What is time?
Time helps us measure the moments of our day. It tells us when things happen, like when we wake up, when we eat lunch, and when we go to bed. Time is always moving forward, from the past, to the present, and into the future.
- We brush our teeth in the morning.
- We eat lunch in the afternoon.
- We read a story at night before bed.
Understanding time helps us be organized and ready for our daily activities. It is a skill we use all day, every day.
Getting to know the analog clock
An analog clock is a tool with a round face, numbers from 1 to 12, and two important hands that move to show the time. It is different from a digital clock, which just shows numbers. Learning to read an analog clock is like solving a fun puzzle.
- The Face: The round part of the clock.
- The Numbers: They go in order from 1 to 12 around the face. The 12 is always at the top.
- The Hour Hand: This is the shorter hand. It moves slowly from one number to the next. It tells us what hour it is.
- The Minute Hand: This is the longer hand. It moves all the way around the clock in one hour. It tells us the minutes.
"Hour" and "short" both have the letter "o". The short hand points to the hour. "Minute" and "long" both have the letter "n". The long hand points to the minutes.
Telling time to the hour
When we tell time to the hour, we are looking for a special time called o'clock. You will know it is a new hour when the long minute hand is pointing straight up to the 12.
- First, look at the long minute hand. Is it pointing directly at the 12? If yes, then we say it is "something o'clock."
- Next, look at the short hour hand. What number is it pointing to? That number tells you the hour.
- You say the number and then add the words "o'clock."
- If the long hand is on 12 and the short hand is on 3, the time is 3 o'clock.
- If the long hand is on 12 and the short hand is on 7, the time is 7 o'clock.
- If the long hand is on 12 and the short hand is on 12, the time is 12 o'clock (noon or midnight).
Sometimes the short hour hand might look like it is between two numbers, especially near the end of the hour. But if the long minute hand is exactly on the 12, the hour hand will be pointing directly at an hour number.
How minutes move around the clock
The numbers on a clock do double-duty. They stand for the hours, but they also stand for minutes as the long hand travels around. As the long minute hand moves from one number to the next, five minutes pass. This is because we count the little tick marks around the clock.
When the long minute hand points to a number, we can skip-count by 5 to find the minutes.
- 1 = :05 (five minutes)
- 2 = :10 (ten minutes)
- 3 = :15 (fifteen minutes)
- 4 = :20 (twenty minutes)
- 5 = :25 (twenty-five minutes)
- 6 = :30 (thirty minutes)
- 7 = :35 (thirty-five minutes)
- 8 = :40 (forty minutes)
- 9 = :45 (forty-five minutes)
- 10 = :50 (fifty minutes)
- 11 = :55 (fifty-five minutes)
- 12 = :60 or :00, which is the start of a new hour.
Think of the clock as a number line that is bent into a circle. Each jump from one number to the next is a five-minute jump.
Telling time to the half-hour
The next special time to learn is the half-hour. This is when the long minute hand has traveled halfway around the clock. It points directly down to the 6. When the minute hand is on the 6, that means it is thirty minutes after the hour.
- First, look at the long minute hand. Is it pointing directly at the 6? If yes, it is half past the hour.
- Next, look at the short hour hand. It will be pointing halfway between the current hour and the next hour.
- To say the time, we say "half past" and then the hour that is just ending.
- If the long hand is on 6 and the short hand is halfway between the 2 and the 3, the time is half past 2.
- If the long hand is on 6 and the short hand is halfway between the 8 and the 9, the time is half past 8.
- If the long hand is on 6 and the short hand is halfway between the 12 and the 1, the time is half past 12.
At half past, the hour hand is not pointing directly at a number. It is always in between two numbers. This is a big clue that it is half past, not a full hour.
Writing time with numbers
Just like we can write words, we can write the time using numbers and a special symbol called a colon (:). The colon separates the hour from the minutes. This is how we see time on a digital clock, like on a phone or a microwave.
- The Hour: Write the number for the hour. For the first hour (1-9), we usually just write one number.
- The Colon: Write two dots (:) next to the hour.
- The Minutes: Write two numbers for the minutes.
- 3 o'clock is written as 3:00. The "00" means zero minutes because a new hour just started.
- Half past 3 is written as 3:30. The "30" means thirty minutes have passed since 3 o'clock.
- 9 o'clock is written as 9:00.
- Half past 9 is written as 9:30.
When you see 3:00 on a digital clock, you know the analog clock will have the long hand on the 12 and the short hand on the 3. When you see 3:30 on a digital clock, the analog clock will have the long hand on the 6 and the short hand between the 3 and the 4.
Checking your work: Analog and digital together
A great way to become a time-telling expert is to match analog clocks with digital clocks. They both show the same time, just in different ways. An analog clock uses hands, and a digital clock uses numbers.
- An analog clock with the long hand on 12 and the short hand on 4 shows the same time as a digital clock that reads 4:00.
- An analog clock with the long hand on 6 and the short hand halfway between 10 and 11 shows the same time as a digital clock that reads 10:30.
- An analog clock with the long hand on 12 and the short hand on 1 shows the same time as a digital clock that reads 1:00.
Learning both clocks is important! You will see analog clocks on walls in classrooms and train stations. You will see digital clocks on computers, watches, and in cars. Knowing both makes you a time-telling superstar.
Putting it all together: Our daily schedule
Now that we know how to read and write time, we can use it to talk about our own lives. We can describe our daily schedule, which is a plan of what we do and when we do it. This helps us see how time is a part of everything.
- 7:00 (7 o'clock): Wake up and get dressed.
- 7:30 (half past 7): Eat breakfast.
- 8:00 (8 o'clock): Go to school.
- 12:00 (12 o'clock): Eat lunch.
- 12:30 (half past 12): Play outside for recess.
- 3:00 (3 o'clock): Go home from school.
- 6:30 (half past 6): Eat dinner.
- 7:30 (half past 7): Take a bath and brush teeth.
- 8:00 (8 o'clock): Read a book and go to sleep.
What time do you do your favorite activities? Can you draw an analog clock showing the time you get home from school?
Common Core alignment: CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.MD.B.3 – Tell and write time in hours and half-hours using analog and digital clocks.
Notes for teachers
This lesson is aligned with CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.MD.B.3. This comprehensive guide breaks down the standard into its core components, introducing the parts of a clock, the function of each hand, and the specific skills of reading and writing time on both analog and digital clocks.
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