Turns, Telling the Time and How Long Things Take

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What this lesson covers

  • A turn is a spin around a point.
  • Clockwise turns the way clock hands go, to the right. Anticlockwise turns the other way, to the left.
  • Duration is how long something takes, from start to end.
  • Time is measured in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years.
Key idea

Turning around a point

  • A turn is a spin around a point, like a clock hand around the middle of the clock.
  • Stand up and try each turn.
TurnLike the minute hand going from 12 toYou end up facing
quarter turn3the side
half turn6the opposite way
three-quarter turn9the other side
full turn12 againthe way you started
Key idea

Clockwise and anticlockwise

  • Clockwise is the way clock hands move: to the right.
  • Anticlockwise is the other way: to the left.
  • A quarter turn clockwise, then a quarter turn anticlockwise, puts you back where you started.
  • Two half turns make a full turn.
Worked example

Reading an analogue clock

  • The short hand shows the hour. The long hand shows the minutes.
  • Each number is 5 minutes for the long hand. Count on in 5s.
  • For the exact minute, count the small marks after the last number.
Long hand onMinutes pastSay it
155 past
315quarter past
630half past
945quarter to
11555 to
Worked example

Past and to the hour

  • Up to 30 minutes, say minutes past this hour.
  • After 30 minutes, say minutes to the next hour.
DigitalSay it
7:1010 past 7
7:2525 past 7
7:4020 to 8
7:537 to 8
8:1717 past 8
Key idea

Try it: read the clock

Worked example

How long does it take?

  • A movie starts at 4:10 pm and ends at 5:45 pm.
  • 4:10 to 5:10 is 1 hour.
  • 5:10 to 5:45 is 35 minutes.
  • The movie lasts 1 hour and 35 minutes.
Key idea

Try it: how long?

Key idea

Which unit of time?

  • A week is 7 days, so a week is longer than a day.
  • A year is 12 months, so a year is longer than a month.
EventBest unit
a blinkseconds
brushing your teethminutes
a school dayhours
the summer holidaysweeks
growing from a baby to 8 years oldyears
Key idea

Try it: pick the unit

Common mistakes

  • 7:40 is 40 to 8.
    7:40 is 20 to 8, because 40 + 20 = 60.
  • Anticlockwise is the way the clock hands go.
    Clock hands go clockwise. Anticlockwise is the opposite way.
  • The long hand on 4 means 4 minutes past.
    Each number is 5 minutes, so the 4 means 20 minutes past.
  • A half turn and a full turn leave you facing the same way.
    A half turn makes you face the opposite way. A full turn brings you back.

Your turn

1

How many quarter turns make a full turn?

2

The long hand points to 9. How many minutes past the hour is that?

3

Say 8:50 as minutes to the hour.

4

Kahu reads from 6:15 pm to 6:40 pm. How long does Kahu read?

5

Which is longer: 3 weeks or 20 days?

Show answer

1. 4 2. 45 3. 10 to 9 4. 25 minutes 5. 3 weeks, because 3 weeks is 21 days

Summary

What to take away

  • Turns are quarter, half, three-quarter or full, clockwise or anticlockwise.
  • Each number on the clock is 5 minutes for the long hand.
  • Duration is the time from start to end.
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