Math lesson plan · 5th grade (Year 6 in England) · 45 minutes
24-hour times and durations, including overnight
Measurement
CCSS 4.MD.A.2England: Y6 Measurement
Objective and success criteria
Students will: 24-hour times and durations, including overnight.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: 12-hour and 24-hour clock; Elapsed time in hours and minutes, including across noon
Leads to: the next skill in this area.
Materials: Rulers, scales and measuring jugs, Clock faces, Conversion chart, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (12-hour and 24-hour clock; Elapsed time in hours and minutes, including across noon). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Write 1:05 a.m. using the 24-hour clock. Type it like 14:05. → 01:05Prompt: Morning times keep the same hour; write it with two digits.
- How many minutes long is a day trip that starts at 11:07 a.m. and ends at 1:42 p.m.? → 155Prompt: Count on to the next o'clock, then whole hours, then the minutes.
- A train leaves at 20:40. What is this on a 12-hour clock? Type it like 2:05 (it is p.m.). → 8:40Prompt: Subtract 12 from the hour.
Hook · 5 min
- Ask the class to estimate the length of the room or the weight of a bag before measuring it.
- Share the objective: 24-hour times and durations, including overnight. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 10 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: A night train leaves at 19:50 and the journey takes 5 h 10 min. At what time does it arrive? Use the 24-hour clock.
- Step 1: 19:50 to 00:00 is 4 h 10 min.
- Step 2: 01:00
- Answer: 01:00
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 10 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- A night train leaves at 20:35 and the journey takes 2 h 55 min. At what time does it arrive? Use the 24-hour clock. → 23:30Prompt: Count on to midnight (00:00) first.
- A flight leaves at 16:34 and lands at 20:23, same day and time zone. How many minutes is the flight? → 229Prompt: Count on to the next whole hour.
You do: independent practice · 10 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 5 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- A flight leaves at 13:42 and lands at 18:40, same day and time zone. How many minutes is the flight? → 298Prompt: Count on to the next whole hour.
- Write 15:33 as a 12-hour time with a.m. or p.m. What is the hour? → 3Prompt: For afternoon times, subtract 12 from the hour.
Watch out for
- Measuring from the end of the ruler instead of zero.
- Converting units the wrong way (multiplying instead of dividing).
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: 12-hour and 24-hour clock.
- Use concrete materials: rulers, scales and measuring jugs.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/math/grade-5.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder