1.

READ

24-Hour Clock

The 24-hour clock tells time by assigning a number between 0 and 24 to each hour
of the day. It is the standard time system in many foreign countries and is used
primarily when referring to time in a written format.

Professionals such as pilots and soldiers use the 24-hour clock in speaking as well as
writing. An American soldier refers to 1:00 p.m. as "thirteen hundred hours."

A.M. & P.M.

The 24-hour clock eliminates the need to specify a.m. or p.m. (1:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m.)
since every hour has a unique number (01:00 or 13:00). It is a more precise way of
identifying time.

The morning consists of the numbers from 0 to 12, and afternoon and evening are
the numbers from 12 to 23:59.

06.30 vs. 06:30

The 24-hour clock is always written with four digits. The first two digits state the
hour and the second two digits identify the minutes. Many foreign countries use a
period instead of a colon between the hour digits and the minute digits when writing
time numerically. Either way is acceptable.

In Spanish when military time is not used, it is appropriate to use the preposition de
before the specified daily time periods (... de la mañana, ... de la tarde, and ... de la
noche… de la madrugada).
HELPFUL VOCABULARY

To interpret the train schedule and locate the trains to Spanish cities like Madrid,
Barcelona, Sevilla, Bilbao, Santiago de Compostela and Granada, it is helpful to know
the following words.

Origen refers to the place where the trip begins, whether it is travel by train or
airplane.
Destino refers to the destination.
Salida means departure. It comes from the Spanish verb salir.
Llegada means arrival. It comes from the Spanish verb llegar.

2. RESEARCH

Examine the diagram on the 24-Hour Clock web site. Review online Spanish television
and train schedules that use the 24-hour clock.

Site 1: The Military Clock System

● Read through the information.

● Complete the chart in the Telling Time section of the Respond sheet.
● Answer questions 1-2.

Site 2: ElMundo Television programming or El País: Television Programming

● Examine the daily programming schedule for television in Spain.

● Answer questions 3-7 in the TV Time section.

Site 3: RENFE - Spanish Railways

 ● To locate specific Spanish train schedules, select the origin and destination in
the fields provided.
● Answer questions 8-11 in the Train Travel section.

3. Respond

Practice using the 24-hour clock after viewing the online diagram. Locate
television shows available at particular times and identify train departures
and arrivals.

Telling Time

Use Site 1 to complete the chart by filling in the missing times. The diagram will help
you convert the hour.

A.M./P.M. 24-Hour Clock Son las _____ de la _____.

(Es la _____ de la _____.)

11:00 a.m. Son las once de la mañana.

16:45

Son las nueve y diez de la noche.

3:55 p.m.

Es la una de la tarde.

02:30

Answer questions in complete sentences and in Spanish when possible..

1. What are two methods for telling time?

2. How are these forms similar and different?

TV Time

Use Site 2 to answer the following questions.

1. What program are you watching on Channel 2 at six o'clock in the afternoon?
2. What program are you watching on Channel 1 at eight o'clock in the morning?
3. What program are you watching on Channel 3 at ten thirty at night?
4. What program are you watching on Channel 5 at one o'clock in the
afternoon?

Train Time

Use Site 3 to answer the following questions. There may be more than one answer
for each question.

1. What time does the first morning train from Barcelona arrive in Valencia?
2. What time does the train from Bilbao arrive in Santiago de Compostela?
3. What time does the first morning train from Sevilla leave for Barcelona?
4. What time does the first afternoon train from Granada leave for Madrid?