Compare Time on an Analog Clock

Bella the Butterfly is on the move today. Did you know that butterflies use their feet to taste? Their feet have sensors to locate food in flowers. Can you imagine tasting your food with your feet?

Do you remember how we use analog clocks? We are going to investigate time that is earlier and later than the hour. There is a lot of excitement in the forest as friends arrive to meet Bella for the Quuuuuuiiiizzzz Shooooow. Let the games begin!

Welcome to the quiz show. My friend Fox is ready.

The fox can outwit anyone telling time.

What does the fox know?

The time on the clock is 8:00. What would be the time 2 hours earlier and 2 hours later than 8:00?

Fox definitely has the answer. It’s 6:00 two hours earlier than 8 o’clock, and it’s 10:00 two hours later.

Fox had to subtract 2 hours from 8 o’clock to get the earlier time, and he had to add 2 hours to 8 o’clock to get the later time.

Let’s try to “stump” our next player!

Next up on the show is Bunny!

Bunny needs to finish eating her carrot before she can play.

What does the bunny know?

The time on the clock is 4:00. What would be the time 1 hour earlier and 1 hour later?

Bunny hesitates, but she’s got it! One hour earlier than 4:00 is 3:00. And one hour later than 4:00 is 5:00.

Raccoon, where are you?

Raccoon has a joke for you!

What kind of car does a raccoon drive? A Furrari.

Raccoon always has to be the center of attention!

What does the raccoon know?

The time on the clock is 12:00. What would be the time 3 hours earlier and 3 hours later than 12:00?

Raccoon is turning away. Oh, no, maybe he doesn’t know the answer! Wait a minute! He’s got it!

Three hours earlier than 12:00 is 9:00, and three hours later than 12:00 is 3:00.

This time was a little tricky because to find the earlier time, we had to count back 3 hours from 12:00, going to 11:00, then 10:00, and then 9:00.

You just can’t fool Raccoon.

Who’s next? Aww, that’s right. It’s Bella’s “deer” old friend.

Welcome to the quiz show, deer friend.

Oh, my deer! Deer doesn’t know if he can do this. But we all know that the gentle ways of our deer friend make him an expert at telling time.

What does the deer know?

The time on the clock is 2:30. What would be the time 30 minutes earlier and 30 minutes later than 2:30?

Deer takes his time. It may take him extra time, but he always has the answer!

If the time is 2:30, it would be 2 o’clock thirty minutes earlier and 3:00 thirty minutes later. Deer had to subtract 30 minutes to find the earlier time and add thirty minutes to find the later time.

Deer wants you to remember that taking your time to compare times is an excellent way to get the right answer!

My turn, my turn, my turn!

Squirrel is ready to go! She has squirreled away all her knowledge for this day!

What does the squirrel know?

The time on the clock is 1:15. What would be the time 15 minutes earlier and 15 minutes later than 1:15?

Awww, thinks squirrel, that’s too easy. He’s got it!

The time 15 minutes earlier than 1:15 is 1:00. The time 15 minutes later than 1:15 is 1:30, or half past 1 o’clock.

No surprises here. Squirrel knows the time.

Our final contestant for the quiz show is Bella’s friend Porcupine.

This may be a “prickly” question. Let’s not “poke” fun at Porcupine if he doesn’t get it right.

What does the porcupine know?

The time on the clock is 7:45. What would be the time 45 minutes earlier and 45 minutes later than 7:45?

Porcupine doesn’t know. This is un”bear”able.

“Did someone say Bear? Here I am! I can help Porcupine!” shouts Bear.

Porcupine is grateful to have a partner to help.

Bear knows the time. If the time is 7:45, it would be 7 o’clock 45 minutes earlier. Forty-five minutes later than 7:45 would be 8:30.

When we start at 7:45 and count 45 minutes around the clock, it is the next hour. The time is 8:30.

Whew, that was challenging! But we had a “bear”tastic friend to help us out!

Wait a minute. Our friend Owl is interrupting the quiz show.

Owl wants to quiz the audience! Do you understand how to compare times?

What does the audience know?

Here’s our last quiz question.

The time on the clock is 11:00. What would be the time 2 hours earlier and 2 hours later than 11:00?

Hootray! Owl wants you to know the answer. It’s 9:00 two hours earlier than 11:00 and 1:00 two hours later than 11:00. Notice during the later time, the hour hand passes 12 o’clock. If we start at 11 o’clock and count two hours later, we count one hour to 12 o’clock and then one more hour to 1 o’clock.

Wait a second! Owl wants to know “whoo” is the winner of the quiz show? Bella exclaims that we all are the winners!

Are you ready to have your own quiz show and compare time?

Bella the Butterfly and all her friends are so happy you joined their quiz show audience today. Good luck on your quizzes comparing time!

And don’t forget to take a bow.