Year 4 · Autumn 1.2 · Step 4

Earth & Space

Use equipment: thermometer & stopwatch

Measuring temperature and time accurately, ready for the experiments to come.

Arrival Starter I do We do Independent Exit ticket

🌱 Seedling · Working towards 🌿 Sapling · Expected 🌳 Oak · Greater depth

⏱ Whole lesson ≈ 44 min · pick a tier in the bar, or leave on "All"

Arrival 4 min

Recap of last lesson: changes of state.

Recap: changing state

🌱 Seedling

Working towards

Melting is a ____ change.

🌿 Sapling

Expected

Name the four changes of state.
Which need cooling?

🌳 Oak

Greater depth

To test how fast ice melts, what would you need to measure?

Bridge into todaySoon we'll run experiments on melting and evaporation. First we need to measure carefully — today we learn to use a thermometer and a stopwatch.

Starter 5 min

Right tool for the job: temperature vs time. Safety: water not above 50°C.

Measure, don't guess

A thermometer measures temperature in °C (degrees Celsius). A stopwatch measures time. Scientists measure instead of guessing, and read the scale carefully at eye level.

🌱 Seedling

Working towards

A thermometer measures ____.

🌿 Sapling

Expected

Which tool measures how long something takes?

🌳 Oak

Greater depth

Why is measuring better than guessing in an experiment?

I do · 1 6 min

Teacher models. Watch how to read the scale accurately.

Reading a thermometer

▶ Can't see it? Watch "How to Read a Thermometer" on YouTube

Swap the clip: change the ID after /embed/ (now uLYAY-1bhBY).

Say thisRead the thermometer where the coloured line stops, looking straight on at eye level. Count the small marks to read between the numbers. °C means degrees Celsius. Keep water no hotter than 50°C for safety.

🌡️

Thermometertemperature (°C)

⏱️

Stopwatchtime

👁️

Eye levelread the line

We do · 1 6 min

Practise reading example scales together.

What does it read?

Read the line: 20°C · 35°C · halfway between 30 and 40 · start and stop the stopwatch

Model it

Find the numbered marks, count the small lines between, read where the liquid stops.

Take more than one reading so you can trust your result.

I do · 2 4 min

Play the animation. Bust: guessing is fine / read from an angle.

Read it at eye level

Read where the coloured line stops, looking straight on — °C means degrees Celsius.

Model the ideaLooking from above or below makes you read the wrong number, so read straight on. °C is degrees Celsius, not centimetres. Repeat readings make your data more reliable.

Watch for: reading the scale from an angle, guessing instead of measuring, and confusing °C with centimetres.

We do · 2 5 min

Which tool? Sort measuring jobs together.

Which tool for the job?

Decide together

"How warm the water is." "How long the ice takes to melt." "How hot the classroom is."

Which need a thermometer and which need a stopwatch?

Independent 10 min

On your own. Sort each job, then write at your tier.

Right tool sorter

🌡️ Use a thermometer

⏱️ Use a stopwatch

🚫 Myth to bust

Tap a card to sort it…

🌱 Seedling

Working towards

Sort the cards. Then finish: A thermometer measures ____.

🌿 Sapling

Expected

Sort them, then explain how to read a thermometer accurately.

🌳 Oak

Greater depth

Sort them, then explain why measuring beats guessing and what °C means.

Exit ticket 4 min

Answer at your tier, then hand it in.

Show what you know

🌱 Seedling

Working towards

What does a thermometer measure?
What does °C mean?

🌿 Sapling

Expected

How do you read a thermometer accurately?
Which tool measures time?

🌳 Oak

Greater depth

Why must water stay below 50°C, and why take repeat readings?