Grade by Grade
E. Spatial Sense · Shapes, Maps and Measurement

Describing Positions and Movements

E1.5About 30 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can describe where several objects are compared to each other.
  • I can describe the moves needed to get from one object to another.
  • I can use quarter turns and half turns to change direction.
  • I can remember that left and right can change depending on which way someone is facing.

Words to know

position
Where something is. We describe position with words like above, below, beside, between, left and right.
relative position
Where something is compared to something else. "The cat is to the left of the dog."
quarter turn
A small turn, like turning from facing the door to facing the window beside it. Four quarter turns make a full turn.
half turn
Two quarter turns. After a half turn, you face the opposite way.
path
The way you travel from one place to another.

Remember from Grade 1

You already know position words: above, below, beside, between, in front of, behind, left, right. You moved on a grid map using up, down, left, right and a number of squares.

This year, you will describe where several things are at once, and give longer directions with turns.

BCTKB = ball · C = car · K = kite · T = teddy bear
Four toys on a grid: a ball (B), a car (C), a kite (K) and a teddy bear (T).

Describing where things are

Look at the grid. We can say many true things:

  • The car is 3 squares to the right of the ball.
  • The kite is above and to the right of the ball.
  • The teddy bear is the farthest to the right and the highest up.
  • The kite is between the ball and the teddy bear, if you go from left to right.

Using two clues (like "up and to the right") helps people find things exactly.

Worked example

Example 1: From the ball to the teddy bear

Describe a path that moves from the ball to the teddy bear along the grid lines (no diagonal moves).

  1. Find the ball (bottom row, far left). Find the teddy bear (top row, far right).
  2. Count the squares to the right: the teddy bear's column is 5 squares to the right.
  3. Count the squares up: the teddy bear's row is 3 squares up.
  4. One path: go right 5 (you drive right past the car), then go up 3.

Move right 5, then up 3. Another path that works is up 3, then right 5.

BCTKB = ball · C = car · K = kite · T = teddy bear
One path from the ball to the teddy bear: right 5, then up 3.

Count the moves, not the squares you are on

Start with your finger on the starting object. Say "1" only when your finger moves into the next square.

Turning

When you walk, you don't always move up, down, left or right on a page. You turn.

  • A quarter turn is a small turn, like turning to face a wall beside you.
  • A half turn is 2 quarter turns. Now you face the opposite way.
  • A full turn is 4 quarter turns. You end up facing the way you started.
start: facingforwardquarter turnto the righthalf turn:now facing back
Seen from above: facing forward, after a quarter turn to the right, and after a half turn.
Worked example

Example 2: Directions in the kitchen

Ari stands at the fridge, facing the kitchen table. He wants to get to the sink. Here are the directions: "Walk 3 steps forward. Make a quarter turn to your left. Walk 2 steps." What would the directions be to walk back from the sink to the fridge?

  1. Going back, we do the moves in reverse order, and turn the opposite way.
  2. At the sink, first make a half turn to face back the way you came.
  3. Walk 2 steps.
  4. Make a quarter turn to the right (the opposite of the left turn before).
  5. Walk 3 steps. You are at the fridge!

"Half turn. Walk 2 steps. Quarter turn to the right. Walk 3 steps."

Whose left?

When you face a friend, your right hand is across from their left hand! When you give directions, think about which way the other person is facing. It helps to stand beside them, facing the same way.

Just for fun

How do you make a robot dizzy? Tell it to make 4 quarter turns... then 4 more! After all that spinning, it ends up facing the exact same way it started.

Hands-on activity

Robot game

One person is the robot. The other is the programmer.

  1. Choose a start spot and a goal (for example, from the couch to the front door). Put a small toy at the goal.
  2. The programmer gives commands, one at a time: "Forward 4 steps." "Quarter turn left." "Forward 2 steps."
  3. The robot does exactly what is said, nothing more.
  4. Did the robot reach the goal? If not, find the step that needs fixing (debug it!) and try again.
  5. Switch roles. Then write the directions on paper using arrows: ↑ for forward, ↶ for a quarter turn left, ↷ for a quarter turn right.

Math talk: "Is there a shorter path? How many steps did we save?"

Your turn

1

Use the grid of toys. How many squares is the car to the right of the ball?

2

Use the grid. Describe where the kite is compared to the ball.

3

Use the grid. Give the moves from the car to the teddy bear.

4

You are facing the door. You make a half turn. What are you facing now?

5

How many quarter turns make a full turn?

6

Use the grid. Which toy is closest to the teddy bear: the ball, the car or the kite?

More practice: warm-up

1

Use the grid. Which toy is in the top row?

2

Use the grid. Which two toys are in the bottom row?

3

How many quarter turns make a half turn?

4

Use the grid. Is the ball to the left or to the right of the car?

5

Finish the sentence: The kite is ______ the car (above or below).

More practice: on your own

1

Use the grid. Give the moves from the ball to the kite. Then give a different path that also works.

2

Use the grid. Give the moves from the teddy bear to the car.

3

You face the TV. You make a quarter turn right, then another quarter turn right. What did you do in all?

4

Your friend faces you. You say "Raise your right hand." Which side of your body is their raised hand across from?

5

Use the grid. A mouse starts at the kite. It moves right 1, then down 2. Which toy does it land on?

Challenge

1

Use the grid. A bug wants to go from the ball to the teddy bear but must stop at the car first. How many moves is its whole trip?

2

Rana makes 3 quarter turns to the right. Which way could she turn instead to face the same way, with fewer turns?

3

Directions to the park: "Forward 5 blocks, quarter turn right, forward 2 blocks." Write the directions to get home again.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

How many quarter turns make a half turn?

2.

After a half turn, you are facing...

3.

On the toy grid, which moves go from the ball to the car?

4.

On the toy grid, which moves go from the car to the teddy bear?

5.

Your friend faces you and holds up their left hand. Which of your hands is straight across from it?

6.

How many quarter turns make a full turn?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Children describe where objects are relative to each other and the moves (distance and turns) to get between them. Precise language matters: "right 3, up 2" or "forward 4 steps, quarter turn left". This is the foundation for map reading and coding.

Common difficulties:

  • Counting the starting square. Count only when moving into a new square.
  • Left and right confusion, especially when facing someone. This is very common at age 7. A small sticker or watch on one wrist helps.
  • Reversing directions: returning means doing the moves in reverse order and swapping left and right turns.

How to help: Play the robot game, hide-and-find with spoken directions, or ask "Where is the salt compared to the pepper?" at dinner.