Why We Count Time in 60s: Babylonian Math

The Surprising Reason We Have 60 Minutes in an Hour (Download and teach. No Preparation required)

This engaging, zero-prep reading and activity unit answers a question students ask all the time: Why do we use the number 60 for time and 360 for circles, instead of the base-10 system we use for everything else?

This unit serves as an excellent cross-curricular bridge between History, Math, and English/Reading.

What’s Included (Ready to Teach):

• High-Interest Reading Passage: Explores the ancient Babylonian sexagesimal system (base-60) and why 60 is the “most practical number for dividing circles and time”.
• History of Science: Explains how the Babylonians, Egyptians , and Greeks contributed to our modern system of time and angles.
• Comprehension Questions: Full-text comprehension and recall questions based directly on the passage.
• Vocabulary & Review: A custom crossword puzzle based on the vocabulary and concepts from the text.
• Extension & Discussion: Thought-provoking discussion questions to encourage critical thinking about history and civilization

Available in both PDF and Word version