Chapter 13: Time Goes On

Tick-tock, tick-tock , the clock never stops. Sunrise, breakfast, school, lunch, play, sleep , our day follows the clock. In this chapter, we learn to read the clock and the calendar.

What we'll learn

• Read time on a clock with hands.
• Tell time in hours and minutes.
• Know the days of the week and months of the year.
• Use a calendar to find dates.
• Measure how long an activity takes.

The big idea

A clock has two hands. The short hand shows the hour. The long hand shows the minutes. There are 12 numbers on the dial. When the long hand points to 12, we say "o'clock". When it points to 6, it is "half past".

There are 60 minutes in 1 hour. There are 24 hours in 1 day. A day has morning, afternoon, evening and night. The sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening , that is one full day.

A week has 7 days , Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. A month has about 4 weeks (28 to 31 days). A year has 12 months , January to December.

The calendar is a chart of dates. Each square holds one date. We can find when Diwali falls, when school reopens, or how many days until a birthday.

Let's explore

Clock draw. Draw a circle with 12 numbers. Draw hands to show 3 o'clock, then 9 o'clock.

My day chart. List 5 things you do every day with the time. Wake up at 7, breakfast at 8, school at 9, lunch at 1, sleep at 9.

Calendar peek. Open a calendar. Find today's date. Find what day this month started on. Count the Sundays in this month.

One-minute test. Sit quietly for 1 minute. How many times can you blink? How many times can you write your name?

Worked examples

Example 1. The short hand is on 4 and the long hand is on 12. What time is it?

• Long hand on 12 means "o'clock".
• Short hand on 4 means 4 hours.
• Time: 4 o'clock.

Example 2. A school day starts at 8 o'clock and ends at 2 o'clock. How many hours is the school day?

• From 8 to 2 we count: 9, 10, 11, 12, 1, 2.
• That is 6 hours.

Example 3. Today is Tuesday, 8 March. What day is 15 March?

• 15 − 8 = 7.
• 7 days later is the same day of the week.
• 15 March is also a Tuesday.

Quick check

1. How many minutes are in 1 hour?
2. How many days in a week?
3. What time is shown if the short hand is on 6 and long hand on 12?
4. Name the months of the year in order (any 6).
5. How many days does February usually have?

Recap

• A clock has hour and minute hands.
• 60 minutes = 1 hour. 24 hours = 1 day.
• A calendar helps us track days, weeks and months.