Social Studies Three: Finding the Way

Learning Outcomes

Students will be expected to:

1. Understand the purpose of globes.
2. Identify the cardinal directions: North, South, East and West.

Activity

Bring a globe to class and discuss its value. Have individual students place their finger on the globe and follow instructions you give, e.g., move your finger to the left - that is West.

Discuss how we use cardinal directions to locate places on maps and globes. Provide challenges to children, e.g., in which direction would you travel to go from Europe to Asia. As a learning centre activity, laminate a set of direction cards - one child can read the direction while the other child performs the task.

Examples:
In which direction would you travel to go from Newfoundland to Prince Edward Island?
Find the Pacific Ocean. Now move North of this Ocean.

Assessment Tips
 
Find the cardinal directions in your classroom using a compass. Label each wall with the appropriate sign. Observe the children as you play Simon Says using the cardinal directions e.g. Simon says turn your nose to the north. Simon says take three giant steps east. Simon says to sit facing west.