Time graphs: what children learn
In this game children read values from time graphs described in each question, find rises and falls between two times, and work out distances travelled at a steady speed. Each answer comes from reading two points and comparing them.
Enrichment: time graphs are not a Common Core standard. They build on line plots (4.MD.B.4) and prepare for graphing points in Grade 5 (5.G.A.2).
How to play
Answer 10 questions before the clock runs out. Tap an answer, or press 1 to 4. Each game has 10 multiple-choice questions and a 150-second timer. A wrong answer shows the correct one before moving on. You earn up to three stars depending on your score.
Step by step
- Read the axes. Time goes along the bottom. The thing being measured, such as temperature, goes up the side.
- Find each reading. Go up from the time to the line, then across to the scale.
- Find the change. Subtract the smaller reading from the larger one. Say whether it rose or fell.
- Steady changes. If something changes by the same amount every 15 minutes, count on in that step.
Worked examples
Example 1: 6°C at 7 a.m. and 9°C at 9 a.m. By how much did it rise?
Working: 9 − 6 = 3.
Answer: 3°C
Example 2: 16°C at 1 p.m. and 15°C at 3 p.m. By how much did it fall?
Working: 16 − 15 = 1.
Answer: 1°C
Example 3: A cyclist travels 4 km every 15 minutes. How far after 45 minutes?
Working: 45 minutes is three lots of 15 minutes. 3 × 4 = 12.
Answer: 12 km
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Reading the time axis as if it were the value axis. Label both axes with your finger: 'this way is time, this way is temperature'.
- Giving one reading instead of the change. Underline 'by how much' and remember it means the difference.
- Misreading scales that do not go up in 1s. Check the step between two labeled numbers first.
Activities to try at home
- Record the temperature outside every hour on a weekend day and draw a time graph together.
- Look at a weather forecast graph and ask when it will be warmest.
- Time a short journey and talk about how distance changes with time.
Ideas for the classroom
- Students measure the temperature of a cup of warm water every 2 minutes and plot it.
- Compare a bar chart and a time graph of the same data and discuss which suits it.
- Give a time graph with no title and ask students to write a story that fits it.
Free printable game and worksheet
The free printable starts with a game sheet, such as a color-by-answer picture, an answer maze or a secret-code joke, followed by a worksheet. Both use the same checked questions as the online game, and the answers are on the last page. Print it, or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print menu.
Open the free printable game and worksheet
Frequently asked questions
How should I choose this game for my learner?
Enrichment: time graphs are not a Common Core standard. They build on line plots (4.MD.B.4) and prepare for graphing points in Grade 5 (5.G.A.2).
Why join the points on a time graph?
Time and temperature change continuously, so the points between readings have values too. That is why time graphs use a line.
Can it be played with a keyboard?
Yes. Press 1, 2, 3 or 4 to choose an answer.