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Year 6 - Geography

The International Date Line and time

Time zones: can we time travel on planet Earth?

Unit Summary

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.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to use time and date maps and the International Date Line to explore time zones around the world.

Key Notes

  • 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.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • 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 Mistakes To Avoid

  • Children my believe that a country's time zone is fixed and cannot be changed.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this geography topic using two clear key 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.

2. Define this geography term and use it in an example. 'time zone'

A time zone is a region where the same standard time is used.

3. Correct this common geography misunderstanding.

Mistake: Children my believe that a country's time zone is fixed and cannot be changed. Correction: 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.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 6 Geography guide library.