Teacher guide · Real Life Lab · Easier · about 30 min

🕒 Tell the Time

Pupils practise real life thinking and problem solving through "Tell the Time": O'clock, half past and quarter past.

Lesson guide

1. 1. Hook · 5 min

   Show the 🕒 mission title and read the opening: "The long hand is on 12, the short hand on 3. What time is it?". Take three quick guesses.

2. 2. Model · 5 min

   Think aloud through the first step together. Use Coin the Raccoon's line as your prompt: "Smart call. Money and time both count."

3. 3. Do · 10 min

   Pairs work through the 4 steps on screen or on the printed sheet. Circulate and ask "why?"

4. 4. Discuss · 10 min

   Use two or three of the discussion questions. Ask pairs to share different answers, not just correct ones.

5. 5. Reflect · 5 min

   Exit ticket: one sentence on how they used real life thinking today.

Discussion questions

• What was the hardest choice in "Tell the Time", and why?
• The long hand is on 12, the short hand on 3. What time is it — explain your reasoning to a partner.
• Half past means the long hand points to… — explain your reasoning to a partner.
• How many minutes in an hour — explain your reasoning to a partner.
• Where could you use real life thinking outside school this week?
• If you did this again, what would you change?

Adapting it

Support: Read prompts aloud, pair with a confident partner, and accept spoken or drawn answers for writing steps.

Stretch: Ask pupils to create their own extra step for a partner and explain the correct answer.

Curriculum links

• National Curriculum: Maths: number, calculation, fractions and reasoning (KS1/KS2)
• National Curriculum: Maths: money, measures and solving real-world problems
• PSHE: Living in the wider world: economic wellbeing — money, saving and choices
• PSHE: Health & wellbeing: keeping safe and everyday responsibilities