Ask: Is the pig pen closest to the north, south, east on the map? (east) One pig got away. Have them orient their maps by placing them on their desks so that north, south, east, and west on the map match the directions labeled on the wall.ĭiscuss together where things are on the map of the farm.
Give each student the handout Map of Joe’s Farm. Direction words also help us to read maps. Elicit from students that they help us to explain to one another where things are. Have students apply their understanding to a map.ĭiscuss with students why we use special words to tell directions. Have the volunteer come back in the room, and have students one at a time guide the volunteer to the hidden item, with phrases such as “walk 5 steps to the north,” “walk three steps to the south,” and so on.Ħ. Play Simon Says and have them take steps in different directions.Īs a final game of practice, send a volunteer to the hall and hide an item so the class sees the hiding place. Have students use cardinal directions to talk about movement also. You can help them remember N, S, E, and W by using a phrase such as “Never Eat Sour Watermelon,” or have them create a phrase they like. Practice the directions in the room by having students face north first, then turn at right angles and point, naming the directions “north, south, east, and west” several times. Track the weather using the provided Weather Channel website, and look for opportunities to take the students outside when north or south winds are blowing. North and south can also be observed with wind patterns.In areas where there is snow, teach north and south by observing where snow melts faster: the south side of buildings (in the northern hemisphere).Ask them to point toward the N, and explain that this direction is north. Have students line up the E and W on the compass with east and west labeled on the wall. Use a compass, or a compass app on a smartphone or tablet, to show north and south and reinforce east and west.Add the north and south labels to the classroom walls: Next, ground students’ learning about north and south in the physical world with one or more of these ideas. Observe north and south, and label the classroom walls. Together write a sentence that explains what they have observed and what they would expect to see in the future.Ĥ. Track the sun's location in this way for five days and then ask students if they have noticed a pattern. Look for a pattern in the sun’s location in the morning and afternoon.
Identify that direction as west and have a student put the date and time of day on a sun cutout and place it next to the “west” sign.ģ. Observe the sun again at end of the school day and ask students if it is in the same location as earlier in the morning. The goal is to have students understand that east is a certain direction and the sun always rises in the east in the morning. It will probably appear to students that the sun is moving, not the Earth, but it is not age appropriate for students to try to conceptualize the movement of the Earth on its axis or around the sun yet. Go into the classroom and have a student write the date and time of day on a sun cutout and put it next to where the word “east” is located.Īvoid saying that the sun is moving. While outside in the morning, as students identify the location of the sun, tell them that we call that direction east. Take students outside first thing in the morning and at the end of the school day and have them observe where the sun is in the sky. Tell students that they are going to observe where the sun is each morning and afternoon for five days. Find east and west by observing the sun in the morning and afternoon.
TURN YOUR FACE TOWARDS THE SUN ORIGIN DOWNLOAD
You can download a compass app on a smartphone or tablet to ensure correct placement of these.Ģ. Put the words east and west on the east and west walls of the classroom. On white construction paper, write in large letters north, south, east, and west. Cut out 10 large yellow paper suns from construction paper.