I have noticed a trend that young students are having an increasingly complex time being able to read the time on a clock. I remember when I was young that it was not an easy feat. The hour hand and the minute hand could be easily confused. In addition, one needs to be pretty solid with their five’s timetables if they want to know how to read the minute hand. Reading the time on a clock is already tricky for the typical lower elementary student. Still, I think the difficulty has been magnified even more so in this generation due to the advent of the cell phone being used to tell the time. In the past, when a child asked their parent what time it was, the parent would show them their watch. If the student could not read the clock, the parent would usually give them a quick lesson, resulting in a teachable moment for the child to learn how to read the time on a clock. The parent might show their child their cell phone, which displays the time digitally. Like cursive, reading time on a clock may be a skill that is fading in everyday use, but it is still important to know because not all clocks are digital. As mentioned earlier, it is also good practice for the lower elementary student to work on the five’s times tables (for figuring out the minutes).

In this lesson, students will be in groups creating their own clock and telling time with the help of their teammates.

Materials: 

·      Play area

o   For a group of four, a classroom or even a big hallway might suffice

o   For a larger group, a larger play space like a gym is needed

·      One jump rope per four students

·      Twelve rubber disc dots per four students

·      Two different colored jerseys per four students

Minimum Number of Students Needed: You will need four students for this game. Larger classes should split their students into groups of four.

Age: Lower Elementary