Time & Calendars
Read time to the minute, work out elapsed time, and understand AM, PM and 24-hour time!
Reading Time to the Minute
Each number on the clock face represents 5 minutes. Between each number there are 5 small marks, each worth 1 minute.
| Clock Number | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes past | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 |
| Clock Number | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| Minutes past | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 60 (= 0) |
"Past" the Hour
When the minute hand is on the right side (numbers 1-6), we say minutes past.
Example: 3:20 = "twenty past three"
"To" the Hour
When the minute hand is on the left side (numbers 7-11), we say minutes to the next hour.
Example: 3:50 = "ten to four"
AM and PM
There are 24 hours in a day. We split the day into two halves of 12 hours each:
AM
12:00 midnight to 11:59 in the morning
AM = ante meridiem (before midday)
7:00 AM = wake up
9:00 AM = school starts
PM
12:00 noon to 11:59 at night
PM = post meridiem (after midday)
3:30 PM = home from school
8:00 PM = bedtime
Working Out Elapsed Time
Elapsed time is how much time has passed between a start time and an end time.
Example: A movie starts at 2:15 PM and ends at 4:00 PM. How long is it?
45 minutes + 1 hour = 1 hour and 45 minutes
💡 Elapsed Time Strategy
- Jump from the start time to the next whole hour
- Then count whole hours to get close to the end time
- Finally add the remaining minutes
- Add all the jumps together!
Calendar Facts
Time Conversions
- ● 1 minute = 60 seconds
- ● 1 hour = 60 minutes
- ● 1 day = 24 hours
- ● 1 week = 7 days
- ● 1 year = 12 months = 365 days
- ● 1 leap year = 366 days
Days in Each Month
30 days: September, April, June, November
31 days: January, March, May, July, August, October, December
28/29 days: February (29 in a leap year)
"Thirty days has September, April, June and November..."
Knowledge Check
Choose the correct answer for each question. Questions get harder as you go!
1. How many minutes are in one hour?
2. What does AM mean?
3. The minute hand points to 4. How many minutes past the hour is it?
4. What is another way to say 4:45?
5. How many hours are between 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM?
6. How many days are in June?
7. It is 10:35 AM. How many minutes until 11:00 AM?
8. A train departs at 1:40 PM and arrives at 3:15 PM. How long is the journey?
9. A cake goes in the oven at 11:50 AM and needs to bake for 1 hour 25 minutes. What time does it come out?
10. Mia's birthday is on 15 March. She has a party exactly 3 weeks later. What date is the party?
Key Concepts Summary
- ●Each clock number = 5 minutes. Read time to the exact minute.
- ●AM = midnight to noon. PM = noon to midnight.
- ●Calculate elapsed time by jumping to whole hours, then adding remaining minutes.
- ●Know the days in each month and key time conversions.