Lesson plan:

The Munch Kids

The Munch Kids are real children recorded discussing real issues and big questions like what makes rubbish rubbish? When are you lost? What makes a community? As the Munch Kids explore the questions, their unscripted insights become alive and dynamic in an animated form. In this episode, The wheel turns, the Munch Kids debate the meaning and measurement of time
and debate ideas about now and when time began. The animation style is a mix, using actual footage, line drawings and three-dimensional models.

Make a display about time

Make a display of a range of tools that measure time. Include calendars, egg timers, a range of clocks. Encourage students to add to the display with objects they may have at home.

Discuss the students' understanding of time. List the main points, the issues and points of discussion that occur during the discussion.

Show the Munch Kids segment. Talk about the images as well as the dialogue. You may want to replay parts or sections and freeze on any images that have provoked reference or discussion.

Refer to issues raised for comparison, further discussion of questions raised by the students and/or by the Munch Kids.

Discuss the influence of time

Talk about how time is used in our life and living. Make a display of the influence of measuring time, eg: influence of times of day, months, seasons.

Make instruments for measuring time

Make your own models and time measures with the students. The use of a light and world globe illustrating the light/dark of day/night is particularly popular and a practical way of demonstrating this phenomena. Class calendars could be made and used to count the days to an excursion.

Set the task of making a clock for each student. Supply materials for construction, eg: paper plates, boxes, strips of paper, paper fasteners. This could be used as an assessment activity to gauge students' understanding of the measurement of time.

Other resources

Lift Off to wondering and thinking. See the About time section. Segments include Beverley with time lapse photography showing a seed growing into a plant, Rocky reporting on kerlocks and The wheel turns sung by Snap.
The wheel turns ep 09B Lift Off 1 focusses on measuring time with Lotis describing the passing of time, night and day and the seasons. She also shows Poss and Nipper a sundial. Mr Fish tries to measure time using an arbitrary measure, ie: one elephant, two elephants...

Far out ep 07A Lift Off 2 . is about an eclipse. The children want to view it and James Jordan makes them a simple camera so that they can watch it safely. Other references to time in this episode include Mr Fish's night-time song, Marco putting the clock back and Raph putting it forward.