Comparing durations

Activities to try

1. 1

   Watch duration grow from a shared start

   Why it works: Duration can be seen directly — how long something takes on the clock — separately from how fast it goes, how far it travels, or how much happens during it. Going slower over the same route takes MORE time, not less. Finishing last is not the same as taking longest when starts differ.

   1. Start two events at the same moment and watch a visible timer or growing duration-bar under each until it stops
   2. Name which event was quicker — the one with the shorter bar/time — and say how you know
   3. Use a slower-speed toggle to make a walker go along the SAME path at a slower walking speed, while the timer runs in real time, and watch its duration-bar grow longer than before
   4. Say out loud: 'slower over the same way means MORE time'
   5. Switch to a mode where the two events start at DIFFERENT times, and decide whether 'finished last' really means 'took longest'
2. 2

   Race and time real events with a common start

   Why it works: When two events share a start, finishing first means quicker. When starts differ, you must consider when each began — finishing order alone does not tell you who took longer.

   1. Compare two real timed events side by side — a race, two sand-timers (e.g. 30 seconds and 1 minute), or two classroom colouring tasks
   2. Begin both from a common start so 'who finished first' is a fair judge of who was quicker
   3. Name which event was quicker and which was slower, and explain how you know
   4. Set up a case where the two events start at different times and discuss why 'finished first' no longer settles who was quicker
3. 3

   Talk through events using quicker/slower/earlier/later

   Why it works: Quicker/slower describe how long something took (duration on a timer); earlier/later describe where an event sits on the day's timeline (position). These are different ideas and should be used in their own contexts. Going further is not the same as having taken more time. Still moving after another stopped means more time only if both started together.

   1. Give live commentary on a race or on the day's events, saying who or what was quicker/slower and what happened earlier/later
   2. Answer a questioner who asks 'Who was quicker? How do you know?' and respond to the challenge 'but he ran further — does further mean longer?'
   3. Reason about a case like two cars where the red car goes further but the green car was still moving after the red one stopped. If both started at the same moment, the green car took more time even though it went less far. If you don't know when each started, decide what else you need to know.
   4. Explain the difference between finishing EARLIER (where on the day) and being QUICKER (how long it took)
   5. Place daily events (breakfast, lunch, home-time) on a timeline to anchor earlier/later