Pre-Reading Discussion/Map Activity

1. Direct students' attention to a map of the United States. We suggest a basic map that shows states and maybe state capitals — the less detailed the better. Put map down on a table large enough for students to come stand around during discussion.
    
   
2. Ask students to raise their hand if they can find the state they live in on the map. Call on a student to point to that state on the map. Ask if everyone agrees.
    
   
3. Explain to students that you are going to read a book. In the book a family — the Pigs — are going on a Christmas vacation. They live in Texas. "Can anyone find Texas on our map?" Call on a student to point out Texas. Put a non-permanent sticker to mark where the Pigs live. "I am going to put this sticker where the Pigs live in Texas."
    
   
4. Go on to explain that the Pigs are going to spend Christmas in Boston. The book calls Boston "Bean Town." Point this out the students so they understand where the Pigs are going in the story. "Does anyone know what state Boston is in?" If no one knows, tell class it is in Massachusetts. Ask for a volunteer to find Massachusetts on the map. Put another sticker to show Boston on the map.
    
   
5. Ask students what time it is. "Is it the same time all over the world?" Some students may have relatives in other time zones or may have traveled to other time zones. For many, however, this may be a new idea.
    
   
6. Explain that our country is so big that it includes four different time zones — five if you include Alaska! You can take this opportunity to explain what we mean by the continental United States. This is what this activity will focus on. Lay a piece of clear cellophane over the map. (Before class trace the time zone lines onto the cellophane with a dark marker. You can use the time zone map in the book to guide you.) Place a Daisy Clock above each time zone on the map. Have all clocks set at 12:00. "These lines show where the time zones are. Over here to the western part of the country is what we call Pacific Time. Can anyone guess why?"
    
   
7. Introduce the remaining time zones: Mountain, Central, and Eastern. Ask students to name states in each time zone, using the map as a reference.
    
   
8. "All the clocks say 12:00. Could it be the same time in all the time zones?" Start with Western Time (adding an hour will be easier than taking an hour away to begin with). "Let's say it is 12:00 Western Time. There is a pattern to figuring out what time it is in the other time zones. Let's figure it out together!"
    
   
9. "Each time zone is different by one hour. The Western Time Zone is the earliest time zone in the continental United States. If it is the earliest, and each time zone is different by one hour, what time would it be in Colorado (Mountain Time)?
    
   
10. Change the time on each of the clocks to reflect the appropriate times for each time zone. Try changing different clocks to encourage the students to be flexible with their thinking. "If it is three o'clock in the afternoon Central Time, what time is it everywhere else?"

CLASS ACTIVITIES

Read the Book

1. Show students the cover of the book. Tell students they are going to use clues in the book to figure out what time it is in each time zone.
    
   
2. Open the book. Show students the title page in which the Pigs are in an airport waiting room. Ask what they notice. After they notice the clock, ask what time zone that clock is in. (Since the Pigs live in Texas and are leaving to go on vacation, this would be Central Time.) Extend their thinking by asking what time it is in California if it is 6:45 a.m. in Texas. Allow students to refer to map. Ask one student to adjust the Daisy Clocks to reflect the appropriate times.
    
   
3. Read the next few pages. It is not necessary to change your Daisy Clocks with each change of time in the story. But note the passing of time. When the Pigs finally board the plane, the clock reads 7:45. Ask students how much time has gone by since the Pigs missed their plane? What time is it now in the different time zones?
    
   
4. The cities in the story are all called by nicknames: The City by the Bay (San Francisco), Mile-High City (Denver), the Windy City (Chicago), and Bean Town (Boston). Ask students if they recognize any of the nicknames. If students don't know the names of the cities, tell them.
    
   
5. Allow students to peruse the map that shows the Pigs' journey. Ask, "How many time zones are the Pigs going to go through?"
    
   
6. When the plane is on its way after stopping in San Francisco, the clock on the airplane reads 12:00, but Father Pig's watch reads 2:00. Why? Help students understand that Father Pig's watch is set to Central Time. The clock on the plane has the words "Local Time" over it. What does that mean?
    
   
7. Continue to help students navigate the different time zones by using the map and the times displayed within the book. Ask students at the end of the book if the cab driver's watch is wrong? Why does Father Pig think it is wrong?

Time Zone Charts