As teachers, it is important to help our students understand the concept of time, including the difference between AM and PM. While these may seem like simple concepts to us as adults, they can be confusing for young learners. Fortunately, there are plenty of engaging and fun activities that can help students grasp the basics of AM and PM.

1. Create a Visual Aid

One of the most effective ways to help students understand AM and PM is by creating a visual aid. This can be done by drawing a clock face on a piece of paper and labeling the hours from 1 to 12. You can then color in the sections of the clock face that correspond to AM and PM. For example, you might color the hours from 1 to 12 in light blue to represent AM, and the hours from 1 to 12 in dark blue to represent PM.

2. Sort Activities by Time of Day

Another fun and interactive way to teach students about AM and PM is to have them sort activities by time of day. Start by brainstorming a list of activities that might occur in the morning (e.g. eating breakfast, getting dressed, brushing teeth) and a list of activities that might occur in the evening (e.g. eating dinner, taking a bath, getting ready for bed). Provide students with pictures of these activities and have them sort them into two columns labeled “AM” and “PM.”

3. Play an AM/PM Bingo Game

Bingo is a classic game that can easily be adapted to teach students about AM and PM. Create a set of bingo cards with clock faces displaying various times throughout the day. Call out different times and have students mark the corresponding spot on their bingo cards. You can also make it more challenging by adding in phrases such as “morning” and “nighttime” instead of just calling out the times.

4. Use Manipulatives

Manipulatives are great tools for helping young learners understand complex concepts such as time. You can provide students with plastic clock faces or create your own by cutting out circles from construction paper and adding hands made from pipe cleaners. Have students practice setting the clock to different times, using the vocabulary of AM and PM.

5. Create Story Problems

Students are more likely to engage with concepts if they are presented in a fun and relatable way. Create story problems that involve AM and PM. For example, “Samantha wakes up at 7:00 AM and eats breakfast. She then goes to school for 6 hours. What time does Samantha get out of school?” Encourage students to use their visual aids and manipulatives to solve the problem.

In conclusion, teaching students about AM and PM can be a fun and interactive process. By using visual aids, engaging activities, and relatable story problems, students can grasp the concepts of time in a way that makes sense to them. With these tools, students will be able to tell time with confidence and accuracy.