'Calculating time' Tutor Notes

The Calculating time module introduces adding and subtracting times in hours and minutes, converting between hours and minutes and working out journey times. It is set at Basic Skills Curriculum Level 1 MSS1/L1.2 and MSS1/L1.3, including some reading of 24 hour clock times.

Please let us know what you think of the factsheets and worksheets at skillswise.feedback@bbc.co.uk

How does this tie in with the curriculums?

• England
  MSS1/L1.2 - Read, measure and record time in common date formats and in the 12 hour and 24 hour clock.
  MSS1/L1.3 - Know the relationship between units of time, e.g. 1 hour = 60 min; add and subtract times in hours and minutes; convert units of time, e.g. 70 minutes is 1 hour 10 minutes
  
• Wales
  As England.
• Northern Ireland
  As England.
• Scotland
  See www.aloscotland.com for details of the Scottish curriculum.

In the Skillswise module you'll find:

Calculating time factsheets
You'll find curriculum references in the top right corner of the factsheets.
There are three factsheets for this module, on 'print-out-and-keep' sheets:

• Factsheet 1 - Introduction and converting between hours and minutes.
• Factsheet 2 - Two methods for calculating with hours and minutes. 'Method 1' treats hrs and mins separately. 'Method 2' converts all to mins before performing calculation, converting back at the end.
• Factsheet 3 - Working out journey times from a timetable, using both methods.

Calculating time game
Play this comparing game to compare times written in hours and minutes.
There are 3 levels. The first two compare whole numbers of hours with numbers of minutes.
        E.g. is 3 hours more, less, or equal to 180 mins?
The third level compares times written with hours and minutes with minutes.
        E.g. is 1hr 30 more or less than 80 mins?
The game uses <, =, > signs to express the relationships. There are 10 questions and you get 2 goes at each one. You get 5 lives per game. You lose one life every time you get a question wrong after the second attempt. There are feedback pages at the end to let you know which you got right and wrong, and what the correct answers are.
Watch the 'How to play' for instructions if you need them. It will show you how the game is played. Hope you like it!

Calculating time worksheets
There are three worksheets in this section. Worksheet 3 has its own timetable sheet (that can be printed). All sheets have an answer sheet. You'll find the curriculum reference in the top right hand corner of each sheet. Each one is a printable resource to carry on the work learners have done online.

• Worksheet 1 - Converting between hours and minutes (both ways).
• Worksheet 2 - Add and subtract with times.
• Worksheet 3 - Calculate journey times using two timetables and co-ordinating journeys.

Technical help:

To get the most out of this topic area you need the following 'plug-ins':

• Flash
  The game in this topic section uses Flash. This is free to download and should only take a few minutes. You can follow the BBC WebWise instructions to download it to your machine.
  Find out more.

If you don't have Flash the same learning points are covered in the quiz and in the worksheets and factsheets.
If you are new to the web, why not try the BBC WebWise online course, Becoming WebWise? It's free, you can do it in your own time from any computer and it will take you through everything you need to know to use the web successfully in your teaching.
Get WebWise.

You can find out more about the technical requirements for Skillswise in our Help - Technical Information section.

Taking it further:

With Skillswise:

• There are 2 other modules on Skillswise about time.
  - Reading times and dates - reading common time and date formats, including 12 and 24 hour clock, and understanding associated vocabulary (MSS1/L1.2)
  - Timetables - reading timetables and planning journeys. (MSS1/L1.2, L1.3)
• The quiz in the 'Scanning' literacy module on Skillswise is based on reading a timetable. Follow this link and choose level B of the quiz to see it. The timetable is slightly larger and more detailed than the ones used in this module.
  Scanning Quiz

Visit the Skillswise Lesson plans section on Measuring (in the Tutor centre). Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find 4 lesson plans and lots more worksheets on Time set at Entry Levels.

Don't forget to visit Teaching inspirations for more ideas for teaching time.

On the web:

• The TV and radio listings pages on BBCi can be found at:
  www.bbc.co.uk/whatson/
  They can be used for planning viewing, working out programme length, video setting and converting between 12 and 24 hour clock times.

Do you know of any great online resources for practising calculating with time? Tell us about them!