🌞 The Story of Daylight Saving Time 🕰️ Spring Forward, Fall Back… or Not?

Have you noticed that as we get closer to winter, it starts getting dark earlier and earlier? It feels like the day is shrinking and getting smaller and smaller in the Northern Hemisphere! 🌙 I wonder why that happens? And what do we do when it’s dark? We simply turn on a light, right? 💡 But here’s something interesting to think about: What did people do in times when turning on a light wasn’t so easy, when there were no electricity ? 🤔

Over 100 years ago, people used coal to power everything—lights, trains, factories, and even their homes. One bright summer morning, one builder named William Willett was out for an early walk. He loved early morning walks. While the world was still quiet, he’d step outside and feel the fresh breeze on his face. One morning, the sun was shining, the birds were singing… and he noticed something odd.🌄 Most people were still asleep indoors! 💤 The sunlight was being wasted! People were missing the best part of the day. He thought, “What if we could change the clocks so people would wake up with the sun and have more fun—in the long summer evenings?” William wrote down his idea in a little booklet called “The Waste of Daylight.” Many people loved his idea, but it didn’t become a law right away.

A few years later, a time came when people needed to save energy, especially coal, which had become very hard to get. Coal is made from squashed plants that lived millions of years ago—before the dinosaurs! 🌿 When people burn coal, they’re actually using ancient sunlight that those plants soaked up. 🌞🔥

But to get that coal, people had to dig deep underground, often by hand. There were no big digging machines like we have today. Miners used shovels, pickaxes, and lamps on their heads to find their way in the dark. 🪨💡 They worked in tight tunnels, where it was cold, dark, and dangerous.

And when the World War I began, many of the miners were sent away to fight. Fewer people were left to dig, but the world still needed coal—for heating, for cooking, for trains, for factories, even for hospitals.

That’s when people remembered William Willett’s idea!⏳ 🌅 They thought, “If we move the clocks forward in the spring, we can use more of the sunlight—and save our coal for other things.” And so they decided to give it a try! 🌅 By moving clocks forward in the spring, people could use natural sunlight for longer in the evening, which helped save coal. Germany was the first country to make Daylight Saving Time (DST) a law. Soon, other countries around the world followed this example and established the same law. 🌍

And remember, coal is made from squashed plants that lived millions of years ago—before the dinosaurs! When people burn coal, they’re actually releasing ancient sunlight that those plants once soaked up. 🌿🌞🔥

Depending on where you live, you may tell the story a little differently:

For USA except Hawaii and Arizona

In modern days, every second Sunday in March, we “spring forward” ⏩ by moving our clocks one hour ahead. Then, on the first Sunday in November, we “fall back”⏪ by moving our clocks one hour back.

For Europe

In modern days, every last Sunday in March, we “spring forward” ⏩ by moving our clocks one hour ahead. Then, on the last Sunday in October, we “fall back”⏪ by moving our clocks one hour back.

But here’s something very very strange: not every country follows this idea, just 70 countries from 195. 🌏 So, why do you think some places join Daylight Saving Time, while others decide not to? 🌞

I wonder...🔎🧭 The United States is one country—but are there any states in North America that do not observe Daylight Saving Time? 🌎 What about countries in South America, Africa or Asia?

Possible topics for Research

🌞 Seasons and the Movement of the Sun: Have you ever wondered why we change the clocks in March and November? Why not on the summer solstice in June, when the day is longest, or the equinoxes in March and September, when day and night are equal? 🌙

🦌 Plants, Animals, and Seasonal Light Changes: Animals and plants have their own ways of knowing when seasons change! Do you know which animals start preparing for winter as the days get shorter? How do they get ready? 🦉

💡 Energy Conservation: Why do we change the clocks to ‘save’ daylight? It turns out, it can help save energy! How is modern electricity made? Do we still depend on coal, or have we invented other ways to power our homes and light our cities? 🌆

🛌 Circadian Rhythms and Human Sleep: Have you ever felt really tired after the sun goes down, even if it’s not your bedtime? That’s your body’s clock, called a circadian rhythm! ⏰ It follows sunlight to help you feel sleepy or awake. Do animals have circadian rhythm?

P.S. This story was inspired by a very special friend, Montessorian and storyteller: Hadar ✨

With Montessori joy,

Vanina 😊