In preparation of getting my students excited and ready to tell time in second grade, I created some hands-on, low prep centers!
Students in second grade have been exposed to telling time in 1st grade. The difference between 1st and 2nd grade is that in 1st grade, student tell time to the nearest hour and half hour. And in 2nd grade, students tell time to the nearest 5 minutes.
In my classroom, center time is after our whole group lesson which is broken into a warm-up, direct teaching, guided practice, and exit ticket. After this lesson model, my students have about 15 minutes for 1 center rotation.
The first center I implemented to get my students ready for telling time to the nearest 5 minutes, is Race to 500. The board starts at 5, counts by 5s, to 500. The spinner adds or subtracts in increments of 5s. Just add some mini-erasers or game pieces and your students will love it!!
The second center I implemented to get my students ready for telling time to the nearest 5 minutes, is Building the 500 chart. The "pieces" are just the numbers (by 5s) from 5-500. I use a pocket chart, and the students just put the numbers in order from 5-500. Simple enough!
It's really simple when you think about it. Gear them up for telling time to the nearest five minutes by incorporating activities where they have to skip count by 5s. The best way to get them learning is to do so by having them not even realize it!!
If you don't have time to make these centers, you can find it here:
