Thinking in Celsius
The trick to becoming comfortable with the metric system is to not mentally convert to the old system. Instead, just get in the habit of thinking metric. Get a feel for what 22° Celsius feels like.
You already know that water freezes at 0° and boils at 100°. Here are some other useful temperatures to remember:
35°
Hot summer day.
Good day to go to the beach!22°
Room temperature.10°
Chilly fall day.
You might want to take a winter coat.-5°
Cold winter day.
Dress very warmly!
37°
Normal body temperature. 38°
Low fever. 39°
High fever. 40°
Dangerously high fever.
Seek emergency medical treatment immediately!
Ideas for teaching Celsius in the classroom:
Obtain an outdoor air thermometer marked only in Celsius. When students come in from recess, have them guess what the air temperature is in Celsius each day. Make it a contest to see who can make the closest guess. Do the same for inside temperature. (This might be extended to keeping a chart on the wall on which the class graphs the Celsius temperature over several weeks; perhaps each day it is someone else's turn to go outside with the thermometer and to record the temperature after the students have made their daily guesses.)
If possible, obtain a clinical Celsius thermometer which allows temperature to be taken in a hygenic manner by multiple individuals (e.g., an ear thermometer, or an oral thermometer on which the metal probe is covered with a disposable sheath). Take all the students' temperatures (in all likelihood, students will remember that 37° is normal body temperature far better from this hands-on experience than by simply being told that 37° is normal). This activity could branch out into: 1) discussing the fact that normal body temperature varies slightly from individual to individual, as well as according to the time of day; 2) discussing the concept of averages; 3) taking students' height and weight as well, and giving each student a "Metric Me!" card with temperature, height, and weight recorded.
