Mathematics K–6 · Kindergarten
Our day in order: sequencing events and o'clock times
Measurement and space
The idea
The events of a school day happen in a fixed order, the days of the week repeat in a cycle of seven, and when the minute hand points to 12 the hour hand points to the hour.
Safety card
Hazards
- pegs can pinch fingers
Controls
- use plastic pegs and hang the string at learner height
Note
No chemicals or heat are used, so the NSW Department of Education Chemical Safety in Schools package is not needed; ordinary classroom supervision under the school's usual risk management.
What you need
- 6 photographs or drawings of the class's own day: arriving, morning tea, lunch, afternoon play, packing up, home time
- 7 day-of-the-week cards
- 1 geared demonstration clock (the hour hand moves when the minute hand is turned)
- 1 small geared clock per pair
- a length of string at learner height and 6 plastic pegs for a timeline
How to do it
- Peg the six pictures on the string in the order they happen, using the words morning, lunchtime, afternoon and night.
- Put the seven day cards in order starting from today. Say which day comes after Sunday and join the cards into a circle.
- Turn the minute hand of the demonstration clock slowly through one full turn while the class watches the hour hand.
- Set the clock to an o'clock time that matches a picture (for example 9 o'clock for the start of lessons). Learners copy each time on their own clocks and check that the minute hand points to 12.
- A partner shows a time on the hour; say the time and name something the class does then.
What you should see
The six pictures end in one agreed order, and swapping two of them (home time before lunch) gives a sequence the class can say is wrong. The day cards close into a loop of seven, with Monday after Sunday. One full turn of the minute hand moves the hour hand from one numeral to the next, so at every o'clock time the minute hand points to 12 and the hour hand points to the hour numeral. At 3 o'clock the two hands make a square corner, and at 6 o'clock they make a straight line.
What changes
This activity lists no variables to change, measure and keep the same.
Common misconceptions
Each of these ideas is wrong, and the activity is a chance to test it.
- The short hand shows the minutes.
- The hour hand stays still while the minute hand goes round.
Curriculum references
The NSW syllabus outcomes and Australian Curriculum v9 codes this activity supports. They are references, not a verified or complete curriculum alignment.
- Mathematics K-10 Syllabus (2022), NSW Education Standards AuthorityMAE-NSM-02MAO-WM-01
- Australian Curriculum v9AC9MFM02
Sources
The pages the author read to write this activity.