The Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (1994) indicate that experiences should be provided so that students can "demonstrate an ability to use correctly vocabulary associated with time such as past, present, future, and long ago;" (p. 34) In the middle grades they are to "identify and use key concepts such as chronology, causality, change, conflict, and complexity to explain, analyze, and show connections among patterns of historical change and continuity;" (p. 34).

Making children aware of definite and indefinite time words in their reading and daily experiences can be enjoyable.

Definite time concepts usually involve those for which a specific starting and/or stopping point can be identified. Indefinite words and phrases are given meaning when placed in a definite context. Even then they may remain vague and difficult to define.

Examination of a dictionary will help identify many words in our language which relate to time. In addition to specific time words, verb forms indicate action in a particular time frame. A partial listing of time words is given here. Which ones would you choose as being definite and which are indefinite? Try writing definitions for the words. Find definitions for those which seem unclear.

Try to write a definition for these words. Tell whether the words are definite or indefinite.

1. Use the list of time words as you prepare your yearly plan. Check those you believe will be necessary to pupil understanding of the material at your grade level.

2. Check glossaries or the index of some of your texts. Which words appear?

3. Which words will enhance students' understanding of news or current events?

4. Determine which words are essential to a better understanding of each of the social studies disciplines. (History, geography, political science, anthropology, sociology, economics, psychology)?

'Id al Fitr

'Id al-Adha

A. D..

advent

after

afternoon

afterward

again

age

ageless

ago

All Saints' Day

All Souls' Day

already

always

ancient

anniversary

annual

antique

April

April Fool's Day

Arbor Day

Ascension Day

Ash Wednesday

August

autumn

awhile

B.C.

B.C.E.

before

beforehand

begin, began, begun, begins, beginning

belated

biannual

bicentennial

bimonthly

biquarterly

birthday

biweekly

calendar

centenarian

centennial

century

change

Chanukah

Christmas

chronological

clock

Columbus Day

constant

continuous

Corpus Christi

current

cycle

daily

Dark Ages

date

dawn

day

deadline

death

decade

December

delay

dinner time

diurnal

doomsday

due date

duration

dusk

early

Easter

eclipse

election day

end

eon

epoch

equinox

era

eternal

eternally

eternity

evening

eventually

ever

everlasting

everyday

evolution

Fall

Father's Day

February

fifth

final

first

Flag Day

forever

fort-night

Fourth of July

free time

frequent

frequently

Friday

Friendship Day

future generation

generation

Good Friday

graduation

Grandparents' Day

Groundhog Day

growing season

half hour

half life

half time

Halloween

Hanukkah

holiday

homecoming

hour

hump day

ides

immediate

immediately

Inauguration Day

Independence Day

Indian summer

inservice day

instant

instantly

January

July

June

Labor Day

last

late, later, latest

leap year

Lent

life

lifetime

light year

Lincoln's Birthday

little while

long ago

long time

March

Maundy Thursday

Mawlid al-Nabi

May

meanwhile

Memorial Day

micro-second

midday

Middle Ages

midnight

midterm

midweek

millennium

millions of years

minute

modern

moment

Monday

month

monthly

moon

morning

Mother's Day

Muharram

never

New Year

new

next

night

nightly

nineteenth century

noon

noontime

November

now

occasionally

October

often

old

old age

once

ongoing

over and over

overdue

overtime

Palm Sunday

part time

Passover

past

payday

Pentecost

perennial

Precambrian

prehistoric

present

presently

Presidents' Day

previous

previously

primeval

quarter hour

quarterly

quicker, quickly

quiet time

quitting time

Ramadan

recent

recently

recess

renaissance

Rosh Hashana

Saint Patrick's Day

Saturday

season

second

secondly

September

Shavuot

short time

shortly

solstice

sometime

soon

Spring

sudden

Sukkot

Summer

Sunday

tea time

Thanksgiving

Thursday

time

time and a half

time capsule

time clock

time immemorial

time signature

time zone

time-honored

time-lapse

timecard

timekeeper

timeless

timely

timepiece

timer

timetable

timeworn

today

tomorrow

tonight

turn around time

twentieth century

until

usually

vacation time

Valentine's Day

Veterans' Day

washday

Washington's Birthday

Wednesday

week

weekend

weekly

when

whenever

while

Winter

year

yearly

yesterday

yet

Yom Kippur

young

Yule

Yuletide