Daylight Saving Time | Mock Trial Activity
This Daylight Saving Time activity for middle school and high school puts students on a jury to decide whether DST is a useful tool or an outdated inconvenience.
Every student has an opinion about DST: they just lost an hour of sleep, they’re annoyed, and they want to know why we still do this. This mock trial takes that energy and turns it into an actual inquiry. Instead of a lecture about the history of time zones, students are called to jury duty and have to weigh real testimony before rendering a verdict they can defend.
BADGES: Editable Google Slides | No prep | Grades 6-12 | Mock trial | Current events
HOW IT WORKS:
Witness 1: The Scientist. Testimony on what DST does to the human body, including sleep disruption, circadian rhythms, and the documented health effects of the time change. Students examine actual data on the biological cost of shifting the clock.
Witness 2: The Historian. The real origin story of DST: who proposed it, why, and how wartime energy policy became a permanent feature of modern life. Students discover that the reasons we started doing this may not be the reasons we kept doing it.
Witness 3: The Community Voice. Indigenous perspectives on DST, specifically the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe, whose overlapping reservations handle time differently. Students confront how a federal policy affects communities that didn’t ask for it and don’t all agree on it.
Witness 4: The Policy Analyst. The current legislative fight over DST: which states want to ditch it, which want to keep it, and why Congress can’t seem to settle the question. Students engage with public policy as something happening right now, not just a textbook concept.
The verdict. After hearing all four witnesses, students deliver their own evidence-based verdict.
WHO IS THIS FOR?
Middle school and high school students (grades 6-12) across multiple subjects
US History, Government, Civics, Science, ELA, Advisory, Homeroom, or Debate
Any class covering current events and public policy
Especially great during the week of the time change, since the four witnesses cover science, history, civics, and community perspectives
STUDENT SKILLS:
Weigh testimony from multiple expert perspectives before forming a position, not after
Engage with Indigenous community perspectives (Navajo and Hopi) on a federal policy most people never question
Analyze the intersection of science, history, and public policy on a single issue
Practice civic literacy by examining real legislation currently being debated
Deliver a verdict they have to defend with evidence (“I don’t like waking up early” doesn’t count)
MAKE IT YOUR OWN:
The Google Slides are editable, so you can change the links and the questions to fit your class. No prep, just assign and let the jury get to work.
REFUNDS:
Due to the nature of digital products, all sales are final and refunds are not available. Please review the product description and preview images carefully before purchasing. If you have trouble accessing your files, contact me at drea@deeplyhumanteaching.com and I’ll help resolve it.
This Daylight Saving Time activity for middle school and high school puts students on a jury to decide whether DST is a useful tool or an outdated inconvenience.
Every student has an opinion about DST: they just lost an hour of sleep, they’re annoyed, and they want to know why we still do this. This mock trial takes that energy and turns it into an actual inquiry. Instead of a lecture about the history of time zones, students are called to jury duty and have to weigh real testimony before rendering a verdict they can defend.
BADGES: Editable Google Slides | No prep | Grades 6-12 | Mock trial | Current events
HOW IT WORKS:
Witness 1: The Scientist. Testimony on what DST does to the human body, including sleep disruption, circadian rhythms, and the documented health effects of the time change. Students examine actual data on the biological cost of shifting the clock.
Witness 2: The Historian. The real origin story of DST: who proposed it, why, and how wartime energy policy became a permanent feature of modern life. Students discover that the reasons we started doing this may not be the reasons we kept doing it.
Witness 3: The Community Voice. Indigenous perspectives on DST, specifically the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe, whose overlapping reservations handle time differently. Students confront how a federal policy affects communities that didn’t ask for it and don’t all agree on it.
Witness 4: The Policy Analyst. The current legislative fight over DST: which states want to ditch it, which want to keep it, and why Congress can’t seem to settle the question. Students engage with public policy as something happening right now, not just a textbook concept.
The verdict. After hearing all four witnesses, students deliver their own evidence-based verdict.
WHO IS THIS FOR?
Middle school and high school students (grades 6-12) across multiple subjects
US History, Government, Civics, Science, ELA, Advisory, Homeroom, or Debate
Any class covering current events and public policy
Especially great during the week of the time change, since the four witnesses cover science, history, civics, and community perspectives
STUDENT SKILLS:
Weigh testimony from multiple expert perspectives before forming a position, not after
Engage with Indigenous community perspectives (Navajo and Hopi) on a federal policy most people never question
Analyze the intersection of science, history, and public policy on a single issue
Practice civic literacy by examining real legislation currently being debated
Deliver a verdict they have to defend with evidence (“I don’t like waking up early” doesn’t count)
MAKE IT YOUR OWN:
The Google Slides are editable, so you can change the links and the questions to fit your class. No prep, just assign and let the jury get to work.
REFUNDS:
Due to the nature of digital products, all sales are final and refunds are not available. Please review the product description and preview images carefully before purchasing. If you have trouble accessing your files, contact me at drea@deeplyhumanteaching.com and I’ll help resolve it.