Tell Time to Minutes

Overview

Lesson 13 of 18 in the unit “Math in Our World.” Students build on their understanding of analog clocks and five-minute intervals to read, write, and show time to the nearest minute. They connect the positions of the hour and minute hands with digital time and use a clock model to explain their thinking.

Learning intentions

Students will be able to:

• Read and show time to the nearest minute.
• Identify the hour hand and minute hand.
• Connect an analog clock to a digital display.
• Use a.m. and p.m. to describe times of day.

Success criteria

• I can identify the hour hand and minute hand.
• I can count the minute marks correctly.
• I can read an analog clock and write the digital time.
• I can show a digital time on an analog clock.

Curriculum links

• Measurement and Data — tell and write time to the nearest minute.
• Measurement and Data — measure time intervals in minutes and solve time problems.
• Mathematical reasoning — explain how the clock hands show a particular time.
• Georgia Standards of Excellence/Common Core-aligned Grade 3 mathematics expectations for time measurement and problem solving.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–3 min · Hook and learning intention. Teacher opens with the opening clock mystery slide showing an analog clock and asks, “What time could this be, and how do you know?” Teacher shares the “I can” statement and briefly reviews that a clock has 60 minutes in one hour. Students make a quiet prediction, then identify anything they notice about the two hands.

2. 3–15 min · Mini-lesson and modeling. Teacher uses the color-coded clock modeling slides and a large demonstration clock to model the hour hand in blue and the minute hand in red. Teacher explicitly teaches the vocabulary hour, minute, hand, past, before, a.m., and p.m.; models counting each minute mark, explains that the shorter hand shows the hour, and connects examples such as 3:17 to an analog clock and digital display. Students echo the vocabulary, point to the correct hand on their own clocks, and respond to quick checks such as, “Which hand tells the minutes?” and “What number does the minute hand point to?”

3. 15–20 min · We do: Smartboard matching. Teacher opens the interactive matching activity and invites students one at a time to move the clock hands to match a digital time, then drag the correct time label to the clock. After each turn, teacher asks the group to explain how the minute hand was counted and whether the hour hand has passed its number. Students take turns, coach one another using the sentence stem, “The time is ___ because the hour hand is ___ and the minute hand shows ___ minutes.”

4. 20–25 min · You do: individual clock practice. Teacher distributes the five-question clock practice and assessment and gives each student an individual demonstration clock. Teacher calls or displays five times, allowing students to show each time on their clock before recording an answer. Students read or build five analog and digital times, including times that require counting individual minute marks. The teacher circulates, checking hand identification and providing immediate feedback without giving the answer.

5. 25–29 min · Independent assessment. Teacher directs students to complete the worksheet’s five three-choice questions, which include reading analog clocks and matching digital times. Students select one answer for each question and may use their demonstration clock as a model. Teacher quietly observes, notes whether errors involve the hour hand, minute hand, or minute counting, and asks individual students to explain one selected answer.

6. 29–30 min · Closure and check-in. Teacher returns to the success criteria and closing slide and asks students to show one time of the teacher’s choice on their clocks. Students state, “I can read time to the nearest minute,” or identify the part they still need to practice. Teacher collects worksheets and records the five-question result for next-lesson planning.

Resources

• the complete time-telling slide deck
• the five-question clock practice and assessment
• Large demonstration clock with movable hands
• Five individual demonstration clocks
• Smartboard or interactive display
• Pencils and colored markers
• Analog clock faces with a highlighted minute track
• Teacher observation checklist

Assessment

• During modeling and Smartboard practice, check whether students identify the correct hand, count minute marks accurately, and explain their reasoning.
• During individual practice, observe each student showing five times and record whether support is needed with hour-hand position or minute counting.
• Use the worksheet’s five three-choice questions as the exit assessment; aim for at least four correct responses, with errors analyzed by skill rather than score alone.

Differentiation

• For support, begin with five-minute intervals before moving to individual minutes. Provide a highlighted minute track, large uncluttered clock faces, and a consistent color code: blue hour hand and red minute hand.
• Offer hand-over-hand support when students move clock hands, then gradually release control. Use the sentence frame, “The hour hand is ___ and the minute hand is ___ minutes.”
• For students with dyslexia or reading difficulties, use large-print clocks, a clear sans-serif font, limited visual clutter, short oral directions, repeated demonstrations, and allow answers to be spoken before being written.
• For students ready for extension, ask elapsed-time questions such as, “A game starts at 2:18 and ends at 2:34. How many minutes did it last?” Encourage use of a number line or clock model.