Time

These clocks are reflected in a mirror.  What times are they showing?

Click Here for an interactive version of below

 Activity to support the above image

 a) Turn the paper sideways so that the “holes” are at the top.

b) Use a colored pencil to trace over the line at the center of the paper and label this line “Prime Meridian.

c) Label the lines to the right (East) at 15º intervals up to 180º. Repeat to the left (West). Point out that each line represents one hour. Students should count hours plus to the east and minus to the west on their charts.

d) Assume that it is currently 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday in Boston.

e) Use the chart (i.e., count the lines) to determine the time in each location labeled on the chart. Remind students that the new day begins when they pass midnight.

f) What is the time in Tokyo? (4:00 a.m., Wednesday) So it really is tomorrow in Tokyo!

Extending the Activity

a) Use an atlas to determine the longitude of your town and have students place a dot in the correct time zone on the chart. Note the current time and repeat the activity using your location and time as a reference point.

b) Explain that some countries adjust time zones for political reasons. Have students research actual time zones that vary from the model they have made (e.g., Australia, China, India).

c) Have students research “daylight saving time.”