What time is it?

Students will learn to recognize analog and digital clocks. They will also gain skills to tell time to the hour on both clocks.

A lesson plan for grade 1 Mathematics

By Alysia Baysden

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Related topics

• Learn more about hands-on, mathematics, measurement, telling time, and time.

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Learning outcomes

Students will gain the ability to tell time to the nearest hour on analog and standard clocks.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

2 days

Materials/resources

• manipulative clocks (teacher-made or student-made)
• digital clock for demonstration
• analog clock for demonstration (large manipulative)
• worksheets to assess the matching of analog and digital clocks showing the same time
• What Time Is It, Mr. Wolf? by Bob Beeson or other book about telling time
• flashcards with time to the hour written in digital format

Pre-activities

Review recognition and sequencing of numerals 1-12. Read What Time Is It, Mr. Wolf? by Bob Beeson as an introduction to telling time.

Activities

Day 1

1. Students will be introduced to the features and functions of an analog clock (face, minute hand, hour hand, numbers, second hand).
2. Have a working clock to allow students to observe these parts in motion.
3. Model telling time to the hour using a large manipulative clock showing numerous examples guiding students to understand the concept of “o’clock.”
4. Pass out individual manipulative clocks and have students practice showing a given time. (Show the correct answer on the teacher clock after attempts are made.)

Day 2

1. Review the parts and functions of an analog clock.
2. Review telling the time to the hour on analog clocks. (Have students come to the front of the classroom and manipulate the teacher’s clock to show a given time.)
3. Introduce a digital clock by showing a real working model. Allow the students to read and observe the numerals on the clock to note the way that it shows time to the hour.
4. Guide students through several examples to reinforce the two ways to show time to the hour.
5. The teacher will show some times in digital format and students will match that time on their analog models.
6. Students will use a paper assessment to assess knowledge gained in matching analog time to digital time.

Assessment

The teacher will use observation to assess knowledge when students are asked to show times on manipulative clocks.

Students will match analog clocks to digital time on a written assessment. (This may be in the form of matching written out times to clock faces.)