# Thermometers

Canonical: https://manipulatives.org/manipulatives/thermometers/

Temperature scales, including classroom models, for reading intervals and comparing changes.

![A classroom thermometer scale with evenly spaced divisions](https://manipulatives.org/_astro/thermometers.Cpwaeuom.svg)

Published: 2026-10-09
Reviewed: 2026-10-09

Topics: measurement, number-sense

## What they teach

### Scale reading

Work out the value of each interval between labeled temperatures.

### Negative numbers

Compare values above and below zero on an ordered scale.

### Temperature change

Distinguish a starting temperature from the increase or decrease.

## How to use them

1. **Name the scale.** Identify Celsius or Fahrenheit before reading a value.

2. **Count the intervals.** Find two labeled marks and divide their difference by the number of spaces between them.

3. **Describe a change.** Move a model marker from one temperature to another and state both the direction and size of the change.

## Try an activity: Cross zero

On a Celsius teaching model, begin at −3 °C and increase the temperature by 8 degrees. Trace the movement through zero to 5 °C, then describe the reverse change.

## Check the scale before counting

A thermometer may label every ten degrees while placing smaller marks between those labels. If there are five equal intervals between 10 and 20, each interval represents two degrees. Count spaces carefully rather than assuming each small mark means one degree.

Temperature and temperature change answer different questions. A final reading of 5 °C does not say how much the temperature rose. From −3 °C to 5 °C, the increase is eight Celsius degrees.

Use a teaching model for imagined negative temperatures or large changes. It can pose the mathematical question without needing to create those conditions. A number line beside the model helps connect temperature language with increasing and decreasing numerical values.

## Choose your toolkit

For symbolic practice, choose a large, readable model with a moveable indicator. The selected ten-pack contains working thermometers for indoor science observations. Use a teaching model or drawn scale for the imagined temperature changes above, and follow the instrument’s instructions for real observations.

- [hand2mind V-Shaped Dual-Scale Thermometers (Pack of 10)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZCHX89G) — Ten mercury-free, metal-backed thermometers with Celsius and Fahrenheit scales for indoor science observations and comparing temperature readings.

### Manipulatives app

The thermometer model is for discussing scale readings and temperature changes. Use a real thermometer when the task is to measure the temperature around you.

[Explore the app](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/manipulatives-hands-on-math/id6780701668)

## Related tools

- [Number Lines](https://manipulatives.org/manipulatives/number-lines/)
- [Teaching Clocks](https://manipulatives.org/manipulatives/teaching-clocks/)
- [Hundred Charts](https://manipulatives.org/manipulatives/hundred-charts/)