Spatial Requirements: Regular classroom setup: little or no space required
Activity Type: Movement/group
Grades: K-12
Group Size: 5 or more
Time: 5 minutes
Introduction: Utilizing time wisely is very important for accomplishing goals. Often time is wasted simply because we don’t keep track of it. This activity is designed to help students gain a better sense of time. They will improve their understanding of how accurate or inaccurate they are at keeping track of time.
Materials:
- Timer
Activity:
Have the entire class stand up and face you. Have everyone raise one hand in the air. Explain to them that the objective of the activity is to estimate when a certain amount of time has passed. Next, have them close their eyes. Tell them that they are to keep their eyes closed and when you say, “Start,” they are to try to guess when 35 seconds have passed. When they think the 35 seconds have passed, they are to put their hand down and open their eyes.
To let them know how close they were, silently count down the last five seconds with five fingers of one hand. When they open their eyes, they can look at you to see what the count is at that time. Then count five more seconds and have the people whose eyes are still closed open them. Briefly discuss how everyone did, then repeat the process again using a different increment of time.
For rounds three and four, have them repeat the same process, except during these rounds distract students by having them repeat words or phrases (pledge of allegiance, the alphabet, etc.). The point is to interrupt their internal timing process.
Processing the Experience:
- How did your guesses compare with the rest of the class?
- Were your guesses usually high or low?
- What method did you use to keep track of time? Did you change your method during the activity?
- Why is having a sense of time important?
- What are some consequences for wasting time?
- What strategies can you use to avoid wasting time?
- How is the wise use of time important to achieving your goals?