Thermic Tablets

Different materials conduct heat at different rates—metal feels cold because it conducts heat away from hands quickly. This develops the child's thermic sense.

• Framework: Montessori
• Unit: Sensorial
• Learning area: Tactile Discrimination
• Level: Ages 4-6

Objectives

• Discriminate temperature-conducting properties
• Match materials by thermal sensation
• Develop thermic sense
• Understand heat transfer concepts

Materials

• Thermic Tablets: Pairs of tablets made from wood, metal, felt, glass, cork, marble
• Blindfold

Instructions

1. Place tablets on table. 2. Demonstrate feeling tablets with flat palm. 3. Note which feel warmer or cooler. 4. Blindfold child. 5. Present two tablets. 6. Ask: 'Which feels warmer?' 7. Progress to matching identical pairs by feel.

Educator tip

Explain that metal isn't actually colder—it just feels that way because it conducts heat away from our hands.

Assessment

Child correctly identifies relative warmth and matches pairs of tablets by thermal properties.

More from Sensorial

• Sound Cylinders
• Bells
• Smelling Bottles
• Tasting Bottles
• Mystery Bag (Stereognostic Bag)
• Geometric Solids
• Baric Tablets (Weight)
• Knobbed Cylinders