You will learn
- Say what temperature is.
- Read a thermometer.
- Compare warm and cool places.
- Record temperatures.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Temperature tells how hot or cold something is.
- A thermometer measures it.
- We use degrees Celsius.
- Temperature changes through the day.
Words to know
how hot or cold something is
a tool that measures temperature
the units for temperature, written °C
the marks on a measuring tool
1. Discover: The shady spot
Grace and Yaw place a thermometer in the shade and another in the sun. After ten minutes, the sun one shows 36°C and the shade one 30°C. “The sun made it hotter,” says Grace.
Think: How much hotter was the sun spot?
2. Understand: Temperature
Idea 1: Hot and cold
Temperature tells us how hot or cold something is. A higher number means hotter. We use the unit degrees Celsius, written °C.
Idea 2: Reading a thermometer
A thermometer has a scale of marks. Look where the liquid or digital number stops. Read it at eye level.
Idea 3: Changes
Temperature is lowest in the early morning and highest in the early afternoon. It is cooler in shade and warmer in sunlight.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Compare
36°C and 30°C.
- 36 > 30.
- Difference 6.
- Sun is hotter.
Answer: The sun spot is 6°C hotter.
Example 2 (We do it together): Read
Mark at 28.
- Find the mark.
- Eye level.
- 28°C.
Answer: The thermometer shows 28°C.
Example 3 (You try): Record
Morning and noon.
Show the steps and answer
- 25°C morning.
- 33°C noon.
- Higher at noon.
Answer: Temperature rises by noon.
Did you know?
The highest air temperature ever recorded on Earth was about 57°C in Death Valley, USA.
Why this matters
Temperature helps us choose clothes, plan crops and stay safe.
4. Explore: Sun vs shade
Measure air temperature in sun and shade using a safe thermometer.
- Place a thermometer in the shade.
- Place another in the sun.
- Wait ten minutes.
- Read at eye level and record.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Sun was warmer.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- Temperature is how ___ or cold.
- A ___ measures it.
- We use degrees ___.
- A higher number means ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is temperature?
How hot or cold.
Question 2. What measures it?
A thermometer.
Question 3. What unit?
Degrees Celsius.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is temperature?
- What measures it?
- What unit?
- What does higher mean?
- Where do we read it?
Level 2: Grow
- Why is shade cooler?
- When is it hottest?
- What is the difference 33 − 25?
Level 3: Stretch
- Record three temperatures.
- Draw a thermometer.
- Explain sun vs shade.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Science in everyday life
How hot is it near you?
Show a sample answer
Often 28°C to 35°C.
Another one. Tell a family member one thing from this lesson. Use the words you learned.
Show a sample answer
A clear sentence that uses at least one word from Words to know.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Hotter.
Fix: It changes through the day.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say what temperature is.
- I can read a thermometer.
- I can compare warm and cool places.
- I can record temperatures.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Temperature tells how hot or cold something is.
- A thermometer measures it.
- We use degrees Celsius.
- Temperature changes through the day.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Rainfall. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What is temperature? [1 mark]
- What is a thermometer? [1 mark]
- Compare 34°C and 29°C. [2 marks]
- Describe how to read. [2 marks]
- Safety rule? [2 marks]
Total: 8 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- How hot or cold [1]
- Measures temperature [1]
- 34 hotter [1]; difference 5 [1]
- Eye level [1]; read the mark [1]
- Plastic or digital [1]; not in mouth [1]
Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is temperature?
- What measures it?
- What unit?
- What does higher mean?
- Where do we read it?
- Why is shade cooler?
- When is it hottest?
- What is the difference 33 − 25?
- Record three temperatures.
- Draw a thermometer.
Homework
Record the temperature morning, noon and evening for two days with an adult.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is temperature? | How hot or cold. | 1 |
| 2. What measures it? | A thermometer. | 1 |
| 3. What unit? | Degrees Celsius. | 1 |
| 4. What does higher mean? | Hotter. | 1 |
| 5. Where do we read it? | At eye level. | 1 |
| 6. Why is shade cooler? | Blocks sunlight. | 1 |
| 7. When is it hottest? | Early afternoon. | 1 |
| 8. What is the difference 33 − 25? | 8°C. | 1 |
| 9. Record three temperatures. | Table. | 1 |
| 10. Draw a thermometer. | Labelled. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 How hot or cold.; 2 A thermometer.; 3 Degrees Celsius.; 4 Hotter.; 5 At eye level.. Level 2: 1 Blocks sunlight.; 2 Early afternoon.; 3 8°C.. Level 3: 1 Table.; 2 Labelled.; 3 Sunlight warms..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Say what temperature is | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Read a thermometer | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Compare warm and cool places | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Record temperatures | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “Higher number means colder.” Hotter.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Read a thermometer and compare temperatures.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns to read a thermometer. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Read a thermometer together.
- Ask, “Is it warm?”
- Record temperatures.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: say what temperature is; read a thermometer; compare warm and cool places; record temperatures.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 1 ideas: weather and the sky, describing weather and dressing for weather.
Materials. Plastic or digital thermometers, paper, pencils and shade. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Check thermometers. Choose sun and shade spots.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Ask, “Is it hot or cold? How hot?”
Explanation (10 min). Teach temperature.
Guided activity (10 min). Learners measure.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners compare.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. How hot? What is the number?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with real objects and safe, hands-on observation. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always say “how do you know?”. Keep to the safety notes, and use local, safe materials.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use real objects and pictures, short sentences and a partner. Let learners point, show or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example at home and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Higher number means colder.” Hotter.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Read a thermometer and compare temperatures. Enrichment. Look for one new example near your home or school, draw it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Next Generation Science Standards, Cambridge Primary Science and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Science curriculum, Grade 2 Unit 8, topic 2; Next Generation Science Standards, Earth systems and weather patterns (K-ESS2, 3-ESS2 foundations); Cambridge Primary Science Stage 2, Earth and atmosphere; IB Primary Years Programme, how the world works. These sources informed the lesson.