Bar timer
A free countdown that draws time as one wide bar that shrinks from full to empty, with the digits above it. Readable from the back of the room.
5:00
Keys: Space start or pause · R reset · ← → 30 seconds · 1–6 the presets · M sound · F full screen
How to use it
- Pick a length or type your own with Custom.
- Press Start. The bar shrinks from the right.
- Press F to fill the screen; the bar stretches across the full width.
Ideas for class
- Use the bar when students are working on tasks of different lengths and need to pace themselves.
- Ask students to mark on their paper where they expect to be when the bar is half empty.
- Run a writing sprint where students count the words on their page each time the bar passes a quarter.
- Use it for centers: the bar is easy to read from every table, even from the side of the room.
- Use it for a quiz so students can see how much time they have left at a glance.
- Ask math students to turn the bar into a fraction: how much is left, as a fraction of the whole?
Related
Questions
Why use a bar instead of digits?
A bar is read as a size, not a number, so it can be read from further away and by younger students. The digits are above it for anyone who wants the exact time.
Does the bar change colour?
Yes. It starts green, turns amber when about a third of the time is left, and red for the last tenth or the last ten seconds.
Can I use this as a progress bar for a longer task?
Yes. Set the whole length of the task, for example 45 minutes, and leave the bar in view. It works with the arrow keys to add or take off 30 seconds.
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