When there is any situation where an adjustment to the length of time for an instructional activity is needed, this relates to how the information is being delivered and learned. When teaching, it is critical to try and match the children's ability levels and primarily their attention spans. Writing and designing a lesson plan is a cooperative task. This means when the instructions are given, the child thinks, Oh yeah I can practice that! I try and model 20% of the lesson and let the children manipulate the balance of the time! This means learning by doing and experimenting with what the instructions are. The way my lesson plan format is laid out has been structured to allow for an extension or subtraction of time and review if necessary.
I realized that the simple concept of 5 minute units wasn't understood so far. I needed to buy some time to make sure this day wasn't wasted. Right now there will never be a better time to make sure they get it, the children are in possession of the learning tools of their clocks to make this a successful lesson. So I took the time from 12:55 - 1:15 which is Guided Practice and 1:15 - 1:35 Independent Practice combined for forty minutes instead of two twenty minute periods. I reviewed and modeled how the numbers from a digital clock display are converted to the hands of an analog clock. Showing clocks with the same time. Without any manipulative, a discussion about changing digital numbers to analog clock hands happens. The minute hand moves to each number in FIVE minute units, (times) twelve numbers and SIXTY minutes total, making one HOUR.
Then, I made it into an interactive lesson of students pairing up and quizzing the other about what time they were showing each other. It was not known, but I reviewed re-teaching what was taught before so the children could feel comfortable practicing with each other, their face partners and the table group.
The hour hand moves between the numbers in ONE HOUR units; there are twelve total. When thirty minutes have passed, count 5, 10, 15, etc., the minute hand will be on the SIX. The hour hand also has moved half way between numbers. This extension was successful and fun. In support of my strategy, children are more likely to lose interest and not pay attention when instructions are given from the front of the room. As was with the lesson of telling Time by Five Minutes, I knew it was important to not only define the terms to be used, but give the children something to manipulate which made the lesson kinesthetic as well as auditory. Introducing the lesson about associating the numbers on a digital clock face with an analog clock face with a time was met with blank stares. This is where a multi-step lesson plan gives the advantage.
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