TIME ZONES

Name(s) : Ellen Baribeau and Caitlin Field Time Allotted: 1 hour

Grade Level: 4th grade Subject: Social Studies

Materials Required:
globe
flashlight with batteries
document camera
Behavior Expectations printed out for document camera
I CAN statements printed out for document camera
Time Zone maps of the world (for each student and one for the document camera)
Book: At the Same Moment, Around the World by Clotilde Perrin
pencils and erasers
word problems worksheet for each student
word problems worksheet answer key
list of possible My United States dream vacation locations and time zone maps
postcard template for each student
finished example of postcard for document camera
student checklist for postcard content for each student
rubric for postcards
crayons

Michigan Content Expectations

4-G1.0.2 Identify and describe the characteristics and purposes of a variety of geographic tools and
technologies.

4-G.2.0.1 Describe ways in which the United States can be divided into different regions.

4-MD.2 Use the four operations to solve word problems involving distances, intervals of time, liquid
volumes, masses of objects, and money, including problems involving simple fractions or decimals, and
problems that require expressing measurements given in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit.
4-W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience.
Objective(s):

1. The student will understand that the United States can be divided into regions called time zones, a
human characteristic. (comprehension)
2. The student will calculate the time difference between cities from different time zones in the United
States. (application)
So that they demonstrate 80% proficiency on the end of lesson assessment (postcard), a summative
assessment scored by a rubric.
Student friendly version objectives:

1. I CAN understand the United States is divided into different time zones.
2. I CAN figure out the difference in time between two different U.S. time zones.

Assessments:

Informal Formative:
1. Discussion (thumbs up). Formative conversation about objectives after reading the book
At the Same Moment, Around the World by Clotilde Perrin.
Formal Formative:
1. Complete the world map with the hours of the day written in the star shapes according to
the book At the Same Moment, Around the World by Clotilde Perrin. Formative,
students label the 24 stars with the hours of the day while we read the book. We will ask
students to point to specific cities and verify they have labeled the correct time.
2. Answer word problems about time differences between time zones in the United States
(at least one east bound, and at least one west bound). Formative worksheet in pairs,
students may use their maps. Afterward, we will review the correct answers with the
students, and will remodel how to complete the problems if there are errors.
Formal Summative:
1. Students create a postcard to send to the teacher including a greeting and salutation,
and including the time difference between two U.S. time zones. Summative, scored by a
rubric. We will know they have learned it if they demonstrate 80% proficiency on the
rubric.

Instructional Procedure:

1. Anticipatory Set: (5 minutes)

a. Show the students a globe and shine a flashlight on it. Tell the students the flashlight
shining on the globe is like it would be at noon. The parts of the globe that are not lit up
cannot be noon, so they have to be a different time. If we catch a train in New York at
noon, can we catch a train in California at noon at the same moment? No. So, how
would we know when the train in New York or California will arrive or depart? This
leads into the book we will read. In the back of the book, there is the question "Can you
imagine not knowing when a train would arrive or depart?"
b. Draw on previous Social Studies lesson about latitude and longitude because time zones
change every 15 degrees longitude.
c. We will read the book At the Same Moment, Around the World, we will have a
discussion, we will complete a short worksheet, and we will create a postcard.
d. Behavior Expectations: 1) Raise your hand to speak. 2) Be respectful of others ideas.

2. State Purpose and Objective of Lesson: (2 minutes)

 . State the I CAN student friendly objectives 1) I CAN understand the United States is divided into
different time zones and 2) I CAN figure out the difference in time between two different U.S. time
zones.
a. This is important because if the world only had one time zone, noon would be in the morning in
some places, and in the night in other places. We wouldnt know when trains or airplanes would arrive
or depart.

3. Instructional Input/Direct Instruction: (for written lesson plan, not stated to students)
. TTW read a book, facilitate a discussion, model how to determine the difference between time
zones by adding or subtracting the hours, model how to create a postcard including a greeting and
salutation and including the time difference between two different time zones in the U.S.

b. TSW listen to the book read aloud, label the time zone hours on a world map, participate
in a discussion about time zones, add and subtract hours to solve word problems on a
worksheet, create a postcard of a My United States dream vacation location.

4. Modeling: (1 minutes)
a. Before we read the book At the Same Moment, Around the World, we will model how to fill
in the stars and where on the map to start. the time changes around the world.

5. Guided Practice: (8 minutes)

. Labeling the hours on the world map is a guided practice activity. As we read the book, we will
occasionally ask students to point to specific cities and verify they have labeled the correct
time. Students may work with other students at their table.

6. Modeling: (15 minutes)

. In a discussion, teacher will explain vocabulary words: region, time zone. A region is an area
with common features that sets it apart from other areas. A time zone is a region in a range of
longitudes where a common standard time is used.
a. We will model how to add and subtract hours to calculate the time change using cities from our
unifying text How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the U.S.A. by Marjorie Priceman before passing out
the worksheet. In a sing-song way, say If we go to the right (point to the right), then we add (make an
addition sign with both arms on the right side of the body). If we go to the left (point to the left), then
we subtract (keep left arm straight out to the left.)

7. Guided Practice: (8 minutes)

. Answering the word problems on the worksheet is a guided practice activity. At least one word
problem is east bound, and at least one problem is west bound. We will verify the students answers and
remodel how to complete the problems if there are errors. Repeat the sing-song directions for adding
hours or subtracting hours. Students may work in pairs.

8. Modeling: (3 minutes)
. We will model how to create the postcard using a finished example and a rubric/checklist.

6. Independent Practice: (15 minutes)

 Students will each create a postcard once they are able to complete the worksheet without
major errors.
We will provide a list of possible U.S. dream vacation locations. Any other locations
will need to be approved before beginning the postcard.
Students will work independently on their postcards using an example shown on the
document camera and a printed checklist. Students follow the checklist and fill in the
blanks.
1. Students will first choose a teachers name and write this name in the
postcard address.
2. Students will complete the greeting and salutation, writing Dear and the
same teacher name as in the address. Write teachers names on the board
to model proper capitalization and punctuation.
3. Students will choose a dream vacation location in the United States in a
different time zone than the Eastern Standard time zone for Michigan.
4. Students will choose a time of day for their vacation and a vacation
activity they are doing at that time, and fill these in on their checklist to
help them when writing their postcard sentences.
5. Students will count the number of time zones from their vacation to
Michigan and write this time difference on the checklist.
6. Students will calculate the time in Michigan for their teacher by using the
sing-song saying and adding or subtracting the time difference to the time
on their vacation.. For example, if a students dream vacation is
California, the student will add 3 hours because Michigan is 3 time zones
to the right on the map.
7. Finally, students will include all of this information as they write a
friendly postcard letter to their teacher.
Our proof that the students have arrived will be the students postcards scored according
to the rubric, so that they demonstrate 80% proficiency.

7. Differentiated Consideration:
We will read the word problems on the worksheet, the postcard example, and the
postcard rubric out loud for students who struggle with reading.
Students who finish quickly with the written portion of the postcard will be able draw
and color a picture of their location on the back of the postcard.

8. Closure: (3 minutes)
a. Restate the I CAN student friendly objectives 1) I CAN understand the United States is divided
into different time zones and 2) I CAN figure out the difference in time between two U.S. different time
zones
b. Students summarize what they have learned in relation to objectives. Students will answer in
choral responses.
Teacher: What are the regions called that are grouped together by time?
Students: Time Zones
Teacher: Tell me how to figure out the time in a different time zone. When we go to the
right we..
Students: Add
 Teacher: When we go to the left we
Students: Subtract.

9. References:
Perrin, C. (2014). At the same moment, around the world. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.
Priceman, M. (2008). How to make a cherry pie and see the U.S.A. New York, NY: Alfred A.
Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books.
World Map: http://forum.klankind.com/ForumResources/TimeZone.jpg
Discussion information:
http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/file/martha-10-time-zones-
cb1295390625.pdf