🕒 Time and Calendar
Class 3 Maths · Unit 11 of 12 · about 130 minutes
Reads an analogue clock to the hour, half hour and quarter hour, then in 5-minute steps; uses a.m. and p.m. for daily events; finds how long an activity takes in whole hours; reads a calendar for days, dates and months; and orders events in time. Builds a sense of how long a minute, an hour, a day and a week are.
What your child will learn
- Students will be able to read and show time to the hour and half hour on an analogue clock.
- Students will be able to read time to the quarter hour and in 5-minute steps, using the 5s count around the clock.
- Students will be able to use a.m. and p.m. for daily events and order a day's events in time.
- Students will be able to find how long an activity lasts in whole hours or half hours, and estimate durations of familiar events in minutes, hours or days.
- Students will be able to read a calendar to find the day for a date, count days between dates in one month, and list months of the year.
Lessons in this unit
- O'clock and half past: Name the two hands, read o'clock times and half-past times on an analogue clock, and draw the hands for a given time.
- Quarter past, quarter to and 5 minutes: Count in 5s around the clock, read quarter past and quarter to, and read any time in 5-minute steps (e.g. 6:20, 8:55).
- a.m., p.m. and my day: Use a.m. for midnight to noon and p.m. for noon to midnight, attach a.m./p.m. to daily events, and order the events of a day on a timeline.
- How long does it take?: Find the duration between two clock times in whole hours or half hours by counting on, and estimate how long everyday activities take (seconds, minutes, hours, days).
- Reading a calendar: Read a month's calendar to find the day for a date and the date for a day, count days between two dates in the same month, know there are 7 days in a week and 12 months in a year, and name the months in order.
Key words
- hour hand / minute hand
- The short hand shows hours; the long hand shows minutes.
- o'clock
- When the minute hand points to 12, like 3 o'clock.
- half past / quarter past / quarter to
- 30 minutes after; 15 minutes after; 15 minutes before the next hour.
- a.m. / p.m.
- a.m. is from midnight to noon (morning); p.m. is from noon to midnight (afternoon, evening, night).
- date
- The day number in a month, like 15 August.
- duration
- How long something takes from start to finish.
Help your child at home
What to watch for
- Half past 4 is read as 'half past 5' because the hour hand is between 4 and 5.
- Help: The hour hand has not reached 5 yet. It is still 4-something. Half past 4.
- When the long hand is on 3, it is 3 minutes past.
- Help: Each number is 5 minutes. 3 means 15 minutes: quarter past.
- a.m. means 'after morning' or 'afternoon'.
- Help: a.m. is the morning half, from midnight to noon. p.m. starts at noon.
- From 4:00 to 5:30 is 1 hour 3 minutes (reading 30 as 3).
- Help: 4:00 to 5:00 is 1 hour. 5:00 to 5:30 is half an hour. Total 1 hour 30 minutes.
Try this at home
- Read 7 o'clock
- Quarter past 2
- Label Riya's day with a.m./p.m.
- School from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.: how long?
Quick questions to ask aloud
- The short hand points to 7 and the long hand points to 12. What time is it? (7 o'clock / 12 o'clock / Half past 7)
Show answer
The short hand shows the hour: 7. The long hand on 12 means o'clock. It is 7 o'clock. - The long hand points to 3 and the short hand is just past 6. What time is it? (Quarter past 6 (6:15) / 6:03 / Quarter to 6)
Show answer
Quarter past 6 (6:15). Count in 5s: 1 → 5, 2 → 10, 3 → 15. 15 minutes past 6 is quarter past 6, written 6:15. - Arjun eats dinner at 8 o'clock at night. How do we write this time? (8 p.m. / 8 a.m. / 8 noon)
Show answer
Night time is after noon, so we use p.m. Dinner is at 8 p.m.
Frequently asked questions
What will my child learn in "Time and Calendar" (Class 3 Maths)?
Your child will be able to: read and show time to the hour and half hour on an analogue clock.; read time to the quarter hour and in 5-minute steps, using the 5s count around the clock.; use a.m. and p.m. for daily events and order a day's events in time.; find how long an activity lasts in whole hours or half hours, and estimate durations of familiar events in minutes, hours or days.; read a calendar to find the day for a date, count days between dates in one month, and list months of the year..
How does MangoMindz teach "Time and Calendar"?
In 5 short parts (O'clock and half past, Quarter past, quarter to and 5 minutes, a.m., p.m. and my day, How long does it take?, Reading a calendar). Each part has a picture-based lesson read aloud by Mango Teacher, a quick check, and a quiz built from common mistakes children make, with Mango, a study buddy, for questions.
How long does "Time and Calendar" take?
About 130 minutes in total, spread over 5 parts of 15–25 minutes each.
How can I help my child with "Time and Calendar" at home?
Work through a small example together, such as: Read 7 o'clock; Quarter past 2. Then ask a quick question aloud: The short hand points to 7 and the long hand points to 12. What time is it? (7 o'clock / 12 o'clock / Half past 7)
What mistakes do children often make in "Time and Calendar"?
Half past 4 is read as 'half past 5' because the hour hand is between 4 and 5. Fix: The hour hand has not reached 5 yet. It is still 4-something. Half past 4. When the long hand is on 3, it is 3 minutes past. Fix: Each number is 5 minutes. 3 means 15 minutes: quarter past. a.m. means 'after morning' or 'afternoon'. Fix: a.m. is the morning half, from midnight to noon. p.m. starts at noon.
Is "Time and Calendar" free on MangoMindz?
Yes. Every lesson part and quiz in "Time and Calendar" is free on MangoMindz, with no ads.