🕐 Time - Grade 3
Understanding Time!
Time helps us know when things happen! We use clocks, calendars, and schedules to measure and organize time.
Units of Time:
• 60 seconds = 1 minute
• 60 minutes = 1 hour
• 24 hours = 1 day
• 7 days = 1 week
• 12 months = 1 year
• 365 days = 1 year (366 in leap year)
🕐 Match Analogue Clocks and Times
What is an Analogue Clock?
An analogue clock (also called analog) has a round face with numbers 1-12 and two or three hands that move to show time!
Parts of an Analogue Clock:
• Hour Hand - Short, thick hand (shows hours)
• Minute Hand - Long, thin hand (shows minutes)
• Second Hand - Very thin hand (shows seconds)
• Numbers - 1 to 12 around the clock
• Tick Marks - Small lines between numbers
How to Read an Analogue Clock:
- Find the hour hand - The short hand shows the hour
- Find the minute hand - The long hand shows minutes
- Read the hour - What number is the short hand pointing to or past?
- Read the minutes - Count by 5s where the long hand points
Minute Counting Guide:
12 → 0 minutes (o'clock)
1 → 5 minutes
2 → 10 minutes
3 → 15 minutes (quarter past)
4 → 20 minutes
5 → 25 minutes
6 → 30 minutes (half past)
7 → 35 minutes
8 → 40 minutes
9 → 45 minutes (quarter to)
10 → 50 minutes
11 → 55 minutes
💡 Formula: Minutes = Number × 5 (for each hour mark)
🔢 Match Digital Clocks and Times
What is a Digital Clock?
A digital clock shows time using numbers in this format: HOURS:MINUTES
3:45
↓ ↓
Hours : Minutes
Reading Digital Time:
4:00 → Four o'clock
4:15 → Four fifteen (or quarter past four)
4:30 → Four thirty (or half past four)
4:45 → Four forty-five (or quarter to five)
4:25 → Four twenty-five
Converting Between Analogue and Digital:
| Analogue Clock | Digital Clock | How to Say It |
|---|---|---|
| Hour hand at 3, minute hand at 12 | 3:00 | Three o'clock |
| Hour hand between 3 & 4, minute hand at 3 | 3:15 | Quarter past three |
| Hour hand between 3 & 4, minute hand at 6 | 3:30 | Half past three |
| Hour hand between 3 & 4, minute hand at 9 | 3:45 | Quarter to four |
✏️ Read Clocks and Write Times
Steps to Read and Write Time:
- Read the hour - Look at the short hand
- Read the minutes - Look at the long hand
- Write in digital format - HOURS:MINUTES
- Add AM or PM - Is it morning/afternoon?
Special Times to Remember:
12:00 → Noon (midday) or Midnight
:15 → Quarter past
:30 → Half past
:45 → Quarter to (next hour)
:00 → O'clock (on the hour)
Writing Time in Words:
Method 1: Say the hour, then the minutes
7:25 → Seven twenty-five
Method 2: Use "past" or "to"
7:25 → Twenty-five minutes past seven
7:55 → Five minutes to eight
🌅🌙 A.M. or P.M.
What Do A.M. and P.M. Mean?
A.M. = Ante Meridiem = "Before Noon"
(From midnight 12:00 AM to noon 11:59 AM)
P.M. = Post Meridiem = "After Noon"
(From noon 12:00 PM to midnight 11:59 PM)
A.M. Times (Morning):
12:00 AM → Midnight
6:00 AM → Early morning (sunrise)
8:00 AM → Breakfast time
11:00 AM → Late morning
11:59 AM → Just before noon
P.M. Times (Afternoon/Evening/Night):
12:00 PM → Noon (midday)
1:00 PM → Afternoon begins
6:00 PM → Evening (dinner time)
9:00 PM → Night time
11:59 PM → Just before midnight
How to Choose A.M. or P.M.:
- Think about the activity - When does it usually happen?
- Morning activities → Use A.M. (breakfast, going to school)
- Afternoon/Evening activities → Use P.M. (lunch, dinner, bedtime)
💡 Remember: 12 PM is noon (lunch), 12 AM is midnight (sleep)!
⏱️ Elapsed Time
What is Elapsed Time?
Elapsed time is the amount of time that passes between a start time and an end time!
\(\text{Elapsed Time} = \text{End Time} - \text{Start Time}\)
Methods to Find Elapsed Time:
Method 1: Counting Up
Start at the beginning time and count forward to the end time
Example: From 2:15 PM to 4:45 PM
2:15 PM → +45 min → 3:00 PM
3:00 PM → +1 hour → 4:00 PM
4:00 PM → +45 min → 4:45 PM
Total: 45 min + 1 hour + 45 min = 2 hours 30 minutes ✓
Method 2: Subtraction
Subtract the start time from the end time
Example: From 9:20 AM to 11:45 AM
Hours: 11 - 9 = 2 hours
Minutes: 45 - 20 = 25 minutes
Elapsed Time: 2 hours 25 minutes ✓
Method 3: Number Line
Draw a number line and jump from start to end, counting the time
Other Elapsed Time Formulas:
\(\text{End Time} = \text{Start Time} + \text{Elapsed Time}\)
\(\text{Start Time} = \text{End Time} - \text{Elapsed Time}\)
📖 Elapsed Time Word Problems
Steps to Solve:
- Read carefully - What is the question asking?
- Find the times - Start time and end time
- Decide what to find - Elapsed time? Start time? End time?
- Choose a method - Counting up, subtraction, or number line
- Calculate - Do the math
- Write the answer - Include hours and minutes
Example Problems:
Problem 1: Find Elapsed Time
Ravi starts his homework at 4:30 PM and finishes at 6:15 PM. How long did he work on his homework?
Start Time: 4:30 PM
End Time: 6:15 PM
Method: Counting Up
4:30 PM → +30 min → 5:00 PM
5:00 PM → +1 hour → 6:00 PM
6:00 PM → +15 min → 6:15 PM
Total: 30 + 60 + 15 = 105 minutes = 1 hour 45 minutes ✓
Problem 2: Find End Time
A movie starts at 7:15 PM and runs for 2 hours 30 minutes. What time does it end?
Start Time: 7:15 PM
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Calculation:
7:15 PM + 2 hours = 9:15 PM
9:15 PM + 30 minutes = 9:45 PM
Answer: The movie ends at 9:45 PM ✓
Problem 3: Find Start Time
School ends at 3:30 PM. If the last class was 45 minutes long, what time did it start?
End Time: 3:30 PM
Duration: 45 minutes
Calculation:
3:30 PM - 45 minutes
3:30 PM - 30 min = 3:00 PM
3:00 PM - 15 min = 2:45 PM
Answer: The class started at 2:45 PM ✓
🔄 Time Patterns
What are Time Patterns?
Time patterns are sequences where time increases or decreases by a regular amount!
Types of Time Patterns:
Pattern 1: Adding Minutes
Example: Add 15 minutes each time
2:00, 2:15, 2:30, 2:45, 3:00, 3:15...
Pattern: +15 minutes
Pattern 2: Adding Hours
Example: Add 2 hours each time
8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM, 4:00 PM...
Pattern: +2 hours
Pattern 3: Mixed Patterns
Example: Add 1 hour 30 minutes each time
1:00, 2:30, 4:00, 5:30, 7:00...
Pattern: +1 hour 30 minutes
How to Find the Pattern:
- Look at the first two times - Find the difference
- Check the next times - Is the difference the same?
- Identify the rule - What is being added or subtracted?
- Continue the pattern - Apply the rule to find next times
📅 Read a Calendar
Parts of a Calendar:
• Month Name - January, February, March...
• Year - 2025, 2026...
• Days of the Week - Sunday, Monday, Tuesday...
• Dates - 1, 2, 3... up to 28, 29, 30, or 31
• Weeks - Rows showing 7 days
Months of the Year:
| 1. January (31 days) | 2. February (28/29 days) | 3. March (31 days) |
| 4. April (30 days) | 5. May (31 days) | 6. June (30 days) |
| 7. July (31 days) | 8. August (31 days) | 9. September (30 days) |
| 10. October (31 days) | 11. November (30 days) | 12. December (31 days) |
Using a Calendar:
- Find the date - Look for the number in the calendar
- Find the day of week - Check which column it's in
- Count days between dates - Count forward or backward
- Find dates before/after - Move days forward or back
💡 Rhyme to Remember:
"30 days has September, April, June, and November.
All the rest have 31, except February alone!"
📋 Reading Schedules
What is a Schedule?
A schedule is a list or table that shows when activities or events happen!
Example: School Schedule
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8:00 AM - 8:45 AM | Maths |
| 8:45 AM - 9:30 AM | English |
| 9:30 AM - 9:45 AM | Break |
| 9:45 AM - 10:30 AM | Science |
| 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM | Social Studies |
How to Read a Schedule:
- Find the time column - Shows when things happen
- Find the activity column - Shows what happens
- Match time with activity - Read across the row
- Find durations - Calculate time between start and end
Questions About the Schedule:
Q1: What time does Maths class start?
A: 8:00 AM ✓
Q2: How long is the English class?
A: 9:30 - 8:45 = 45 minutes ✓
Q3: What subject is at 10:00 AM?
A: Science (9:45 AM - 10:30 AM) ✓
📏 Timelines
What is a Timeline?
A timeline is a line that shows events in the order they happen over time!
Events are marked on the line from earliest (left) to latest (right).
Example Timeline: A School Day
8:00 AM ──── 10:00 AM ──── 12:00 PM ──── 2:00 PM ──── 3:30 PM
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
School Break Lunch Sports Home
Starts Time
Reading a Timeline:
- Start at the left - This is the earliest time/event
- Move to the right - Events happen in order
- Read the labels - What happened at each mark?
- Check the scale - How much time between marks?
- Calculate durations - Find time between events
Timeline Questions:
Q1: What time was the break?
A: 10:00 AM ✓
Q2: How long between school starting and lunch?
A: 12:00 PM - 8:00 AM = 4 hours ✓
Q3: What happened after lunch?
A: Sports at 2:00 PM ✓
Creating a Timeline:
- List all events - Write them in order
- Draw a line - Left to right
- Mark equal spaces - For equal time intervals
- Label each point - Add time and event name
- Add a title - Tell what the timeline shows
📝 Important Formulas Summary
Time Conversions:
\(1 \text{ minute} = 60 \text{ seconds}\)
\(1 \text{ hour} = 60 \text{ minutes}\)
\(1 \text{ day} = 24 \text{ hours}\)
\(1 \text{ week} = 7 \text{ days}\)
\(1 \text{ year} = 12 \text{ months} = 365 \text{ days}\)
Elapsed Time Formulas:
\(\text{Elapsed Time} = \text{End Time} - \text{Start Time}\)
\(\text{End Time} = \text{Start Time} + \text{Elapsed Time}\)
\(\text{Start Time} = \text{End Time} - \text{Elapsed Time}\)
Clock Reading:
\(\text{Minutes} = \text{Hour number} \times 5\)
(For reading analogue clocks)
💡 Quick Learning Tips
- ✓ Hour hand is short, minute hand is long
- ✓ Each number on analogue clock = 5 minutes
- ✓ Digital time format: HOURS:MINUTES (3:45)
- ✓ A.M. = morning (before noon), P.M. = afternoon/night (after noon)
- ✓ 12:00 PM = noon, 12:00 AM = midnight
- ✓ Elapsed time = End time - Start time
- ✓ Count up method: Jump from start to end time
- ✓ Subtraction method: Subtract hours, then minutes
- ✓ Time patterns: Look for what's being added each time
- ✓ 30 days: April, June, September, November
- ✓ 31 days: January, March, May, July, August, October, December
- ✓ February: 28 days (29 in leap year)
- ✓ Schedules show when activities happen
- ✓ Timelines show events in order from left to right
- ✓ Practice reading clocks every day!