The International Date Line and time
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can use time and date maps and the International Date Line to explore time zones around the world.
Key learning points
- West of the Prime Meridian, you ‘lose’ four minutes for every degree of longitude, and east you ‘gain’ four minutes.
- The International Date Line is 180˚ east and 180˚ west of the Prime Meridian and is the place where the date changes.
- Meridians are the basis for the 24 time zones; many deviate from the meridian to accommodate national/state borders.
- The Antimeridian forms the basis of the International Date Line, with some deviations for national borders.
Keywords
Time zone - A time zone is a region where the same standard time is used.
Antimeridian - An Antimeridian is the line of longitude opposite a meridian. The Antimeridian forms the basis of the International Date Line.
Border - A border is the dividing line between two countries.
Common misconception
Children my believe that a country's time zone is fixed and cannot be changed.
Countries occasionally change their time zone for practical or political reasons. For example, in 2024, Kazakhstan moved from using two time zones to observing only one times zone across the whole country: UTC+5
Teacher tip
Pupils will need to be familiar with 24 hour digital clock and/or 12 hour AM/PM to complete this task.
Equipment
Atlases to supplement time zones map on worksheet.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1. is the line of longitude at 0 degrees, from which the other lines of longitude are measured east and west.
Q2.Webcams give geographers information about ...
Q3.Earth is divided into standard meridians, at intervals of 15˚.
Q4.Which of these statements are correct?
Q5.Order the time zones based on their distance from the Prime Meridian (UTC) starting with the closest.
Q6.Why are there 24 time zones?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the key words to their definitions.
a region where the same standard time is used
the line of longitude opposite a meridian
the dividing line between two countries
Q2.Lines of longitude give our position in east or west of the Prime Meridian.
Q3.Which of these statements are true of the The International Date Line (IDL)?
Q4.The IDL does not follow the Antimeridian exactly. There are some deviations for ...
Q5.The International Date Line (IDL) runs through which ocean?
Q6.Places to the of the IDL are the first to experience a new day.
To help you plan your 6 geography lesson on: The International Date Line and time, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 6 geography lesson on: The International Date Line and time, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 geography lessons from the Time zones: can we time travel on planet Earth? unit, dive into the full primary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.