LEVELED
LEVELEDREADER
BOOK • •K A
It’s About Time
A Reading A–Z Level K Leveled Book
Word Count: 401
Written by Mara Rockliff
Visit www.readinga-z.com www.readinga-z.com
for thousands of books and materials.
Written by Mara Rockliff
www.readinga-z.com
Table of Contents
Knowing What Time It Is . . . . . . . 4
Using the Sun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Using Fire and Water . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Clocks of Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Make Your Own Water Clock . . 15
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
It’s About Time • Level K 3
Table of Contents
Knowing What Time It Is . . . . . . . 4
Using the Sun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Using Fire and Water . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Clocks of Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
These clocks show the time in cities all over the world.
Make Your Own Water Clock . . 15
Knowing What Time It Is
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Do you know what time it is?
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 If you do, you probably are looking
at a clock or watch.
It’s About Time • Level K 3 4
Using the Sun
Long ago, people didn’t have
clocks or watches like you do.
When the sun rose, they got up,
and when the sun went down, they
went to bed. They told time by the
position of the sun in the sky.
SUN
morning sun
SUN
noon sun
SUN
evening sun
The sun tells when it is morning, noon, and evening.
It’s About Time • Level K 5
Using the Sun morning
Long ago, people didn’t have
clocks or watches like you do.
When the sun rose, they got up,
noon
and when the sun went down, they
went to bed. They told time by the
position of the sun in the sky.
SUN evening
morning sun
Shadow clocks made it easier to tell time between sunup, noon,
and sundown.
SUN
People discovered that they could
noon sun use a stick and the sun to tell time.
This was called a shadow clock.
SUN They put a stick in the ground,
pointing straight up. The direction
evening sun of the stick’s shadow and how long
The sun tells when it is morning, noon, and evening. or short it was told them the time.
It’s About Time • Level K 5 6
A better kind of shadow clock was
called a sundial. Sundials had a
pointer and a base. The pointer
cast a shadow on marks around
the base. People could tell time by
reading the marks.
But shadow clocks were not good
for telling time on cloudy days—or
at night.
Sundials made telling time using shadows more accurate.
It’s About Time • Level K 7
A better kind of shadow clock was Using Fire and Water
called a sundial. Sundials had a
One kind of clock that didn’t need
pointer and a base. The pointer
the sun was a water clock. A water
cast a shadow on marks around
clock was a
the base. People could tell time by
container with
reading the marks.
a tiny hole in
But shadow clocks were not good the bottom.
for telling time on cloudy days—or Water would
at night. steadily drip
out of the
hole. Marks on
the inside of
the container
showed the
time. It took
one hour
for the water
to go down
one mark.
Sundials made telling time using shadows more accurate. A modern water clock
It’s About Time • Level K 7 8
Candle clocks were used to tell time after the sun went down.
Another kind of clock that didn’t
need the sun was a candle clock.
You would know the time by how
much of the candle had melted.
The candle had marks down its
side to show the hours.
It’s About Time • Level K 9
Sometimes people used
candle clocks as alarm
clocks. They put a nail
in the candle at the time
they wanted to wake up,
hanging a shoe on the
nail. When the candle
melted down, the
nail fell out and the
shoe hit the floor
with a
BANG!
Candle clocks were used to tell time after the sun went down.
Another kind of clock that didn’t
need the sun was a candle clock.
You would know the time by how
much of the candle had melted.
The candle had marks down its
side to show the hours.
It’s About Time • Level K 9 10
grandfather digital pocket analog
clock watch watch watch
Clocks of Today
Now there are all kinds of
timepieces, from tall grandfather
clocks to watches we wear on
our wrists. Most clocks run on
electricity from batteries.
It’s About Time • Level K 11
A digital clock
grandfather digital pocket analog
clock watch watch watch
Big Ben, an analog clock tower in London, England
Clocks of Today
Many clocks have two hands that
Now there are all kinds of point to numbers in a circle on the
timepieces, from tall grandfather clock face. These are called analog
clocks to watches we wear on clocks. Other clocks don’t have
our wrists. Most clocks run on hands, only numbers. These are
electricity from batteries. called digital clocks.
It’s About Time • Level K 11 12
At noon, a cuckoo clock cuckoos 12 times.
Inside one kind of analog clock is a
carved bird called a cuckoo. Every
hour, the door opens and the bird
pops out and sings its song:
cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo!
It’s About Time • Level K 13
At noon, a cuckoo clock cuckoos 12 times.
Inside one kind of analog clock is a
carved bird called a cuckoo. Every There are many more types of
hour, the door opens and the bird clocks, too. Clocks hang in and on
pops out and sings its song: buildings. Clocks adorn wrists and
cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo! mantles. Clocks are everywhere!
It’s About Time • Level K 13 14
h is Make a Water Clock
T
Tr y• a partner You will need:
• a clock with
• a large plastic bottle a second hand
with the top cut off • a pin or tack,
• two paper cups masking tape,
and water
1 S tick a piece of masking tape along the outside
of the bottle, from top to bottom.
2 Poke a small hole with a pin or tack in the
bottom center of one cup. Fit the cup snugly
into the top
of the bottle.
3 Have your
partner use the
other cup to
pour water into
the cup with the
hole while you
start timing right
away. Keep the
water clock’s
cup about
halfway full.
4 Every 30
seconds, mark
the water level
on the tape.
It’s About Time • Level K 15
Glossary
T h is Make a Water Clock
Tr y You will need: analog (adj.) using hands and dials to show
• a partner • a clock with time on a clock (p. 12)
• a large plastic bottle a second hand candle burning candle marked with
with the top cut off • a pin or tack, clock (n.) the hours (p. 9)
• two paper cups masking tape,
and water cuckoo (n.) carved bird used in a cuckoo
1 S tick a piece of masking tape along the outside clock (p. 13)
of the bottle, from top to bottom. digital (adj.) using a row of numbers, rather
2 Poke a small hole with a pin or tack in the than hands on a dial (p. 12)
bottom center of one cup. Fit the cup snugly
into the top
electricity (n.) power source for clocks
of the bottle. and watches (p. 11)
3 Have your grandfather tall, fancy clocks that chime
partner use the clocks (n.) with the time (p. 11)
other cup to
pour water into
shadow clock that uses an object’s
the cup with the clock (n.) shadow to tell time (p. 6)
hole while you sundial (n.) more complex shadow clock that
start timing right uses the sun to tell time (p. 7)
away. Keep the
water clock’s water clock (n.) bowl that drips water to
cup about tell time (p. 8)
halfway full.
4 Every 30 Index
seconds, mark alarm clock, 10 hands, 12
the water level batteries, 11 shadow, 6, 7
on the tape. Big Ben, 12 sun, 5, 6
candle, 9, 10 water, 8, 15
It’s About Time • Level K 15 16
LEVELED
LEVELEDREADER
BOOK • •K A
It’s About Time
A Reading A–Z Level K Leveled Book
Word Count: 401
Written by Mara Rockliff
Visit www.readinga-z.com www.readinga-z.com
for thousands of books and materials.
Photo Credits:
Front cover, back cover, title page, pages 3, 7 (left, top right), 11 (left, center
right, right), 12 (main), 13 (main, inset), 14 (center left, center, center right,
top right, bottom left, inset): © Jupiterimages Corporation; page 4: © Michelle
Bennett/Lonely Planet Images; pages 5, 6: © Learning A–Z; pages 7 (bottom
right), 14 (top left, top right, center right): © ArtToday; page 8: © David R. Frazier
Photolibrary, Inc./Science Photo Library/Photo Researchers, Inc.; pages 9,
11 (center left), 12 (inset), 14 (bottom right), 15: Craig Frederick/© Learning A–Z
It’s About Time
Written by Mara Rockliff Level K Leveled Book Correlation
© Learning A–Z LEVEL K
Written by Mara Rockliff
Fountas & Pinnell J
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