Week 09 · The Thermostat
Monday
Meet the thermostat
// A switch that feels the room
⏱ about 15 min
Monday: Meet the Thermostat
Rocket points at a small box on the hallway wall.
"What is that? It has numbers," he says.
Raven reads it. "It says 68. What do you notice when the heat turns on?"
Nova glows a warm orange. "Would you like a hint? That box is a switch."
A box that runs the heat
A thermostat is a small box, usually on a wall.
It is a switch that turns heating or cooling on and off.
It switches at one special temperature.
That temperature is the set point.
A parts tour
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Screen or dial | Shows the set point number |
| Buttons or dial | A grown-up changes the set point |
| Inside part | Senses how warm the room is |
| Cover | Stays closed. We look, we never open it |
THERMOSTAT TOUR
- Read the question.
- Tap your answer.
What is a thermostat?
What is the set point?
Who changes the set point?
Where does a thermostat usually live?
Try it
Find the thermostat with a grown-up.
Look at the number or the dial.
Stand still and listen. Is the heat or cooling running?
Do not press any buttons.
Look at the number or the dial.
Stand still and listen. Is the heat or cooling running?
Do not press any buttons.
Safety first
A grown-up stands with you at the thermostat.
We look only. We never open the cover.
We never touch wires or take the thermostat apart.
Only a grown-up presses buttons or turns the dial.
We look only. We never open the cover.
We never touch wires or take the thermostat apart.
Only a grown-up presses buttons or turns the dial.
Think about the parts tour and the safety box.
| Sentence | True or false? |
|---|---|
| A thermostat is a switch. | ? |
| The set point is the temperature it is set to. | ? |
| Kids may open the thermostat cover. | ? |
| Raven read the number 68 in the story. | ? |
WHY THIS EXERCISEKnowing the parts helps us see how the switch works.
STORY CHECK
- Read the question.
- Tap your answer.
Where was the thermostat in the story?
What hint did Nova give?
What did Rocket notice first?
MEET THE THERMOSTAT
- Tap a card.
- Then tap its spot.
1First
2Next
3Then
4Last
Draw your thermostat. Write the set point number on it.
You met a thermostat like a real engineer!
Tomorrow, we find out how it decides.