TELLING TIME

Dominic Raimbas, Joseph Kopeak, Livinai Damaia.

INTRODUCTION

In our lesson we will be talking about time. We will relate traditional ways of telling time to modern ways of telling time, which are using clocks or watches and using calendars for longer periods of time.

In traditional ways of telling time, we do not have standard units which can be used for specific times of the day. Instead we just say whether it is morning, midday, afternoon, or night stated in our own tokples/mother tongue.

OBJECTIVE

Students should be able to refer back to their traditional ways of telling time to help them identify a.m. and p.m. times.

REFERENCE

Secondary School Mathematics ------ 7A Text Book
Page 64-69 ------ Chapter 5: Measurement
Sub-topic: Time

DESCRIPTION OF TRADITIONAL MATHEMATICS

In any society, though it may not be realized, Mathematics plays an important role. People in any society practice mathematical concepts in their own traditional ways relating in one way or the other, but these all can be related to the modern mathematics which is taught and learnt through formal situations.

Take, for example, teaching and learning mathematics in the classrooms. Some of the mathematical concepts practiced traditionally are included in topics such as:
1) Ratio and Proportion – where people exchange goods for other good considering the amount of things to be exchanged for another thing, e.g. the ratio (cost) of shell money for a particular good/thing.

2) Geometrical shapes – these are the patterns found on: bilums or string bags, mats, baskets, carvings, etc…..

3) Measurement – (a) Area – measuring the area of a garden.
(b) Weight/mass – measuring how heavy or light an object is.
(c) Time – telling time by traditional means.

In this report about traditional mathematics, the topic that is related to is, TIME. (SSM 7A pg 64-69)

Time is one of the sub-topics covered under the main topic called Measurement in the Secondary School Mathematics textbooks. In this report, time is discussed in traditional ways with its relationships to telling time on the clock face for short times or time of the day. Thus; calendars are used for longer periods of time, such as days, weeks, months, etc… of a year.

In many societies in PNG, the traditional methods of telling time are similarly practiced. Telling of times traditionally comes in two categories, namely:

(1) Short times
(2) Longer times

In the former category, time is known through sources which signal a certain time daily. Two common sources which inform us about the short times traditionally are:

(1) the cries of certain birds and insects. For example, roosters crowing early in the morning assure us of the day-break.

(2) observing the shadows. (This source of telling times is for the daytime only, that is when the sun shines.)

In the latter category, some of the traditional sources of telling time are:

(1) seasons of flowers, fruits and leaves of plants
(2) seasonal activities or rituals
(3) (3) observing the tides (coastal areas)

Though we do not measure short periods of time precisely in Papua New Guinea traditional societies, we have common descriptions of telling times. As stated earlier, we do not tell the exact times such as 9 o’clock am or 2:30 pm or 10 o’clock pm or 4:15 am etc.. The general description of time that we practice in PNG traditional societies are; morning, mid-day, afternoon and night. Therefore, the times between 5 o’clock am to 10 o’clock am are said to be morning. While around 11 o’clock am to about 1:30 pm is described as mid-day. The times between 1:30 pm to 6 o’clock pm are described as afternoon and the times between 7 o’clock pm to around 4:30 am the next day are said to be night.

The table below shows the three different languages used to describe the above times.

LANGUAGE MORNING MID-DAY AFTERNOON NIGHT
Mendi panapi hora ambona somona
Kaje (Bogia) giomsan giar gutak nokan
Misima meluluga alalati kokoyavi bulin

LESSON PLAN

Introduction

In the introduction part of the lesson we will introduce the topic. i.e.; time, and describe some of the traditional ways of telling tie. For example; bird and insect cries, looking at shadows, observing tides etc.

Then, we will related these traditional means of telling time by modern means, mainly am and pm times. When describing traditional times, we will be using three different languages where the presenters come from.

Body:

In this part of the lesson, we will emphasize the relationships between traditional and modern (am and pm) times. We will relate each of the four traditional categories mentioned earlier, to modern am and pm times respectively. After a brief explanation of traditional and modern times, the students will get into groups to discuss some of the traditional ways of telling times and to relate them to modern times. The students will be encouraged to express times in their own languages. Then the leaders of each group will present the things that they have discussed. (Elaboration by teacher if applicable)

Conclusion:

In the conclusion part of the lesson, we will basically summaries what has been discussed during the presentation of the introduction and body. We will be relating the basics of traditional and modern concepts of time.

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