Following his first activity, the novice teacher used a game to highlight the importance of using 'AM' and 'PM' and identify the time difference. He produced the names of several television programmes and their showing times, and asked the pupils to match the programme name with the correct time.

The novice teacher has carefully selected 2 examples to illustrate the importance of using 'AM' and 'PM' to differentiate the time difference. The Theory of Variation is being applied here. In the first example, the programme name is kept constant while varying the time. In the second example, the time (number) is kept constant while varying 'AM' and 'PM'. In your small group, discuss how these two examples help bring out the critical features of this lesson, where pupils are being asked to discern the difference between 'AM' and 'PM'?

Without realizing it, the novice teacher is actually intending to use variation as a pedagogical tool. Using the two examples together is important to help pupils' notice the difference between 'AM' and 'PM'. In the lesson, however, the novice teacher ran out of time and so simply used the first example. The mentor thought this was not the best example to choose.

(The television programmes and their showing times are given in Appendix 3 of this Unit)