Time Travelers Anchor Chart Time Travelers Guide
Mastering the Art of Telling Time & Measuring Intervals
1 Reading the Hands
12 3 6 9
Short Hand: Hour
Long Hand: Minute
"The Hour hand is short,
2 Counting Minutes
Step 1: Start at 12.
Step 2: Count by 5s for each number.
Step 3: Count by 1s for small marks.
51015202530...
3 Elapsed Time Strategy
"How much time has passed?"
1 hr
Mountains
Jumps of 1 hour.
5-10m
Hills
Jumps of 5 or 10 minutes.
1m
Rocks
Jumps of 1 minute.
Example Number Line:
2:00 3:12
1 Hour
10m
2m
Word
Elapsed Time
Definition
The amount of time that has passed.
Think
"Start Time" "End Time"
Time Travelers Task Cards 1
Mission: Tell Time
What time is shown on this clock?
12 3 6 9
Time Traveler Challenge
2
Mission: Tell Time
What time is shown on this clock?
12 3 6 9
Time Traveler Challenge
3
Mission: Elapsed Time
A spaceship departs at 2:15 PM. It arrives at 3:45 PM.
How much time has passed?
Use Mountains, Hills, and Rocks!
4
Mission: Elapsed Time
Commander Cora started her spacewalk at 10:05 AM. She finished at 11:12 AM.
How many minutes long was her spacewalk?
Use a number line!
5
Mission: Tell Time
What time is shown on this clock?
12 3 6 9
Look closely at the hour hand!
6
Mission: Tell Time
What time is shown on this clock?
12 3 6 9
Remember the leading zero!
7
Mission: Elapsed Time
A time travel jump started at 7:40 AM. It took 55 minutes to complete.
What time was the jump finished?
Jump your hills and rocks!
8
Mission: Elapsed Time
The dinosaur museum opens at 9:30 AM. Leo arrived at 11:15 AM.
How long did the museum have been open before Leo arrived?
Break it into hours and minutes.
Time Travelers Recording Sheet Time Travelers Mission Log
Record your findings as you travel through time!
Name:
Date:
1 Tell Time
:
2 Tell Time
:
3 Elapsed Time Mission
Show your Mountains, Hills, and Rocks:
Answer:
4 Elapsed Time Mission
Show your work on the number line:
Answer:
5 Tell Time
:
6 Tell Time
:
7 Elapsed Time Mission
Draw your jumps:
Answer:
8 Elapsed Time Mission
Show your work:
Answer:
Mission Completed? Re-check your jumps and hour hands!
Time Travelers Facilitation Guide Facilitation Guide
Tier 2 Intervention: 3.MD.1
Lesson: Time Travelers Mission
Learning Objective
Students will tell and write time to the nearest minute and solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of time intervals in minutes using number line diagrams.
Essential Vocabulary
• Elapsed Time: Duration
• Interval: Space between times
• Analog: Clock with hands
• Digital: Clock with numbers
Materials Needed
• Time Travelers Anchor Chart
• Task Cards (1-8) & Recording Sheet
• Time Travelers Exit Ticket
• Answer Key (Mission Control)
Common Pitfalls
Hour Hand Drift
Misreading the hour when the minute hand is near the 12 (e.g., calling 1:55 "2:55").
Base-10 Thinking
Attempting to subtract time using standard regrouping (thinking 1 hour = 100 mins).
Zero Placeholders
Omitting the '0' in single-digit minutes (e.g., writing 4:5 instead of 4:05).
Instructional Routine
1
Anchor Chart Mini-Lesson (5-7 mins)
Display the Time Travelers Guide . Direct students' attention to the color-coded hands.
"Travelers, notice the hour hand. It's short because it travels slowly. The minute hand is long because it zooms around! When we tell time, we always check the hour hand first."
Review the Mountains, Hills, and Rocks strategy. Model a jump from 1:10 to 2:25 on the board using the vocabulary.
2
Guided & Independent Mission (20 mins)
Complete Task Card #1 and Task Card #3 together, then allow students to work through the set using their Recording Sheets.
Scaffolding Prompt
"Can you show me your first jump to the next hour or half-hour?"
Observational Focus
Watch for students who restart their count from 1 at the 12 o'clock mark.
3
Mission Debrief (5 mins)
Distribute the Time Travelers Exit Ticket . Use this for individual data collection.
Closing Reflection:
"Travelers, which was more difficult today: telling time to the exact minute or calculating how long a journey lasted? Why?"
© 2026 Time Travelers Intervention System • NC Standard 3.MD.1
Time Travelers Answer Key Verified
Mission Control
Answer Key & Verification Guide
Task Cards: Analog
Card Time Check for... #1 3:17 Counting by 1s after 15. #2 8:42 Counting by 1s after 40. #5 11:59 Hour hand proximity to 12. #6 6:04 The "0" placeholder.
Task Cards: Intervals
Card Duration Strategy #3 1 hr 30 mins 1 Mountain, 3 Hills #4 67 mins 1 Mountain, 7 Rocks #7 8:35 AM End time (crossing hour) #8 1 hr 45 mins 1 M, 4 H, 1 R
Exit Ticket Key
1
Correct Time
4:38
2
Correct Duration
50 minutes
Quick Correction Prompts
Problem #5 (11:59)
"Is that hour hand exactly on the 12, or is it still a tiny bit before it?"
Problem #7 (Crossing 8:00)
"How many minutes from 7:40 until you reach the next O'Clock?"
Digital Notation
"If there are only 4 minutes, how do we write that in the minute spot?"
© 2026 Time Travelers Intervention • NC Standard 3.MD.1 • Tier 2 Intervention Support
Time Travelers Exit Ticket Mission Report: Exit Ticket
Final Jump Check
Did you land at the right time?
Name:
Date:
1
What time is shown on the clock?
12 3 6 9
:
2
A spaceship left at 1:15 PM and landed at 2:05 PM. How many minutes long was the flight?
Show your jumps (Mountains, Hills, or Rocks)
Duration:
Mission Report: Exit Ticket
Final Jump Check
Did you land at the right time?
Name:
Date:
1
What time is shown on the clock?
12 3 6 9
:
2
A spaceship left at 1:15 PM and landed at 2:05 PM. How many minutes long was the flight?
Show your jumps (Mountains, Hills, or Rocks)
Duration:
