Time - Comparing time - Planning

In a Year 1 summer term lesson plan centred around the concept of time, students delve into comparing durations and understanding the vocabulary associated with time. The lesson begins with a recap of previous learning, followed by an introduction to key terms such as seconds, minutes, duration, longer, shorter, slower, faster, earlier, and later. Students engage in partner discussions to ensure they grasp the meanings of these words. The class then moves on to a series of activities designed to apply this vocabulary in practical contexts. For instance, children read about fictional races and use 'faster' or 'slower' to describe the outcomes, with the option to extend their learning by writing additional descriptive sentences in small groups.

Further activities include reading clock times and using 'earlier' and 'later' to complete sentences about train arrival times, as well as employing comparison symbols to express time durations. Students work collaboratively in small groups to time tasks and use their findings to construct sentences that compare durations using 'slower' and 'faster'. The lesson aims to address common misconceptions, such as confusing the concepts of faster and slower or misunderstanding comparison symbols. To conclude, a reflective 'Give me five' activity prompts students to consider what they have learned, the skills they have used, and any challenges they encountered. Differentiated tasks cater to varying levels of understanding, from working towards the expected level to greater depth, where students compare the races of multiple children and write multiple comparison sentences, fostering a deeper comprehension of time comparison.