Name
Temperature
The Ups and Downs of Measuring Temperature
Wendy Skies is an expert meteorologist. She keeps track of the temperatures in major cities all
over the country. Use your knowledge of subtracting positive and negative integers to calculate the
temperature changes on this page.
Part I: Look at each pair of cities. Refer to the map for the temperature in
each city. Write a number sentence to show the difference in temperature.
Then subtract to find the difference.
Philadelphia
25˚F
How much warmer is it in
1. Charlotte than Philadelphia? _________________
2. Miami than Atlanta? _________________
3. Philadelphia than Albany? _________________
4. Richmond than New Haven? _________________
5. Albany than Boston? _________________
6. Miami than New Haven? _________________
Number Sentence
–5˚F
New
Haven
35˚F
Richmond
Charlotte
30˚F
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
–10
–20
45˚F
Atlanta
Part II: Look at each temperature change below. Write a
number sentence and subtract to find the difference. Then
decide whether the change is an increase or a decrease
and circle the appropriate letter. To solve the riddle, write
each circled letter in the corresponding numbered blank.
Temperature
Change
0˚F
Albany
Boston
–10˚F
Increase Decrease
7. 68°F to 90°F
I
S
8. –4°C to 22°C
E
O
9. 3°C to –11°C
P
A
10. 48°F to 65°F
C
L
11. –10°F to 79°F
N
M
12. 62°F to –3°F
Z
C
13. –18°C to 8°C
E
R
14. 29°C to 2°C
B
Y
15. 21°F to 57°F
L
D
16. 49°C to 1°C
K
C
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
–10
–20
Miami
50˚F
What kind of bike does a Popsicle like to ride?
____ ____
9
11
____ ____ ____
7
12
13
–
____ ____ ____ ____ ____
10
14
16
15
8
Bonus Box: Select 3 temperature changes from the table above. Write a word problem for each pair of temperatures.
©The Mailbox • www.themailboxcompanion.com • June/July 2007
Answer Key for “The Ups and Downs of Measuring Temperature”
Part I
1. 30˚F – 25˚F = 5˚F
2. 50˚F – 45˚F = 5˚F
3. 25˚F – 0˚F = 25˚F
4. 35˚F – (–5˚F) = 40˚F
5. 0˚F – (–10˚F) = 10˚F
6. 50˚F – (–5˚F) = 55˚F
Part II
7. 90˚F – 68˚F = 22˚F
8. 22˚C – (–4˚C) = 26˚C
9. –11˚C – 3˚C = –14˚C
10. 65˚F – 48˚F = 17˚F
11. 79˚F – (–10˚F) = 89˚F
12. –3˚F – 62˚F = –65˚F
13. 8˚C – (–18˚C) = 26˚C
14. 2˚C – 29˚C = –27˚C
15. 57˚F – 21˚F = 36˚F
16. 1˚C – 49˚C = –48˚C
Riddle: ___
A ___
N
9
11
I ___
C ___
E - ___
C ___
Y ___
C ___
L ___
E
___
7
12
13
10
14
16
15
©The Mailbox • www.themailboxcompanion.com • June/July 2007
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