Family and Homeschool Activities: Temperature

These family and homeschool activities are designed to complement the Temperature topic on BrainPOP Jr.

Hottest Place on Earth

Where is the hottest place on Earth? Together with your child, research on the Internet or at the library to find the answer. What’s the hottest temperature ever recorded on each of the continents? Then find the hottest temperature ever recorded in your community. Compare the two temperatures. Would your child like to visit the hottest place on Earth? Why or why not? What would they bring with them? Your child may wish to research the living creatures who survive there. What special adaptations do the plants and animals have to help them withstand and thrive in the heat? What might a human do to adapt?

Morning, Noon, Night

How does the temperature change during the day? Record the temperature throughout different times in the day. You and your child may want to record the temperature outside every two or three hours or so. Then create a graph together to see how the temperature changed. What was the difference in temperature from the coolest part of the day to the hottest? How much warmer was it at noon than at eight o’clock in the morning? How does the temperature influence what your child wants to wear? Encourage your child to infer why temperature changes throughout the day and how the Sun’s position affects temperature. Experiment by recording the outside temperature in both sunlight and shade.