Transcript What time is it

What time is it?
Objective: To understand time zones and the
effects changing time zones can have on
travellers (P4/5)
Outcome: A leaflet about time zones for
tourists.
What are time zones?
• The globe is divided up into lines
of longitude.
• 0⁰ runs through Greenwich in
London. This in known as the
Prime Meridian. The time at this
point is known as Greenwich
Mean Time (GMT) or sometimes
as Universal Time Co-ordinate
(UTC).
• As you travel east or west from
the prime meridian time changes.
Approximately every 15⁰ you will
move into the next time zone.
Time Zones
Why do you think the lines are not straight?
Gaining or losing time?
• If you travel in an easterly direction the clocks will go forward.
The further you travel the further forward you have to set
your watch. You will actually ‘lose’ this time.
• E.g. if you travel from the UK towards Australia travelling over
Africa and Asia you will add around 8-10 hours to the time.
• If you set out at 8 am the time in Australia will be around
4pm. This means you will effectively ‘lose’ this time.
• If you travel in a westerly direction the clocks go backwards.
The further you travel the further back you will have to set
your watch. You will actually get this time again so you will
‘gain’ time.
• E.g. if you travel from the UK across the Atlantic ocean to New
York in the USA you will add 5 hours to your day.
• If you set out at 8am it will 3am in New York. So you will get
that time all over again! (Even though you will spend it in an
aeroplane!)
24 hour clock
• Why do you think that travel agents usually
use the 24 hour clock, especially when talking
about time zones?
Same place different time!
• Some places are so big that they have several
time zones in them.
• E.g. in the Western Hemisphere the USA is 5
hours behind GMT on its western coast (New
York) but is 8 hours behind on its eastern coast
(Los Angeles).
• E.g. in the Eastern Hemisphere Russia is 3
hours ahead of GMT nearest to the UK but is
12 hours ahead furthest away and touches the
international date line.
International Date Line
On the far side of the world
opposite the Prime Meridian
along the 180° line of
latitude is the International
Date Line.
This line falls between the USA
and Russia and travels down
the centre of the Pacific
Ocean going around New
Zealand.
International Date Line
• So what does it do?
• This line is the official place where a new day
‘starts’.
• If you travel from east to west across the line
you will move into a new day. E.g if you set
out on a Saturday and cross the dateline you
will move into Sunday.
• If you travel from west to east you will go back
a day. If you set out on a Saturday you will
move back into Friday.
Daylight Saving Time
• Daylight saving is a when countries move their
clocks forward or backwards by an hour to
provide extra daylight in the evenings. In
Britain we call this British Summer Time (BST).
• We move our clocks forward by and hour on
the last Sunday in March and back again on
the last Sunday in October.
What time is it?
• Now use your map to complete worksheet 1
• Complete worksheet 2 using the computer.
How do time zones affect travellers?
• Jet Lag- this is when your body thinks it is a different time to it
actually is.
• For example it may be the middle of the night when you
arrive somewhere but you might have only been up for a 7 or
8 hours so don’t feel like sleeping. This will make you tired the
next day (if you are travelling where time is added).
• Or you might arrive somewhere at lunchtime and your body
thinks its bedtime. You will want to go to bed but shouldn’t as
you wont sleep that night then! (if you are travelling where
time is taken away).
• This might affect your holiday enjoyment at first as you adjust
to the new times.
• The further you travel the worse it usually is!
What other issues?
• If you travel in an easterly direction you will gradually
lose time. This might mean that you lose a day of
your holiday.
• If you cross the international date line as you travel
you may also gain or lose a day of your holiday
depending upon which direction you travel.
• If you are a business traveller this might affect you
more as you may have to attend meetings and
conferences when you are tired and not performing
at your best. You won’t want to let your company
down!
Your task
• You work for a global travel company and have
been asked to produce a leaflet about time
zones to give to passengers.
• You will need to explain what they are, what
the terminology means and how travelling
through different time zones might affect
them. You could also add a section on how to
avoid jet lag.