Virginia SOL 4.MG.2.a.iii
The Standard
the ending time and the amount of elapsed time in hours and minutes, determine the starting time.
Virginia Standards of Learning for Mathematics · The student will solve single-step and multistep contextual problems involving elapsed time (limited to hours and minutes within a 12-hour period).
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students work backward from an ending time by subtracting hours and minutes. They find starting times within morning or afternoon and across noon, using correct a.m. or p.m. labels.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students find the correct starting time and label it a.m. or p.m. They can show backward jumps or regroup hours and minutes, then verify by counting forward.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may add the duration to the ending time instead of working backward. They may mishandle crossing noon or forget that subtracting minutes can require regrouping one hour as 60 minutes.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: “A movie ended at 1:25 p.m. after 2 hours 40 minutes. When did it start? Show your steps.”
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs clock faces showing 2:15 p.m.; have them turn back 3 hours 35 minutes and record the starting time.
Ask, “A field trip ends at 12:20 p.m. and lasts 4 hours 45 minutes. When did it begin? Explain your method.”
Play Start Time Match by pairing ending-time cards and duration cards with the correct starting-time cards.
Use a school schedule: give dismissal times and activity lengths, then have students calculate when each activity began.
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Related Standards
- 4.MG.2.a.i
the starting time and the ending time, determine the amount of time that has elapsed in hours and minutes;
- 3.MG.3.c.ii
the starting time and amount of elapsed time in one-hour increments, determine the ending time; or
- 3.MG.3.c.iii
the ending time and the amount of elapsed time in one-hour increments, determine the starting time.
- 4.MG.2.a.ii
the starting time and amount of elapsed time in hours and minutes, determine the ending time; or
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