In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb

They say that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Is there any truth to that? Let's find out!

To involve students in a scientific experiment, we'll start with a question, like "Will temperatures at the end of March be higher than temperatures at the beginning of the month?" Students will then make a prediction, or hypothesis.

To practice reading a thermometer, we can ask pairs of students to measure the temperature at a specific time each day (or the temperatures can be located online). Each student will record the temperatures (and perhaps the weather conditions too) on a calendar.

At the end of the month, we can create bar or line graphs to display our findings. My fourth graders are ready to find average weekly temperatures, but younger children may simply graph the five Monday temperatures for a great comparison.

I'm excited about trying this experiment in my classroom. And I'm thrilled to welcome Spring! Curiosity got the best of me, so I took a peek at the temperatures for the first few days of March. Brrr! Definitely fierce. C'mon, Spring!