Year 3 - Maths
Tell and write the time to the nearest minute past and to
Tell the time to the nearest minute and compare units of time
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit pupils will tell and write the time from an analogue clock, including using Roman numerals from I to XII, and 12-hour and 24-hour clocks.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to tell and write the time to the nearest minute 'past' and 'to'.
Key Notes
- When the minute hand has gone beyond the 6, we count the minutes left to get to the next hour.
- The minute hand shows how many minutes past the hour it is.
- Between the hours on the clock face the scale also shows five minutes.
- After half past the hour we give the time as minutes to the next hour.
Vocabulary To Learn
- minutes past: How many minutes have gone by since the last hour.
- minutes to: How many minutes there are until the next hour.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- When showing times on clocks (for example drawing hands onto blank clock faces or manipulating mini-clocks with movable hands) pupils may not consider the position of the hour hand.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Solve this in steps: explain the method from this lesson and why each step matters.
When the minute hand has gone beyond the 6, we count the minutes left to get to the next hour. The minute hand shows how many minutes past the hour it is.
2. Use this key word in a maths sentence and explain it clearly. 'minutes past'
How many minutes have gone by since the last hour. Use this word when showing your method, then check your final answer is reasonable.
3. Spot and fix this common maths mistake.
Mistake: When showing times on clocks (for example drawing hands onto blank clock faces or manipulating mini-clocks with movable hands) pupils may not consider the position of the hour hand. Correction: Frequent exposure to both examples and non-examples (such as those in the slide deck) will help pupils to see that the hour hand will not be in an 'o'clock' position if it is ___ minutes to ___.
More Lessons In This Unit
- am and pm Study Guide
- Estimate and compare the duration of events and tasks Study Guide
- How many seconds in a minute Study Guide
- Know the number of days in each month, year and leap year Study Guide
- Tell and write the time including using Roman numerals Study Guide
- Tell and write the time to the nearest minute past Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 3 Maths guide library.