Grade 3 · Measurement
Time Concepts
Time is the most abstract of the standard measurement attributes because it cannot be seen or touched. Grade 3 time focuses on the relationships between units and on estimation: how long is a minute? a day? a year? Environmental references (the sun moves across the sky, the seasons cycle) and natural daily rhythms connect time to experience. Indigenous traditional calendars, which are based on natural cycles rather than fixed numbers, offer a powerful alternative framework for understanding time.
RESOURCES · IN TEACHING ORDER
LESSON VIDEO
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Lesson video
A short walkthrough to play in class or assign for flipped/at-home viewing.
WHAT STUDENTS WILL LEARN
✓Understand units of time: second, minute, hour, day, week, month, year
✓Describe relationships between units: 60 seconds = 1 minute, 60 minutes = 1 hour, 24 hours = 1 day
✓Estimate time using environmental references and natural daily and seasonal cycles
✓Connect time measurement to traditional Indigenous calendars and seasonal knowledge
✓Note: telling time on a clock is not expected at this level