New
New
Year 3
How many seconds in a minute
I can say how many seconds there are in a minute.
New
New
Year 3
How many seconds in a minute
I can say how many seconds there are in a minute.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- There are 60 seconds in a minute.
- Seconds are a short measure of time.
- Seconds can be used to time short activities and durations.
Keywords
Estimate - To estimate is to find a value that is close enough to the right answer, usually with some thought or calculation involved.
Seconds - There are 60 seconds in one minute.
Common misconception
When first learning about seconds, pupils come to realise they are very quick. They count seconds at the same speed in which they count other numbers - usually too quickly.
The classic way to slow down counting speed so that it more closely matches the pace of seconds is to use 'one Mississippi, two Mississippi' etc. For most pupils that is an obscure reference point - counting elephants is suggested as an alternative.
The lesson shows the position of the second hand on a clock but not the actual movement of a second hand. If you have a classroom clock with seconds on, use that as a teaching tool. If not, use a search engine to find an example of an online clock with a second hand.
Teacher tip
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Starter quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
Which is the minute hand?

a
c
Q2.
How many minutes are there in one hour? There are minutes in one hour.
Q3.
Continue the sequence: 5, 10, 15, 20,
Q4.
The clock shows hours and minutes. What is the missing number?

Q5.
How many minutes have gone past the hour?

Q6.
What time is being shown here?

10 minutes to 7
8 minutes to 10
Exit quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
Which is the second hand?

a
b
Q2.
Which of these is the most sensible estimate for how long it would take to put on your shoes?
20 minutes
20 hours
Q3.
One minute = seconds
Q4.
The second hand is pointing to the number 3 so seconds have passed after the new minute.

Q5.
How many seconds have passed after the new minute?

Q6.
How many seconds have passed after the new minute?
