Content description: solve problems involving the duration of time including situations involving “am” and “pm” and conversions between units of time
Elaboration 1
E1: calculating the amount of time between 2 events, such as the start and finish of a movie, a bus journey or a flight, including cases where the starting and finishing times are written using “am” and “pm” notation
Worked progression: On Friday, 11:45 am to 12:25 pm is 15 min to noon plus 25 min = 40 min. For 10:50 pm Friday to 12:35 am Saturday, split at midnight to obtain 1 h 45 min. Students draw both timelines, label each jump and name the days. For journeys or flights, use times in the same stated local time; time-zone conversion is outside this lesson.
Elaboration 2
E2: converting units of time using relationships between units, such as 60 minutes in an hour and 60 seconds in a minute, to solve problems; for example, creating a daily timetable for an activity such as an athletics carnival or planning an exercise routine with activities and rests
Convert and create: 2 h 15 min = 135 min; 90 s = 1 min 30 s. Create a Wednesday timetable starting 10:45 am with a 20-minute warm-up, 35-minute relay, 10-minute rest and 25-minute long jump. Worked answer: 10:45–11:05 am; 11:05–11:40 am; 11:40–11:50 am; 11:50 am–12:15 pm. Total 20 + 35 + 10 + 25 = 90 min = 1 h 30 min. Require all start/finish labels and the calculation including the rest.
Elaboration 3
E3: exploring First Nations Australians’ explanations of the passing of time through cultural accounts about cyclic phenomena involving sun, moon and stars
ACARA’s public background names Nyangumarta use of the Sun for days and Moon phases for months. Read the ACARA account.
In the National Museum’s Sky stories, Wiradjuri astrophysicist Kirsten Banks links the Emu’s position with egg-gathering season. Read the named speaker’s public account.
| Pattern to discuss | How repetition can mark time |
|---|
| Daily light and darkness | Dawn, day, dusk and night return in a daily cycle. |
| Changing Moon phases | A similar phase returns after a lunar cycle; do not assume every calendar month has exactly that duration. |
| A seasonal sky pattern | A recurring position can help identify a time of year in the supplied account. |
Teacher asks: “What returns, and what interval can that return help identify?” Students label an observable cycle in words and give the People or speaker and source. The cultural accounts are specific, publicly attributed examples; do not present them as one calendar for all First Nations communities. Learn from authorised local voices when extending the discussion, and follow local protocols. Students explain the supplied observations; they are not asked to invent a cultural story or copy cultural artwork.
Expected reasoning: A returning pattern provides a marker for passing time. A bus journey’s exact minutes still require start/end clock readings or a timer; a seasonal indicator alone cannot provide those minutes.