2nd Grade Telling Time to Five Minutes Lesson (Free PDF)
This time lesson for 2nd Grade covers telling time to five minutes (Common Core 2.MD.C.7), with a free PDF to print.
To tell time to the nearest five minutes, read the short hour hand first, then count by fives to the number the long minute hand points to. Write the hour, a colon, and the minutes, such as 3:25. Add a.m. for times from midnight to noon and p.m. for times from noon to midnight.
Grade 2 · Common Core State Standards: 2.MD.C.7
Key facts in this time lesson
- The short hand shows the hour and the long hand shows the minutes.
- Each number on the clock face is worth 5 minutes, so count by fives.
- Quarter past is 15 minutes, half past is 30 minutes, and quarter to is 45 minutes.
- Minutes are always written with two digits, such as 7:05.
- A.m. means midnight to noon, and p.m. means noon to midnight.
How do you read an analog clock?
A round clock with a face, the numbers 1 to 12, and two moving pointers is called an analog clock. Read both pointers together to know the time.
A minute hand straight up at the 12 means the time is exactly on the hour. This clock says 3 o’clock, written 3:00.
How do you tell time to the nearest five minutes?
One trip around the face takes 60 minutes. Every number is 5 minutes after the one before it, so skip count by 5.
- Find the stubby hand. Name the hour it has passed. When it sits between two numbers, take the smaller one.
- Find the slender hand and the number it touches.
- Skip count by 5 up to that number.
- Write the hour, then a colon, then two digits for the minutes.
Worked example. In the picture, the hour hand is just past the 3, so the hour is 3. The minute hand points to 5. Count by fives: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25. The time is \(3:25\), which we say as twenty-five minutes after three.
What do quarter past, half past, and quarter to mean?
| Words | Minute hand points to | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| quarter past | 3 | 15 |
| half past | 6 | 30 |
| quarter to the next hour | 9 | 45 |
A digital clock uses only digits. Digits before the colon give the hour. Two digits after the colon give the minutes.
What do a.m. and p.m. mean?
One day lasts 24 hours, yet the clock face counts only to 12, so every clock time comes around two times a day. Letters tell the two apart. The hours from midnight until just before noon are a.m. The hours from noon until just before midnight are p.m.
Getting out of bed at 7:00 is a.m. Sitting down to dinner at 6:00 in the evening is p.m.
Time lesson: questions and answers
Which hand is the hour hand?
The hour hand is the short one, and the minute hand is the long one. On most clocks the minute hand also reaches closer to the numbers.
How do I count the minutes on a clock?
Count by fives from the 12 to the number the minute hand points to. If it points to the 4, count 5, 10, 15, 20, so the time is 20 minutes past the hour.
Why is the hour hand sometimes between two numbers?
The hour hand moves slowly during the hour. At 4:30 it is halfway between the 4 and the 5. Use the smaller number as the hour.
What is the difference between a.m. and p.m.?
A.m. is for the hours after midnight and before noon. P.M. is for the hours after noon and before midnight. Breakfast is usually a.m. and dinner is usually p.m.
How do I write 5 minutes after 8 on a digital clock?
Write 8:05. The minutes always need two digits, so 5 minutes is written 05.
How to use this time lesson
Read the definitions first, then follow the worked method line by line and redo the example on paper without looking. When every step makes sense, move on to the worksheet, then check yourself with the quiz.
Download the time lesson as a PDF with the button below and keep it with your notes.
Download the time lesson as a PDF with the button below and keep it with your notes.
All Grade 2 chapters: Grade 2 math.
