L5 Temperature

Year 2 Spring Term Measurement – Lesson 5: Temperature Lesson Overview: In this Working Without Worksheets lesson, Year 2 pupils are introduced to temperature as a measure of how hot or cold something is. The lesson begins with a discussion of when and why we measure temperature, linking to real-life contexts such as weather, water, and body temperature. Children are introduced to thermometers, learning how to read the scale in degrees Celsius (°C) and recognising key benchmarks: 0°C as freezing, 100°C as boiling, and around 25°C as a warm summer’s day. Through hands-on activities, children measure room temperature, ice water, and warm water, then compare results, reinforcing understanding of higher and lower temperatures while developing accurate thermometer reading skills. What’s Included in the Pack? ✔ Full lesson plan with clear objectives, teaching notes, and plenary guidance ✔ Animated teaching slides introducing thermometers and degrees Celsius ✔ Starter: Explore what temperature means and when we measure it in everyday life ✔ Teaching input: Introduce °C, (0°C, 25°C, 100°C), and model thermometer use ✔ Main activity: – Measure classroom and outdoor temperature with thermometers – Measure ice water and warm water, predicting before testing – Record and compare findings to identify highest/lowest readings ✔ Plenary: Discuss which temperatures were higher/lower and link numbers to how they feel ✔ Guidance on misconceptions: misreading the scale, not recognising that thermometers measure both hot and cold ✔ Hands-on, practical, and worksheet-free Why Teachers Love This Resource ✔ Clear, real-life introduction to measuring temperature in degrees Celsius ✔ Practical investigations make abstract measurement meaningful ✔ Encourages prediction, estimation, and reasoning with results ✔ Tackles common misconceptions directly with visual and hands-on examples ✔ Fully aligned with Year 2 National Curriculum objectives and Working Without Worksheets pedagogy Curriculum Li