Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Frosty Flight Passport: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 5
- ForYear 5
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Frosty Flight Passport is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10). Children follow a plane from stop to stop and work out how the temperature changes each time, including temperatures below zero. It is screen free, needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help ideas, a stretch task and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children fill in a travel passport table with the columns Stop, Place, Temp, Change and Stamp. They work down the table in order and find each change from the stop before. Some temperatures are above zero and some are below, so children must think about direction as well as size. Numbered questions with space to answer finish the sheet, including comparing the whole column.
- Stop
- Place
- Temp
- Change
- Stamp
- Which stop was the coldest? Write its number and temperature.
Worked example: a fall across zero
A plane leaves a stop where it is 12°C. At the next stop it is minus 18°C. What is the change?
This example uses different temperatures from the sheet. It shows two ways to find a change that crosses zero.
Method 1: stop at zero- Draw a number line and mark zero.
- Count from 12 down to 0. That is a fall of 12.
- Count from 0 down to minus 18. That is a fall of 18.
- Add the two parts: 12 + 18 = 30.
- Start at 12 and jump down 10 to reach 2.
- Jump down 10 more to reach minus 8.
- Jump down 10 more to reach minus 18.
- Three jumps of 10 make 30.
Ways to build the skill before or after the sheet
Draw a giant thermometer
Draw a tall thermometer on scrap paper and mark every degree from minus 15 to 5. Ask your child to put a finger on one temperature, then move up or down as you say a rise or a fall.
Temperature cards
Write whole number temperatures on small pieces of paper, some above zero and some below. Pick two cards. Ask which is colder, then how far apart they are.
Floor number line
Use masking tape or chalk to make a number line on the floor with zero in the middle. Your child stands on a temperature and hops to the next one, counting each hop out loud.
Say it as a story
Ask your child to describe each change in words, such as "the plane flew somewhere colder and the temperature fell by this many degrees". Saying it helps them check direction.
Why use temperature to learn about negative numbers?
Temperature is one of the first places children meet negative numbers in real life. A weather forecast in winter often shows temperatures below zero, so the idea is already familiar. A thermometer is also a vertical number line, with numbers going up as it gets warmer and down as it gets colder. That picture helps children see that numbers continue below zero.
Finding a change is different from reading a temperature. Children must decide whether the temperature rose or fell, and then count how many degrees it moved. When a change crosses zero, it helps to split the journey into two parts. A travel context gives each change a reason, because the plane really does go from one stop to the next.
Cold facts for curious travellers
- Temperature is measured in degrees Celsius in the UK. This is written °C.
- Water freezes at 0°C, so zero is an important number on a thermometer.
- The Celsius scale is named after Anders Celsius, a Swedish astronomer.
- High in the sky, the air is usually much colder than it is on the ground.
- A passport stamp is a mark that shows a traveller has visited a place.
Skills and curriculum link
- Comparing negative numbers
- Counting across zero
- Finding a temperature change
- Using a number line
- Explaining your thinking
Ideas that help with temperature changes
- Zero is the turning pointNumbers above zero are positive and numbers below zero are negative. When a journey crosses zero, it can help to count to zero first and then count on.
- Rise or fallIf the temperature goes up, it has risen. If it goes down, it has fallen. Decide which one it is before counting the degrees.
- Colder means lowerOn a thermometer, the colder temperature is always lower down. Check each pair of temperatures by looking at which one is lower on the scale.
- Count steps, not labelsA change is how many steps you move between two temperatures. Count the steps on a number line rather than just looking at the digits.
Key words
- TemperatureHow hot or cold something is.
- Degrees CelsiusThe units used to measure temperature in the UK. It is written °C.
- Negative numberA number less than zero. Temperatures below zero are negative.
- RiseWhen a temperature goes up and gets warmer.
- FallWhen a temperature goes down and gets colder.
- ChangeHow many degrees the temperature goes up or down between two stops.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the table headings together. Ask your child what they think each column is for before they start.
- Let them work down the table in order, finding each change from the stop before. A number line or thermometer drawing is allowed.
- Ask them to explain how they found each change. Then check against the answers on page 2.
- Come back to the sheet another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Draw a vertical number line or thermometer from minus 15 to 5. Put a finger on the first temperature and count the steps to the next one. Say "up" or "down" each time, then write the change.
To stretch confident children
Add up all the rises and add up all the falls. Compare the two totals. Does the plane end warmer or colder than it began? Then make up a new journey with five stops and swap with a friend.
Make it a game
Make a stamp from a rubber. An adult can cut a potato stamp if you prefer. Press it on an ink pad and print it in the Stamp column as each row is finished. Race a sibling to complete a row.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child thinks minus 20 is warmer than minus 9 because 20 is the bigger number.
Try thisShow both on a thermometer. The one lower down is colder. Ask which is further below zero.
Watch forWhen crossing zero, a child subtracts the digits only, so a journey from 5 to minus 3 becomes 2.
Try thisCount to zero first, then carry on counting below zero. Add the two parts together.
Watch forA child writes the size of the change but forgets to say whether it was a rise or a fall.
Try thisAdd the words rise or fall after every answer, or draw an arrow up or down next to it.
Talk about it
- Which would you pack for a trip where it is below zero, and why?
- How do you know which of two temperatures is colder?
- What happens to the numbers as you move down a thermometer?
- How could you check a change using a number line?
- Why does it help to stop at zero when the journey crosses it?
- Can you describe the plane's whole journey in one sentence?
Take it off the page
Weather diary
Read an outdoor thermometer at the same time each day for a week. Write each temperature down and work out the change from the day before.
Make your own passport
Fold paper into a small booklet. Invent places, give each a temperature and stamp each page. Work out the changes between pages.
Human number line
Make a number line on the floor with tape. Call out a start temperature and a change, and let your child walk to the answer.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first row, then let them lead. Ask them to explain each change aloud. If they get stuck, draw a thermometer together. Praise careful thinking, not just correct answers.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity after teaching negative numbers in context. Needs only printing. Page 2 offers support and stretch for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print the sheet and pair it with a weather watch or a map of places you would like to visit. It can be reused for siblings or revision later, and it fits alongside geography and everyday talk about the weather.
Where this skill fits
Before this sheet, children meet whole numbers on a number line and count forwards and backwards in steps. They also read thermometers and compare temperatures that are above zero. These skills make it easier to picture what happens when numbers continue below zero.
After this sheet, children can use negative numbers in other contexts, such as money, floors in a building or height above and below sea level. In later years, they work with negative numbers in calculations. The National Curriculum for England covers this within the number and place value strand.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Frosty Flight Passport for?
It is written for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10), in Key Stage 2. Children who are secure with whole numbers and a number line can try it, and the support idea on page 2 can help others.
- What will children practise?
Children practise comparing negative numbers, counting up and down across zero, and finding a temperature change between stops. The winter travel setting gives each change a clear meaning.
- Does the sheet include answers?
Yes. Page 2 is for the grown-up and includes the answers, notes on how to use the sheet, help for children who find it hard, and a stretch idea. Keep it separate until your child has finished.
- What if it feels too hard?
Draw a vertical number line or thermometer from minus 15 to 5. Count the steps between stops, saying up or down each time. Work through the first row together before letting your child try alone.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it suits quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Writing answers by hand also gives children time to think and talk about their reasoning.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 helps with support and stretch.
- Is it free, and do I need colour printing?
Yes, it is free to print for home and classroom use. It works well in black and white on plain A4 paper, so no colour ink is needed. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.