Introduction

© Michael Collier

Reflecting on Air

1. As soon as you have finished the investigation above, ask your students to think about the differences between measuring the temperature of water and the temperature of air. How are they similar and how are they different. You could ask them how they might measure the temperature of a solid material as well.

Teaching and Learning Focus

Your students now have an understanding of how a thermometer works and the way in which they can be use to measure temperature. In this investigation question, your students use a thermometer to measure and record the temperature of air outside and inside their school over a period of time.

Materials Needed

For each group:

Teaching and Learning Focus

Temperature Investigation Question 1 gave students experience with relative temperature (i.e. warmer, cooler). Your students can be very adept at observing things compared to one another, and observing changes. They may have less understanding about how conditions and changes can be measured using units. This investigation will help them understand that temperature can be measured using standard units (in this case degrees Fahrenheit and degrees Celsius.)

Teaching and Learning Focus

To introduce students to ideas about temperature, they first need to realize that liquids and gases can be warmer or cooler in different situations. This first investigation question is designed to help your students understand that air and water can exist at different temperatures.

Materials Needed

Introduction

Credit: Uwe W.

Reflecting on Air

1. Immediately following the investigations above, ask your students to share their drawings.
2. Begin with the cup investigation, and confirm that everyone drew or circled the same arrangement. (If different arrangements were chosen, ask someone to repeat those arrangements to test the wetness of the material in the bottom of the cup.)

Teaching and Learning Focus

Teaching and Learning Focus

In Investigation Question 1 students recognized that air affects other things, which is the result of the fact that it is matter. This simple procedure will help your students to understand that air is "something," that is, that like all matter it takes up space and can be contained. They will learn this by seeing that air takes up the space in a cup that is inverted in water such that objects in the cup do not get wet.

Teaching and Learning Focus

These first investigations of weather offer a set of experiences and thoughtful discussions to help your students understand that air is matter that can be experienced and measured. Some of the measurements and observations your students make will be similar to those used by meteorologists to forecast the weather.