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Tell a story presents learning to tell time.
In this story, you'll meet Allison, who is four years old, and her older brother Christopher.
With the help of their grandfather, they're about to discover a few things about telling time.
As you listen to this story, you'll find out about telling time right along with Allison and Christopher.
And now, our story.
How do I get a clock to tell me the time?
Now that's a good question, Allison.
Well, a clock only points to minutes and hours.
But when you look at a clock, you have to figure out what time it is.
Here. I have something that may help.
We'll use this toy clock to learn some things about telling time.
First of all, see these two things?
They look like hands.
That's what they're called, Christopher. Hands.
All day and all night, these hands move around and around the clock.
And their job is to point to the numbers which tell time.
Now, on this clock, you can move the hands to any place you like.
But on a real clock, the hands move by themselves.
Let's set the hands at seven o'clock.
Pretend it's seven o'clock in the morning and tell me what would you probably be doing?
Seven o'clock? I'd just about be getting out of bed, I guess.
Yeah, me too, whether I wanted to or not.
Christopher, let's make the clock say eight o'clock.
Now, what would you be doing if it was eight o'clock in the morning?
Gee, that's when my mom is fixing breakfast and I'm getting ready for school.
Okay, children, now let's make the clock say nine o'clock.
First, we move the little hand to the number nine.
And the big hand to the number twelve.
You mean those numbers on the clock tell what time it is?
The numbers, with the help of the hands, do exactly that.
You can see that the numbers go clear around the face of the clock.
Face? I don't see a face. No eyes, no nose, no mouth. How can it be a face?
It's called a face because that's what you look at most.
Boy, now wonder I couldn't tell time.
Okay, so tell me about the hands moving around the numbers on the face of the clock.
Well, when the little hand points to a number, it's telling you what the hour is.
And it takes the little hand an hour to move from one number to the next.
Starting at one, let's move the little hand around the clock while we count the numbers of the day out loud.
One o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock, four o'clock, five o'clock, six o'clock, seven o'clock, eight o'clock, nine o'clock, ten o'clock, eleven o'clock, twelve o'clock.
What does that big hand do, Grandfather? Does it go around too, like this?
That's exactly what it does.
Now, let me show you. We'll start the big hand at twelve.
It has to go clear around the clock and back to twelve again before one hour is finished.
When the big hand gets back to twelve, the little hand moves to the next number, which makes it the next hour of the day.
Grandpa, let's make the clock tell us another hour.
Okay, Christopher, why don't you try setting your clock for three o'clock?
That's right. The big hand is at twelve and the little hand moves to three.
Gee, I'll just be getting out of school at three o'clock.
I want to set the clock.
Okay, Allison, you move the little hand to the next number. Now, what would the hour be?
Four o'clock?
Yes, that's right.
Oh, I like four o'clock. That's when my favorite cartoon show comes on.
Oh, five o'clock must be next. Can I try it?
Of course, Christopher. You set the clock hands to five o'clock.
Ah, that says five o'clock. You really have it.
Five o'clock is a great time on Wednesday. Our club meets in Bully's tree house.
Yeah, and they won't let me in.
What's the next hour?
I know, I know. It's six o'clock. Look at the hands. They're straight up and down.
Six o'clock is right. Now, what happens at six o'clock?
Six o'clock is dinner time at our house. I wish it would be six o'clock right now. I'm hungry.
Oh, she's always hungry. I want to try the next hour.
Seven o'clock. That's right. You are really making the clock tell you time.
Seven o'clock is when I take a bath.
And what comes after your bath?
Eight o'clock and bed.
Well, now that you know something about telling time, clocks aren't quite so mysterious, are they?
We're going to take a short recess now, but we'll be right back with another fun-filled lesson from Tell a Story.
Tell a Story presents Learning About the Calendar.
In a town not very far from here, on January 1st, the first day of the year, there is a parade.
There are twelve floats in this parade, one for every month of the year.
The parade is always the same, year after year.
That's because the year has the same months in it, year after year.
Today's parade is about to start.
Tim and his younger sister Ellen have come with their dad to see it.
Right now, though, let's join Tim, Ellen, and their dad at the parade.
Tim cries out,
Here it comes, here it comes, the first float's coming.