Unit 8I Heating and cooling Lesson 1

Unit 8I Heating & Cooling Lesson plans

Lesson 1.

What’s the temperature?

Aim: What is the most accurate thermometer?

10 Minutes: Starter
Quick quiz: Matching boiling points with materials.

30 Minutes Main acitvity: Which is the most accurate thermometer?

Thermometers are important because we need to record temperatures accurately. Students should be able to think of several occasions when it is important to record temperatures accurately.

Your task is to record the temperature of five materials using four different types of thermometer. Mr C has already measured the temperature of most* of the materials using a very well calibrated thermometer that is stored in the prep room, you must decide which thermometer is the most accurate for use in future experiments during the unit heating and cooling.

* aside from the students own bodies which should be 37 degrees celsius.

Mr C and Mrs Groves* will help you to draw a table to record your results.

* Track 1 & 2 only.

Once you have recorded your results you should write a conclusion to say what you have found out. It must answer the following...

1. Which thermometer would you recommend for use in the rest of the unit?

2. Why? Key word: accuracy

Extension...

3. Was the experiment fair? Key words: dependent + independent variables.

4. Explain your answer?

15 Minutes Plenary: SATs style question on Thermometers.

Students complete a relevant SATs style question.

National curriculum links
Ks 3; Sc 4; 5d Sc 1. 2 f, g, i, j, k o, p

Grading

Level 4
I know that heat is a type of energy
I know that temperature is a measure of amount of heat energy