Math Monsters Episode #8: Time

In episode #8, Time, the Monsters go outside to play and fly a kite. Since there is only one kite, they must take turns - but how long should each of these turns last? How can they be fair? At first they try to time by counting, but they soon learn that everyone doesn't count at the same speed. Then they hit upon the idea of a water clock (actually, drips from the bottom of a juice cup). They all punch holes in their cups and fill them to the same level. However, they soon discover that if the holes aren't the same size and so their time measurements are in conflict. Next they standardize the hole in the cup. But what happens if they wish to time something shorter than one cup full? Now they must learn how to break up the time into shorter and quantifiable amounts (much like dividing an hour into halves and quarters). Our field trip is to a clock maker who introduces us to the way human beings use analogue and digital clocks to tell time.