Shop Subscribe

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Schoolyard Blog | Teacher Resources | School Specialty

Classroom must haves for teachers plus essential teacher supplies, lesson plans and activities.

schoolyard-logo
  • Education Essentials
  • Inspiration & Planning
  • Learning Spaces
  • Topics
  • Search
  • < Previous post
    Next post >
    daylight saving time concept with clock and autumn leaves

    Celebrations & Themes
    School Specialty • Oct 31, 2022 • Last Modified: Oct 28, 2022

    Fun Facts and the Future of Daylight Saving Time

    Did you read that article title correctly? Here’s a freebie fact right from the start!

    It’s Daylight Saving Time, not Daylight Savings Time

    That’s right. Many of you have probably been saying it incorrectly this whole time. And that’s okay because there are still people out there saying expresso and nucular… we can all agree those are much more egregious. Some countries just call it Summer Time. Doesn’t that seem less confusing?

    It wasn’t created for farmers

    It’s very possible everyone has heard this one discussed as absolute fact, but it’s simply not true. The story goes that Daylight Saving Time was created to give farmers more time out in the fields at night. The truth is that the agricultural industry actually lobbied against changing clocks during the year when it was first introduced to the US in 1918. Farmers, especially dairy farmers, often have very set schedules, and changing milking time by an hour can be disruptive for both the farmer and their cattle.

    Some blame Daylight Saving Time for the end of drive-in movie theaters

    While first introduced in the US in 1918, it wasn’t enforced nationwide until the Uniform Time Act of 1966. At that time, there were more than 4,000 drive-in movie theaters across the country. Today, only about 300 remain. While there are certainly plenty of factors that likely contributed to that decline, drive-in movie theater owners were strongly opposed to the original legislation because adding an hour of sunlight in the warmer months made it more difficult to show movies at family-friendly times.

    But retailers LOVE it

    It’s not surprising that stores getting another hour of weeknight sunlight is great for their industry. The outdoor grill and charcoal industries supported the first extension from six to seven months in 1986, and claim the extra month of extra sunlight at night has earned them an additional $200 million in sales. Chambers of commerce were some of the biggest supporters of the next Daylight Saving Time extension from seven to eight months in 2005.

    What is the Future of Daylight Saving Time?

    There is currently renewed interest in switching everyone to Daylight Saving Time for the entire year. It would become the new standard time and never change. However, this was tried once before with less than positive results. While most enjoy the extra hour of sunlight during warmer months, there was concern about students walking to school in the dark on shorter winter days.

    Many states have passed legislation to declare Daylight Saving Time the standard time year-round. But they can’t enact it without federal approval. The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Sunshine Protection Act of 2021 to allow states to enforce that change and give states the option to choose between Daylight Saving Time or standard time year-round. Similar legislation is being considered in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    No matter what happens, as long as it’s here, you might as well find some fun ways to incorporate it into your classroom!

    What do you think? Daylight Saving Time all year? Standard time all year? Or should we keep changing them forward and backward? Let us know in the comments!

    Tagged With: Fall

    Recommended

    Crayola Partners with School Specialty for Crayola Creativity Week

    News

    Crayola Partners with School Specialty for Crayola Creativity Week

    4 Ways Kids Can Help with Thanksgiving Dinner

    Celebrations & Themes

    4 Ways Kids Can Help with Thanksgiving Dinner

    Educational Games for National Game & Puzzle Week

    Out of School

    Educational Games for National Game & Puzzle Week

    9 Easy Halloween Costumes for Teachers

    Celebrations & Themes

    9 Easy Halloween Costumes for Teachers

    Explore The Schoolyard

    Education Essentials

    Inspiration & Planning

    Learning Spaces

     

    TopicsShop Subscribe

    Copyright © 2023 School Specialty, LLC. All rights reserved. Privacy Statement · Social Media Statement · Do Not Sell My Personal Information - CA Resident Only

  • CATEGORIES

    • Education Essentials
    • Inspiration & Planning
    • Learning Spaces
  • TOPICS

    • Arts & Crafts
    • Early Childhood
    • Special Needs
    • Physical Education
    • Educational Technology
    • Student Resources
    • Organization & Storage
    • Classroom Management
    • STEAM & STEM
    • 21st Century Learning
    • Reading & Literacy
    • Healthy Students
    • Teacher Life
    • Back to School
    • Celebrations & Seasons
    • Out of School
    • News
    • Math
    • Science
    • Topics
    • Shop
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube