Today's Classroom Activities :

What is Daylight Saving Time?

Daylight Saving time begins on March 14, prepare your class to "Spring forward."

Daylight Saving Time
Science Most of the United States will begin Daylight Saving Time earlier this year than in the past. Visit the National Geographic website with your students to research the history of Daylight Saving Time. Gather the necessary information for preparing informational posters or a PowerPoint presentation to set up in the school lobby, lunchroom or library for others to enjoy.

Daylight Saving Time Around the World
Students can view this world map to see what countries observe daylight saving time.

Daylight Savings Elementary Lesson Plan
Elementary school children who have learned to tell time and understand the calendar are ready to learn about the confusing concept of Daylight Savings. This lesson is best taught in the spring, just before and after Daylight Savings goes into effect. Timing the lesson this way will make it relevant to your students' lives and they will be more likely to remember everything they need to know about Daylight Savings.

Investigating annual daylight patterns
In this lesson, students will learn about a natural factor affecting their everyday lives—daylight. First, they will collect data on sunrise and sunset in their hometown, create an Excel chart to help them understand the data pattern, and offer a hypothesis about why the amount of daylight varies over the year. Then, they will learn how the earth's rotation affects the amount of daylight over the course of the year.