Time zones: can we time travel on planet Earth?
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Why this why now
This unit develops pupils’ understanding of the Earth as a connected system by exploring how time is linked to place. Its placement introduces global concepts of longitude, rotation and time zones, deepening spatial thinking and building on earlier work in map skills, continents and climate. Pupils also begin to consider how geography influences human activity, such as travel and communication, preparing them for more complex global systems studied later in the year.
Prior knowledge requirements
- Knowledge of how day and night are created by the rotation of the globe in relation to the sun, and that different time zones exist.
Threads
Why this why now
This unit develops pupils’ understanding of the Earth as a connected system by exploring how time is linked to place. Its placement introduces global concepts of longitude, rotation and time zones, deepening spatial thinking and building on earlier work in map skills, continents and climate. Pupils also begin to consider how geography influences human activity, such as travel and communication, preparing them for more complex global systems studied later in the year.
Prior knowledge requirements
- Knowledge of how day and night are created by the rotation of the globe in relation to the sun, and that different time zones exist.
Time zones: can we time travel on planet Earth?
This unit explores the relationship between the Earth's rotation, day and night, and time zones. Pupils learn how longitude affects time, investigate the International Date Line, and consider what happens when we travel across the globe.
5 lessons in unit
slide decks, worksheet PDFs, quizzes and lesson overviews. You can select individual lessons from the Time zones: can we time travel on planet Earth? unit and download the resources you need, or download the entire unit now. See every unit listed in our primary geography curriculum and discover more of our teaching resources for primary geography programmes.