Using NewsHour Extra Feature Stories

Overview: NewsHour Extra features stories can help students identify and interpret key issues in current events. This activity anticipates one class period, but the follow-up essay might be assigned as homework, or in another period.

Warm Up: Use initiating questions to introduce the topic and find out how much your students know.

Main Activity: Have students read NewsHour Extra's feature story and answer the questions on the reading comprehension handout.

Discussion: Use discussion questions to encourage students to think about how the issues outlined in the story affect their lives and express and debate different opinions.

Follow-up: Students can write an 500-word editorial on the topic expressing their views and send it to NewsHour Extra [extra@newshour.org] for possible publication.

Evaluation: Students are graded on their answers to reading comprehension questions and/or their editorial.

Story: Daylight-saving Time Lasts Longer This Year, 03/09/07
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/jan-june07/daylight_3-09.html

Initiating Questions:

1. What is daylight-saving time?

2. Who decides when to turn the clocks ahead?

3. When are you more active, in the morning or evening?

Reading Comprehension Questions: (click here for printout)

1. What is daylight-saving time? How has it been changed most recently?

Daylight-saving time, intended to help people make better use of daylight hours, was increased by four or five weeks when President Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

The act mandated that clocks "spring forward" on the second Sunday of March, not the usual first Sunday of April. The act also mandated that clocks "fall back" on the first Sunday in November, not the last Sunday in October.

2. What is the main reason these changes have been enacted?

The idea is to move an hour of daylight from when people are typically sleeping to when they are out and about, therefore decreasing the amount of energy used for lighting and appliances.

According to studies done by the U.S. Department of Transportation, those savings amount to a decrease of the entire country's energy usage by about 1 percent each day.

"The entire population is active at 6 p.m. versus 6 a.m., and if we all have an extra hour before we turn on the lights, that's a big savings," David Moulton, chief of staff for Representative Edward Markey, D-Mass., who introduced the amendment to the law, told Time magazine.

3. To whom is daylight-saving time attributed? Why?

Daylight-saving time is often attributed to Benjamin Franklin, who wrote about the concept in his essay, "An Economical Project," while living in France in 1784. The thrifty diplomat and inventor advised getting up an hour earlier each day to save on the use of candles at the end of the day.

4. What is the Uniform Time Act of 1966?

Congress created the Uniform Time Act in 1966. This act mandated a set beginning and ending of daylight-saving across the country. Any state that wanted to opt out of the system had to create its own law to keep the state on standard time. Arizona and Hawaii are two such states.

5. What are some potential technological problems associated with the daylight-saving changes?

Some technology experts worry that the change in the timetable for daylight-saving will cause cell phones, computers, digital video recorders and other technological gadgets to malfunction.

In addition, airports, hospitals and other institutions that rely on tight schedules might be affected.

6. Who are some critics of the changes to daylight-saving time?

Critics of an earlier daylight-saving time include farmers, psychologists and some energy experts who do not think the savings will be as much as expected.

7. What industry might come out ahead with the new time changes? Why?

One winner from the later switch back to standard time is the candy industry, which has been pressing for the change since 1986 because it will mean and hour more light for trick or treating on Halloween.

Discussion Activity (more research might be needed):

1. Now that you've learned a bit about daylight-saving time what is your opinion of it? Is it a good thing? Why or why not?

2. The proponents of daylight-saving say that it will save energy and money. Critics disagree. What do you think? Explain your reasoning.

3. What other rules could the government make or change that would help save energy?

4. How will daylight-saving time impact your daily life? What changes, both positive and negative, will you experience?

Write a 300-500 word essay on any of these topics providing clear examples. Send your completed editorial to NewsHour Extra (extra@newshour.org). Exceptional essays might be published on our Web site.