review some of the new words
related to temperature. We are going to do an activity called Roundtable. You will each
get to write on the paper that will be passed around your table. Keep passing it around
and writing your ideas until I say, “Freeze”. Then, everybody needs to stop and put their
pencils down. (Then we’ll proceed with the activity, and I’ll have them share their
findings on the temperature circle map.)
Independent Practice: Students are given blank paper thermometers already attached to
index cards, and they will practice making questions for their thermometers. They will
shade their thermometer using a red pencil up to a certain line. They will quiz a neighbor
asking “What temperature does this thermometer show?” They will have written out the
answer on the back of the index card.
Extension: Later that day, students will participate in a Line-Up activity. Each
student is given a card with a temperature in degrees Fahrenheit, and the class has to line
up in order from least to greatest. One student is given a red streamer to become the
mercury. The mercury student will travel to a certain number, say that number in degrees
Fahrenheit, trade places with that student, and then that person will become the mercury.