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Time Line

Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level Yellow starYellow star
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The majority of you answering this problem had very similar ideas. Some of you explained very clearly how you had worked out your solution. Emily from Aldermaston C of E Primary School said:

I think that the best way to solve 'Time Line' was to use logic e.g $6$ o'clock is a bit early to be up so it must be in the evening.
I looked at the times shown on the clocks and thought about what I did each day at the times shown. This is what I got:
$9$ o'clock: Start of School
Half past $12$: Lunch Time
Half past $3$: End of School
$6$ o'clock: Dinner

Well done, Emily. Jessica, also from Aldermaston, wrote:

I decided if it was am and pm first. I don't think that half past $12$ am is a very important time in Emma's day because she would be asleep, so then I decided it was half past $12$ pm.
1: At school Emma walks into her class room ready for her lessons.
2: Emma goes into the hall ready to eat her lunch.
3: Emma rushes into the playground to wait for her mum, because it is home time.
4: Emma's family sit down together at the table to eat their dinner.

Amber from Monkwick Junior School had a very similar description of Emma's day, but she thought that at 3.30pm, she might meet friends rather than go straight home.


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What Is the Time?

Can you put these times on the clocks in order? You might like to arrange them in a circle.

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The NRICH Project aims to enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners. To support this aim, members of the NRICH team work in a wide range of capacities, including providing professional development for teachers wishing to embed rich mathematical tasks into everyday classroom practice.

NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.

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