Human Clocks: Arms as Clock Hands

Students turn their arms into clock hands: one straight arm is the hour hand and the other is the minute hand. They move around to the beat of a hand drum and, when a time is called, show it with their arms, first on their own and then with a partner lying on the ground.

How to play

1. Draw several large chalk clocks about 10 feet across on the blacktop, with 12, 3, 6 and 9 marked (setup).
2. Everyone stands spread out. The teacher explains: the head is the center of the clock, an arm straight up shows 12 and out to the right shows 3. Practice times on the hour (3 min).
3. Free movement to the hand drum. When it stops, the teacher calls a time, like 9 o'clock, and everyone shows it with their arms and holds for 3 seconds (4 min).
4. Add legs: the teacher calls 6 and everyone points one straight leg down; 3 o'clock, one leg out to the side (3 min).
5. In pairs on the chalk clocks: one lies down with the head at the center and the partner calls a time; the one lying down shows it with arms and legs. Switch every three times (4 min).
6. To finish, the whole class forms one giant clock in a circle and the teacher asks the numbers that show recess time to crouch down (1 min).

Rules

• When showing times with legs, lean on the wall or a partner if you lose your balance.
• Stay two arm lengths apart so you don't hit anyone.
• When you hear the time, stop right away without bumping anyone.
• When lying down, only the clock partner moves.

Variations

Adaptations

• For a student in a wheelchair, show times with arms only and wheel between stops.
• For students who are deaf or hard of hearing, show a cardstock clock with the time as you say it.
• For fitter students, jog or jump during the moving phases.

Learning goals

• Point body segments in different directions in space.
• Tell up, down, right and left apart in relation to one's own body.
• Connect body positions to everyday ideas like telling time.

Equipment for a class of 25

• sidewalk chalk: 6
• hand drum: 1

Teacher tip

If students can't tell time yet, stick to up, down and side directions; always face the same way as the class so your right matches theirs.

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