Telling Time: 5 Past

Overview

This lesson introduces year 2 students to telling the time “5 minutes past the hour” in alignment with the National Curriculum for England, specifically addressing the mathematics programme of study for Key Stage 1. Students will build confidence recognising the position of the minute hand and expressing time in spoken and written form for 5 minutes past any given hour. The lesson incorporates visual aids, practical activities, and differentiated challenges to meet the needs of all learners.

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National Curriculum Links

Mathematics - Year 2

• Measure: Time:
• "Tell and write the time to five minutes, including quarter past/to the hour and draw the hands on a clock face to show these times."
• Develops understanding of the minute hand position and its relationship to minutes past the hour.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, all pupils will be able to:

• Recognise and read the time “5 minutes past the hour” on analog clocks.
• Explain what “5 past” means in everyday language.
• Demonstrate understanding by drawing the minute and hour hands correctly.

Most pupils will be able to:

• Identify the time 5 minutes past different hours and verbalise it correctly.
• Compare “5 past” with other times on the hour to understand minute increments.

Some pupils will be able to:

• Write the time (e.g., 3:05) independently and explain the concept of minutes past the hour.
• Use their understanding to estimate and check times in real-life contexts.

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Resources

• Adapted PowerPoint slides from “5 past the hour.pptx” made simple and visual
• Individual clock faces (paper or plastic) with movable hands for all students
• Whiteboards and pens for writing times
• Large demo clock for teacher use
• Time-related flashcards (5, 10, 15, etc.) for introductory warm-up
• Worksheet for differentiated activities

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Lesson Structure (35 minutes)

1. Introduction & Warm-Up (5 mins)

• Activity: Quick recap of “o’clock” times. Use flashcards and the large clock face to review whole hours (example: “It’s 3 o’clock”).
• Engage students: Ask “What do you see when the minute hand points to the 12?” (Answer: o’clock)
• Introduce the day’s focus: “Today, we learn about time five minutes past the hour.”
• Show Slide 1 and 3 from the adapted PowerPoint: Display clear images showing minute and hour hands at “5 past”.

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2. Teaching Input (10 mins)

• Explain: Minute hand movement (each number = 5 minutes). Count together 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 corresponds to 5 minutes.
• Use the big clock to model: Move minute hand to ‘1’ (showing 5 past) and hour hand just past the hour number.
• Connect to language: “When the minute hand is at 1, we say it is 5 past [hour].”
• Highlight key vocabulary: minute hand, hour hand, past, five minutes. Use simple language.
• Show Slide 7 to ask, “What time does this clock show?” for different times with minute hand on ‘1’.
• Engage pairs to manipulate their clocks to show “5 past” different hours. Teacher circulates and supports.

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3. Guided Practice (10 mins)

• Activity:
• Students with their clocks practise setting times 5 minutes past given hours (e.g., 2:05, 4:05).
• Use whiteboards for students to write times their clocks show, encouraging correct digital notation (e.g., 3:05).
• Teacher calls out times, e.g. “Show me five past three,” students respond by setting clocks and writing times.
• Circulate and provide immediate feedback.
• Encourage pupils to describe what they see and explain in their own words (speaking & listening focus).

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4. Differentiated Challenge Tasks (7 mins)

• Support (SEN/Lower ability):

• Use clock faces with labelled “5 past” position. Instead of full hour, use numbered hour markers highlighted for focus.

• Work in pairs with adult support, focus on verbalising “5 past” only, drawing hands on pre-printed blank clock faces.

• Main task (Most pupils):

• Worksheet to match digital and analogue times showing “5 past” different hours and draw hands for given times like 1:05, 6:05.

• Encourage writing times independently.

• Extension (Higher ability):

• Challenge to explain why the minute hand on ‘1’ represents 5 minutes past an hour, discuss what 10 past would look like.

• Introduce a simple word problem involving 5 minutes past the hour (e.g., “If the bus arrives at 5 past 4, what time do you need to be ready?”).

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5. Plenary & Assessment (3 mins)

• Recap the main learning point: “When the minute hand is on the 1, it is 5 minutes past the hour.”
• Use a quick quiz game with the big clock (show time, pupils shout out the time).
• Ask 2-3 students to explain “5 past” in their own words.
• Informal assessment through observations of clock setting, writing, and verbal responses.
• Give verbal praise for effort and understanding.

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Adaptations and Considerations

• Language: Use simple, clear vocabulary; avoid overload of technical terms initially.
• Visual: Use high contrast, labelled clock faces and hands for clarity.
• Kinesthetic learners: Opportunities to move clock hands and physically interact with time concepts.
• EAL learners: Include sentence stems (e.g., “The time is ___ past ___”) to support speaking and writing.
• SEND: Provide 1:1 or small group support with adult guided practice on clock faces.

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Creative Extensions

• “Time Detectives” Game: Children find and photograph real clocks around the school showing 5 past any hour (using tablets or cameras) for follow-up lessons.
• Story Time: Create a short story about “Mr Minute Hand” visiting the ‘1’ on his journey around the clock, to integrate literacy and numeracy.
• Music & Movement: Sing a simple song or rhyme about the clock hands moving and stop when minute hand reaches 5 past the hour.

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This detailed, differentiated and curriculum-aligned lesson ensures children not only recognise and write “5 past” times but also contextualise them meaningfully in everyday experiences, consolidating core time-telling skills at Key Stage 1 level.