Converting Celsius To Fahrenheit
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Amaechi Onyeali Carter Elementary
5740 So. Michigan
Chicago IL 60637
1. As a result of the lesson students will be able to solve multiple step
equations involving addition, multiplication, and division.
2. As a result of the lesson students will be able to convert a known
temperature in celsius to an equal temperature in fahrenheit.
3. As a result of the lesson students will be able to accurately read a
thermometer in degrees celsius.
1. 6 thermometers in degrees celsius
2. 1 cup of hot water
3. 1 cup of regular water
4. 1 thermometer in degrees fahrenheit
5. calculators for each student
I opened my lesson with a short story. The story talks about me driving to my
doctors office on a hot summer day trying to figure out if the temperature had
reached 100 degrees fahrenheit. As I drove around all I could see were
temperature readings on banks in degrees celsius. Eventually I arrived at my
doctor's office. As we talked about the weather we both began to wonder what
the temperature was outside. I told him that the bank signs all showed 39
degrees celsius. However, a temperature in celsius does not really tell us if
it is 100 degrees fahrenheit. Thus we have created a problem that we need to
solve. Is 39 degrees celsius about 100 degrees fahrenheit?
Now you can present the formula developed by Anders Celsius in 1742. The
formula says that if you know a temperature in degrees celsius you can convert
it into degrees fahrenheit by: F=9/5(C)+32. To check and see if this formula
works, we will convert the known temperatures at which water freezes, 0 degrees
celsius, and at which water boils, 100 degrees celsius. They should convert to
32 and 212 degrees fahrenheit respectively. Students will then convert 10
celsius temperatures to fahrenheit in their cooperative learning groups.
Remember to follow your order of operations when solving these problems. Have
students go to the board and explain their answers.
Introduce students to the 6 different stations. Each station has a thermometer
in degrees celsius. Station 1 is outside, station 2 is in the back of the room,
station 3 in the front of the room, station 4 in the hallway, station 5 in a cup
of hot water, and station 6 is in a cup of regular water. Ask students to
predict which station is the hottest. Then list them from hottest to coldest.
Now allow students to travel to each station and record the temperatures at the
stations in degrees celsius. While waiting to go to the next station, students
will convert temperatures to degrees fahrenheit. After all groups have been to
each station confirm whether or not everyone has the same answer. Then see how
many people made the right prediction. After checking predictions and answers
use your fahrenheit thermometer to check the temperature of the hot and regular
water. You should come out with fairly accurate numbers.
To close this lesson you can take a briefcase with a three digit combination and
place it in front of the class. Tell them that you forgot the combination, but
you remember that you set it on a day when it was ___ degrees celsius. If they
can convert this temperature to degrees fahrenheit, they will have the
combination. Let students work in their groups and come up with their answer.
Give each group a try.
1. Students will read the temperature of 6 different thermometers in degrees
2. Students will convert 6 temperatures in degrees celsius to degrees fahrenheit
by using a formula.
3. Students will solve multiple step equations involving addition,
multiplication, and division.