My day: what time is it? O'clock times
Children learn to say what time it is on the hour and link times to their day. They read about Thiri's school day, read clocks, draw hands on blank clocks and write their own day.
At a glance
- From
- Level 1, Next Steps English: Week 14, Time and schedules
- Grammar
- telling the time
- Key language
- What time is it? It's seven o'clock. / I get up at seven o'clock. / have breakfast, go to school, have lunch, go home, go to bed
- Children make
- A clock-face worksheet and four sentences about their own day.
- Class size
- Works with 10 to 50 children; pair and group steps say how to scale.
Objective
By the end of the lesson children can say and read o'clock times from 1 to 12 and use "I... at ... o'clock" for five daily routines.
Success criteria for children
- I can say the time: "It's three o'clock."
- I can read a clock and draw the hands.
- I can say what I do at different times.
Timing: 60 minutes
| Minutes | Stage | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 5 | Warm-up: what's the time? | Ask what time it is now, using the real clock if there is one. |
| 5 to 15 | Teach o'clock | Show the short hand and long hand; say the times from one to twelve o'clock. |
| 15 to 25 | Clock practice in pairs | One child sets a time on a clock; the partner says it; swap. |
| 25 to 35 | Daily routines | Link five routine pictures to times with I... at... o'clock. |
| 35 to 43 | Reading: Thiri's school day | Read the text, draw the matching clocks and answer questions. |
| 43 to 55 | Worksheet: clocks and my day | Write the times on the clocks, draw hands and write about your day. |
| 55 to 60 | Exit ticket | Each child says a time and what they do then. |
Materials
- A large demonstration clock with movable hands (or draw one on the board)
- Small clock faces or paper plates with paper hands, one per pair
- Picture cards for five routines: get up, have breakfast, go to school, have lunch, go to bed
- One worksheet per child, a pencil
- Time (free, linked from Week 14)
- School subjects (free, linked from Week 14)
Before the lesson: Set the demonstration clock to 7. Check the numbers on the clock are clear and large enough for the back row.
Step by step, with teacher talk
0 to 5 minWarm-up: what's the time?
- Point to a real clock or your demo clock. "What time is it?" Take answers in numbers.
- Say the numbers 1 to 12 in order, then backwards, with fingers.
5 to 15 minTeach o'clock
- Show the long hand on 12 and the short hand on 7. "It's seven o'clock." Move the short hand to 8: "It's eight o'clock."
- Say "The long hand is on 12. The short hand says the hour." Children repeat.
- Point to a time and children say it chorally, then in pairs with the paper-plate clocks.
"The long hand is on twelve. The short hand is on seven. It's seven o'clock."
- The long hand is on 12 and the short hand is on 3. What time is it? (Three o'clock.)
- Is it nine o'clock or ten o'clock if the short hand is on 10? (Ten o'clock.)
15 to 25 minClock practice in pairs
- Pairs use paper plate clocks. One sets a time, the other says "It's five o'clock." Swap after five times.
- Walk round and check that the long hand is on 12 every time.
25 to 35 minDaily routines
- Show the routine cards one by one and say the phrase: "I get up." "I have breakfast."
- Match them to clocks on the board: "I get up at seven o'clock. I have breakfast at eight o'clock." Children repeat.
- Children choose a time for each routine for themselves and tell a partner.
"I get up at seven o'clock. What time do you get up?"
- Do I say "at seven o'clock" or "in seven o'clock"? (At seven o'clock.)
35 to 43 minReading: Thiri's school day
- Read the text aloud with the class once. Then children read it again in pairs.
- Ask the questions. Children find the sentence that shows the answer.
43 to 55 minWorksheet: clocks and my day
- Do the first clock together. Children complete tasks 1 to 3 alone. Walk round and check that hands are drawn with the short hand pointing at the right number.
55 to 60 minExit ticket
- See the exit ticket. Quick questions at the door.
Differentiation
Support
- Use only times from 1 to 6 o'clock first.
- Keep a number line from 1 to 12 around the clock on the board.
- Let children point to the clock and say only the number.
Stretch
- Add half past: "It's half past seven."
- Ask a partner "What time do you get up?" and write their answers.
- Write a timetable of five activities with times in a table.
Reading passage
Children read in pairs. Each sentence has a time.
My name is Thiri. I go to school every day.
I get up at 7 o'clock. I have breakfast at 8 o'clock. I go to school at 8 o'clock too, with my brother.
School starts at 9 o'clock. I have lunch at 12 o'clock. I go home at 3 o'clock.
I have dinner at 6 o'clock. I go to bed at 8 o'clock. Goodnight!
Questions
- What time does Thiri get up?
- What time does school start?
- What time does she have lunch?
- What time does she go home?
- What time does she go to bed?
Printable worksheet
Prints on its own A4 page. Use Print the worksheet above, or print the whole plan and the worksheet starts on a new page. One copy per child, or one per pair to save paper.
What time is it?
1. Write the time.
2. Draw the short hand. The long hand is on 12.
3. Thiri's day. Write the time.
- Thiri gets up at o'clock.
- School starts at o'clock.
- Thiri goes to bed at o'clock.
4. My day.
Answer key
Reading passage questions
- At 7 o'clock.
- At 9 o'clock.
- At 12 o'clock.
- At 3 o'clock.
- At 8 o'clock.
Worksheet
- 1: seven, nine, twelve.
- 2: the short hand points at 3, 6 and 10 (the long hand stays on 12).
- 3: 7, 9, 8.
- 4: answers will vary. Check the structure "I get up at ... o'clock."
Exit ticket
At the door ask "What time do you get up?" and "What time do you go to bed?" Each child answers "I get up at ... o'clock." Tick: both correct, one correct, needs help.
Homework
Draw your day: five clocks with times and a picture for each activity. Write "I... at... o'clock." under each.
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Start free with LitlingsMore lesson plans
- Level 1, Week 14: Time and schedules (the curriculum week this plan comes from)
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