Clocks, am/pm and Duration: a week of ready-to-teach maths
Five days of lessons for Year 4 Measurement. Print this pack and the week is prepared: each day has a one-page plan and a student worksheet, plus cut-out clock cards and am/pm and 24-hour cards, a mini-check and every answer.
Start here: five minutes to Monday
- Skim the week at a glance on the next page.
- Print the five days. Each day is two A4 sheets: a plan and a worksheet.
- Cut out the two card sheets once; the cards are reused across the week.
- Open the free interactive unit on your board. Every plan tells you which picture to show and which buttons to press.
- Teach straight from the plan. Timings, talk prompts, misconceptions and answers are all on the one page.
No maths background needed
This pack is written for the busy generalist teacher. Each plan explains the idea in plain words, lists the misconceptions children bring, and gives the answers. Time is the one measurement that does not count in tens: 60 seconds make a minute, 60 minutes an hour and 24 hours a day. So durations are found by counting on in sensible jumps, to the next hour and then on, rather than by subtracting the way we subtract other numbers.
One day, one lesson
The five lessons fill a week of maths, one lesson of about 50 minutes a day. Run them in order: each day stands on the one before. Every plan marks a split point if your timetable runs two shorter sessions.
How times are written here
am and pm times are written like 7:30 am. 24-hour times always have four digits and no am or pm, like 07:30 and 19:30. Noon is 12:00 pm, or 12:00; midnight is 12:00 am, or 00:00. Durations are written in hours and minutes, such as 1 h 5 min.
The week at a glance
One lesson a day for a week. Each day stands on the day before, so run them in order.
| Day | Lesson | Children learn and do | On screen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Read the clock | Read and draw times on an analogue clock to five minutes and to the minute | Read the clock |
| 2 | am and pm | Place the events of a day between midnight and midnight, and label times am or pm | Morning or afternoon? |
| 3 | 24-hour time | Change am and pm times to 24-hour time and back, and read a bus timetable | 24-hour time; am/pm and 24-hour |
| 4 | How long? | Find a duration by counting on in jumps, including across noon, and find a missing start or end | How much time passed |
| 5 | Units of time | Convert between seconds, minutes, hours, days and weeks, and solve problems that mix them | Time units |
How the week builds
Day 1 makes sure every child can read the clock. Days 2 and 3 place a time in the day, first with am and pm, then in 24-hour time. Day 4 finds how long things take, the heart of the descriptor, and Day 5 converts between units so that answers like 105 minutes become 1 h 45 min. It builds on timing durations on a clock face (AC9M4M01).
Materials for the week (one trip)
- From the classroom: a geared demonstration clock, small paper clocks if you have them, and this pack printed.
- Optional: a real bus or train timetable from your area, and a stopwatch.
- Cut out once, use all week: the clock cards and the am/pm and 24-hour cards in this pack.
Words for the word wall
hour hand, minute hand, past, to, quarter, half, am, pm, noon, midnight, 24-hour time, duration, start, end, second, minute, hour, day, week
Dear families
This week in maths, Year 4 reads clocks, uses am, pm and 24-hour time, and works out how long things take. Everyday timetables and routines are perfect practice.
Try this at home
- Ask the time from a clock with hands, and whether it is am or pm.
- Read a 24-hour time together, from a phone, an oven or a timetable. What is it in am or pm?
- Work out how long a trip or a TV show takes: count on to the next hour first, then on.
- Ask how many minutes in 2 hours, or how many hours in 3 days.
My times this week
Fill one row a day. Write something you did, when it started and ended, and how long it took.
| Day | What I did | Start and end | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | |||
| Tuesday | |||
| Wednesday | |||
| Thursday | |||
| Friday |
Printed from the free seegongsik Time teaching pack · seegongsik.com/au/y4/measurement/AC9M4M03/pack
Read the clock
Children read the hour from the short hand and the minutes from the long hand, counting in fives from the 12 and then single minutes. They say each time two ways, 7:25 and 25 past 7, and draw hands for times given in words. The hour hand needs care: at 2:55 it is almost on the 3, but the hour is still 2.
We are learning to
- read the minute hand in fives and single minutes,
- read the hour hand, including when it sits between two numbers,
- read and draw times to the minute.
Success criteria
- I can read a clock to the minute and say the time two ways.
- I can draw both hands for a time.
You need
A geared demonstration clock. The clock cards (cut-out sheet 1), one set per pair. The worksheet, one per child.
Lesson flow (about 50 minutes)
| 10 min | Which hand? Set the clock to 3:00, then turn the minute hand slowly to 3:30 while children watch the hour hand. Ask: “At half past 3, where is the short hand? Why is it not on the 3 any more?” |
| 30 min | Read and draw Show the board (see the box). Children do Part A (read eight clocks) and Part B (draw four). Ask: “The long hand is on the 11. How many minutes past the hour is that?” |
| 10 min | Clock cards Partners take turns to read a clock card aloud both ways while the other checks. Ask: “At 2:55 the short hand is nearly on the 3. Which hour is it?” |
Two half-sessions instead? Split after Part A; start Session B with drawing hands.
Watch for these ideas
- Reading the hour from the nearest number: 2:55 read as 3:55.
- Reading the number the long hand points to as the minutes: on the 5 is 25 minutes, not 5.
- Mixing up the hands. The short hand is the hour.
Answers
- Part A: 4:10, 7:25, 11:40, 2:55, 8:05, 5:50, 10:17, 12:43.
- Part B: 4:15 (long hand on the 3), 6:40 (long hand on the 8), 10:55 (long hand on the 11), 12:30 (long hand on the 6). Clock cards: 1 3:00, 2 9:15, 3 6:30, 4 1:45, 5 10:05, 6 4:50, 7 7:35, 8 12:20, 9 2:10, 10 11:25, 11 5:55, 12 8:40.
Read the clock
A. Write each time
B. Draw both hands
am and pm
A day has 24 hours, from midnight to midnight, and a clock face shows only 12 of them, so every clock time happens twice a day. am marks the times from midnight to noon, and pm the times from noon to midnight. Children place the events of a school day on a day line and decide am or pm from the clues in a situation.
We are learning to
- know that am runs from midnight to noon and pm from noon to midnight,
- place the events of a day on a day line,
- choose am or pm from what is happening.
Success criteria
- I can say whether a time is am or pm, and why.
- I can explain why every clock time happens twice in a day.
You need
A demonstration clock, and a long strip on the board for a class day line. The worksheet, one per child.
Lesson flow (about 50 minutes)
| 10 min | Twice a day Set the clock to 7:00 and ask children what they are usually doing at that time. Expect two kinds of answer. Ask: “7 o’clock happens twice a day. How can we tell the two apart in writing?” |
| 30 min | My day Show the board (see the box). Children do Part A, marking each event on the day line, then Part B. Ask: “Lunch is at 12:30. Is that am or pm? What happened at 12 o’clock?” |
| 10 min | Noon and midnight Children do Part C, then add one event of their own to the class day line. Ask: “Is 12:30 am in the middle of the night or at lunch time?” |
Two half-sessions instead? Split after Part A; start Session B with the clues.
Watch for these ideas
- Thinking pm means after dark. 2:00 in the afternoon is pm too.
- Calling 12:30 at lunch time am. Once noon has passed, it is pm.
- Thinking am ends at breakfast. 10:30 in the morning is still am.
Answers
- Part A: Wake up 6:45 am, School starts 8:50 am, Lunch 12:30 pm, Home time 3:10 pm, Dinner 6:15 pm, Bedtime 8:00 pm.
- Part B: eating breakfast at 7:30, am; watching the sunset at 6:45, pm; a morning tea break at 10:30, am; a soccer match after school at 4:00, pm; asleep in bed at 2:00, am; the evening news at 7:00, pm. Part C: 12:30 pm at lunch time; 12:30 am in the middle of the night.
am and pm
A. Write am or pm for each event, then mark its number on the day line
| No. | Event | Clock time | am or pm? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wake up | 6:45 | |
| 2 | School starts | 8:50 | |
| 3 | Lunch | 12:30 | |
| 4 | Home time | 3:10 | |
| 5 | Dinner | 6:15 | |
| 6 | Bedtime | 8:00 |
B. am or pm? Use the clue.
C. Noon and midnight
24-hour time
24-hour time numbers the hours of the day from 00 to 23, so it needs no am or pm. Morning times keep their hour: 7:15 am is 07:15. Afternoon and evening times add 12 to the hour: 4:30 pm is 16:30. Noon is 12:00 and midnight is 00:00. Children change times both ways and read a bus timetable.
We are learning to
- change am times to 24-hour time, and pm times by adding 12 to the hour,
- change 24-hour times back, taking 12 from the hours 13 to 23,
- read a timetable written in 24-hour time.
Success criteria
- I can change times between am/pm and 24-hour time, including noon and midnight.
- I can read a 24-hour timetable and find how long between two times on it.
You need
The class day line from Day 2. A real bus or train timetable if you have one. The worksheet, one per child.
Lesson flow (about 50 minutes)
| 10 min | Count to 24 Point along the day line from midnight and count the hours aloud: 1 am is 01, and after noon the count goes on, 13, 14, 15. Ask: “After 12 noon the 24-hour clock keeps counting. What comes after 12?” |
| 30 min | Change it Show the board (see the box). Children do Part A, both ways. Ask: “12:20 pm: do we add 12? What would 24:20 mean?” |
| 10 min | Bus timetable Children do Part B from the timetable. Ask: “School ends at 3:10 pm. Which bus is the first one you could catch?” |
Two half-sessions instead? Split after Part A; start Session B with the timetable.
Watch for these ideas
- Adding 12 to an am time: 7:15 am is 07:15, not 19:15.
- Adding 12 to 12:20 pm. Noon is already 12, so it is 12:20.
- Leaving out the first zero: 24-hour times always have four digits, 07:15.
Answers
- Part A: 7:15 am is 07:15; 1:00 pm is 13:00; 4:30 pm is 16:30; 10:45 pm is 22:45; 12:20 pm is 12:20; 12:05 am is 00:05; 08:40 is 8:40 am; 14:15 is 2:15 pm; 19:00 is 7:00 pm; 23:30 is 11:30 pm; 00:30 is 12:30 am.
- Part B: 1. the 15:30 bus (3:30 pm); 2. 2 h 25 min; 3. 5:45 pm; 4. 08:15 and 09:40.
24-hour time
A. Change each time
| am or pm | 24-hour |
|---|---|
| 7:15 am | |
| 1:00 pm | |
| 4:30 pm | |
| 10:45 pm | |
| 12:20 pm | |
| 12:05 am |
| 24-hour | am or pm |
|---|---|
| 08:40 | |
| 14:15 | |
| 19:00 | |
| 23:30 | |
| 00:30 |
B. The Route 7 bus timetable
2. How long is it between the 09:40 bus and the 12:05 bus? __________
3. Write the 17:45 bus in am or pm time. __________
4. Which buses leave in the morning? __________________
How long?
A duration is found by counting on from the start in jumps that land on easy times: to the next o’clock, then whole hours, then the minutes left. From 9:15 to 10:20 is 45 minutes to 10:00 and 20 more, 65 minutes or 1 h 5 min. The same jumps cross noon without trouble: 10:50 am to 12:35 pm is 10 minutes, 1 hour and 35 minutes.
We are learning to
- count on from a start time to an end time in jumps,
- write a duration in hours and minutes,
- find a missing end time or start time.
Success criteria
- I can find how long from one time to another, including across noon.
- I can find an end time from a start time and a duration, and the other way round.
You need
A demonstration clock. The worksheet, one per child.
Lesson flow (about 50 minutes)
| 10 min | Jump to the hour Draw a line from 9:15 to 10:20 on the board and jump along it with the class, writing each jump above the line. Ask: “What is the easiest time to jump to first? How far is it from 9:15?” |
| 30 min | Jump lines Show the board (see the box). Children do Part A, drawing their jumps on each line. Ask: “10:50 am to 12:35 pm crosses noon. Does that change the way we jump?” |
| 10 min | Missing times Children do Part B: jump forwards to find an end, backwards to find a start. Ask: “To find when the train left, which way do we jump along the line?” |
Two half-sessions instead? Split after the first two lines of Part A; start Session B with the third.
Watch for these ideas
- Subtracting times like ordinary numbers: 3:00 take away 2:15 is not 85 minutes.
- Counting 100 minutes in an hour. Jumping to the o’clock first avoids it.
- Losing track of am and pm when a duration crosses noon.
Answers
- Part A: 9:15 am to 10:20 am: 45 min to 10:00 am, 20 min, so 1 h 5 min; 1:40 pm to 3:00 pm: 20 min to 2:00 pm, 1 h to 3:00 pm, so 1 h 20 min; 10:50 am to 12:35 pm: 10 min to 11:00 am, 1 h to 12:00 pm, 35 min, so 1 h 45 min; 8:20 pm to 9:05 pm: 40 min to 9:00 pm, 5 min, so 45 min.
- Part B: the art lesson ends at 3:25 pm; the train left at 9:45 am.
How long?
A. Draw your jumps on each line. How long did it take?
B. Find the missing time
Units of time
Time units do not go up in tens: 60 seconds make a minute, 60 minutes an hour, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Children convert by multiplying or dividing by these numbers, or by building up in steps: 150 seconds is 60 + 60 + 30, so 2 min 30 s. Then they solve problems that need a conversion on the way: a 1 h 40 min film from 7:30 pm ends at 9:10 pm.
We are learning to
- recall how seconds, minutes, hours, days and weeks are related,
- convert a time from one unit to another,
- solve time problems and give the answer in useful units.
Success criteria
- I can convert between units of time.
- I can solve a time problem that needs a conversion, including one that crosses midnight.
You need
The am/pm and 24-hour cards (cut-out sheet 2), one set per pair. The worksheet, one per child.
Lesson flow (about 50 minutes)
| 10 min | How many? Show “Time units” (see the box). Children answer each one on their fingers before anyone presses. Ask: “Why is 2 hours 120 minutes, and not 200?” |
| 30 min | Convert and solve Children do Part A, then the problems in Part B, using a jump line for any duration. Ask: “Sam sleeps from 8:30 pm to 7:00 am. Where would you jump to first?” |
| 10 min | Class game Pairs match the am/pm cards to the 24-hour cards, then run the self-check quiz as a class game. Finish with Part C. Ask: “Which is longer, 100 minutes or 1 h 30 min? How do you know?” |
Two half-sessions instead? Split after Part A; start Session B with the problems.
Watch for these ideas
- Using 100 for an hour: 1 h 30 min is 90 minutes, not 130.
- Writing a part of a minute as a decimal: 150 seconds is 2 min 30 s, not 2 min 50 s.
- Forgetting midnight in an overnight time: jump to 12:00 am first, then on.
Answers
- Part A: 120 minutes; 1 h 30 min; 72 hours; 2 min 30 s; 14 days; 75 minutes.
- Part B: 1. 9:10 pm; 2. 4 × 45 = 180 minutes, which is 3 h; 3. 3 h 30 min to midnight and 7 h more, 10 h 30 min. Part C: 100 minutes is longer, by 10 minutes.
Units of time
A. Convert each time
B. Solve each problem
C. Which is longer, 100 minutes or 1 h 30 min? By how much?
Clock cards
Cut out the twelve cards, one set per pair. Partners read a card aloud two ways, such as 9:15 and quarter past 9 (Day 1). On Day 4, turn over two cards and find how long from one to the other.
Teacher note: the times are in the Day 1 answers.
am/pm cards and 24-hour cards
Cut out the sixteen cards, one set per pair. Partners match each am/pm card to the 24-hour card for the same time (Days 3 and 5), then put the pairs in order from midnight.
am/pm cards
24-hour cards
Teacher note: in order from midnight the pairs are 12:15 am and 00:15, 6:00 am and 06:00, 9:30 am and 09:30, 12:00 pm and 12:00, 1:45 pm and 13:45, 3:00 pm and 15:00, 6:20 pm and 18:20, 9:00 pm and 21:00.
What we know: Time
- What time is it? ______
- Is 8:30 in the evening am or pm? ______
- Write 4:45 pm in 24-hour time. ______
- Write in am or pm time: 07:20 is ______ 21:05 is ______
- How long from 10:40 am to 11:25 am? ______
- A trip starts at 11:15 am and ends at 2:00 pm. How long is the trip? ______
- 3 hours = ______ minutes 150 seconds = ____ min ____ s
- A film starts at 6:50 pm and lasts 1 h 35 min. When does it end? ______
How did this week feel? Circle one: I can teach it · I am getting there · I need more help
Answers and marking guide
Answers
- 4:35, or 25 to 5.
- pm.
- 16:45.
- 7:20 am; 9:05 pm.
- 45 min.
- 2 h 45 min (45 min to 12:00 pm, then 2 h).
- 180 minutes; 2 min 30 s.
- 8:25 pm.
A quick three-level guide
| Idea | Working towards | At standard | Beyond |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and am/pm (Q1 to Q4) | reads the hour from the nearest number, or mixes up am and pm | reads a clock to the minute and changes between am/pm and 24-hour time | handles noon and midnight in both forms |
| Duration (Q5, Q6, Q8) | subtracts times like ordinary numbers | counts on in jumps to find a duration or an end time, across noon too | chooses jumps that make the counting quick and checks the answer |
| Units of time (Q7) | uses 100 minutes in an hour | converts between seconds, minutes, hours and days | solves problems that need two conversions |
Eight questions, three ideas. A child at standard reads any clock, places times with am, pm or 24-hour time, and finds durations by counting on in sensible jumps.
Weekly class record
Jot a tick as you move around the room; the mini-check fills any gaps. A tick a day is plenty.
| Name | Reads the clock | Uses am and pm | Uses 24-hour time | Finds a duration | Converts units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The five columns are the five days: the clock, am and pm, 24-hour time, durations, and units.