P6 Mathematics - Term II

Topic 8: Distance, Time and Speed

Lesson 1: Understanding Time - Reading and Converting Units

Duration: 45 minutes

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Read and write time correctly in hours, minutes and seconds
• Distinguish between point of time and duration
• Convert time from one unit to another
• Identify the difference between arrival time and departure time

How Do We Use Time?

Think about your day:

• What time did you wake up this morning?
• What time did school start?
• What time is lunch break?
• What time will you go home?

Where Else Do We See Time?

In Uganda, we use time for:

• Matatu departure times
• Market opening and closing times
• Radio and TV program schedules
• Church and mosque service times
• Bus and taxi schedules

Units of Time

We measure time using three main units:

• Hours (hr or h)
• Minutes (min)
• Seconds (sec or s)

Point of Time vs Duration

Two different meanings:

Point of Time = A specific moment

• Example: "School starts at 8:00 a.m."

Duration = Length of time between two points

• Example: "The lesson is 45 minutes long"

Point of Time Examples

Point of time answers "WHEN?"

• The matatu leaves at 9:00 a.m.
• Lunch break is at 12:30 p.m.
• The movie starts at 7:00 p.m.
• I was born on May 15th, 2014

Remember: Point of time = a specific moment

Duration Examples

Duration answers "HOW LONG?"

• We have been in school for 3 hours
• The lesson is 45 minutes long
• I walked for 30 minutes
• The journey took 2 hours

Remember: Duration = how much time passed

Your Turn: Point of Time or Duration?

Identify each one:

1. "The bus arrives at 10:00 a.m."
2. "The trip takes 2 hours"
3. "I woke up at 6:30 a.m."
4. "We played for 1 hour"

Think: Which ones answer "WHEN?" and which answer "HOW LONG?"

Answers: Point of Time or Duration?

1. "The bus arrives at 10:00 a.m." → Point of time
2. "The trip takes 2 hours" → Duration
3. "I woke up at 6:30 a.m." → Point of time
4. "We played for 1 hour" → Duration

Well done! Understanding this difference is very important.

Arrival and Departure Time

Two important terms for journeys:

Departure Time = When you leave or start a journey

• Example: "The bus leaves Kampala at 9:00 a.m."

Arrival Time = When you reach your destination

• Example: "The bus arrives in Jinja at 11:00 a.m."

Journey Example

A matatu journey:

• Departure: Leaves Kampala at 9:00 a.m.
• Arrival: Arrives in Jinja at 11:00 a.m.
• Duration: The journey takes 2 hours

Notice: Departure and arrival are points of time. The journey time is a duration.

Another Journey Example

Mary's walk to school:

• She leaves home at 7:30 a.m. (departure)
• She arrives at school at 8:00 a.m. (arrival)
• Her journey takes 30 minutes (duration)

Calculate: From 7:30 to 8:00 = 30 minutes

Time Conversions

Important relationships:

1 hour = 60 minutes
1 minute = 60 seconds
1 hour = 3,600 seconds (60 × 60)

Remember these conversions!

Converting Hours to Minutes

To convert hours to minutes, multiply by 60

Examples:

2 hours = 2 × 60 = 120 minutes
3 hours = 3 × 60 = 180 minutes
5 hours = 5 × 60 = 300 minutes

Why multiply? Because minutes are smaller, we need MORE of them.

Converting Minutes to Seconds

To convert minutes to seconds, multiply by 60

Examples:

3 minutes = 3 × 60 = 180 seconds
4 minutes = 4 × 60 = 240 seconds
10 minutes = 10 × 60 = 600 seconds

Again, we multiply because seconds are even smaller.

Converting Back: Minutes to Hours

To convert minutes to hours, divide by 60

Examples:

120 minutes = 120 ÷ 60 = 2 hours
180 minutes = 180 ÷ 60 = 3 hours
240 minutes = 240 ÷ 60 = 4 hours

Why divide? Because hours are larger, we need FEWER of them.

Converting Seconds to Minutes

To convert seconds to minutes, divide by 60

Examples:

180 seconds = 180 ÷ 60 = 3 minutes
300 seconds = 300 ÷ 60 = 5 minutes
600 seconds = 600 ÷ 60 = 10 minutes

Remember: Divide when going to larger units.

Practice Time Conversions

Try these yourself:

a) 4 hours = ___ minutes
b) 5 minutes = ___ seconds
c) 360 seconds = ___ minutes
d) 240 minutes = ___ hours

Work in your exercise book. Show your calculations!

Answers to Practice

a) 4 hours = 4 × 60 = 240 minutes
b) 5 minutes = 5 × 60 = 300 seconds
c) 360 seconds = 360 ÷ 60 = 6 minutes
d) 240 minutes = 240 ÷ 60 = 4 hours

Check your work! Did you multiply and divide correctly?

Half Hours and Quarter Hours

Common time amounts:

Half hour = 0.5 hour = 30 minutes
Quarter hour = 0.25 hour = 15 minutes
1.5 hours = 1 hour 30 minutes = 90 minutes

These are useful to know!

Summary: Key Concepts

Remember these important ideas:

• Point of time = WHEN (a specific moment)
• Duration = HOW LONG (time between points)
• Departure = when journey starts
• Arrival = when journey ends
• Conversions: Multiply by 60 (to smaller), divide by 60 (to larger)

Why Understanding Time Matters

We use time for:

• Calculating journey durations
• Planning our schedules
• Understanding speed (coming in next lesson!)
• Managing our daily activities
• Being punctual and responsible

Homework

Assignment:

1. Write down the time you woke up and the time you arrived at school. Calculate how long it took.

2. Convert these:

   • 3 hours = ___ minutes
   • 6 minutes = ___ seconds
   • 480 seconds = ___ minutes
   • 180 minutes = ___ hours

3. A boda-boda leaves Nakawa at 2:00 p.m. and arrives at Wandegeya at 2:30 p.m. Identify the departure time, arrival time, and duration.

Expected time: 15-20 minutes

Next Lesson Preview

Tomorrow we will learn about:

• Distance and how to measure it
• Speed and what it means
• Units for distance and speed
• The relationship between time, distance, and speed

Well done today! Bring your exercise book with homework completed.

Credits

Created: January 11, 2026
Based on: NCDC P6 Mathematics Curriculum - Topic 8: Distance, Time and Speed

Source: National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC), Uganda