Teaching pack: Giving Directions (Year 1) -- a week of maths lessons

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Teaching pack · Year 1 Spaceseegongsik /au

Giving directions: a week of ready-to-teach maths

Five days of lessons for Year 1 Space. Print this pack and the week is prepared: each day has a one-page plan and a student worksheet, plus cut-out arrow cards, object cards and a grid map, a mini-check and every answer.

AC9M1SP02

give and follow directions to move people and objects to different locations within a space

Start here: five minutes to Monday

Skim the week at a glance on the next page.
Print the five days. Each day is two A4 sheets: a plan and a worksheet.
Cut out the two card sheets once; the arrow cards, object cards and grid map are reused all week.
Open the free interactive unit on your board. Every plan tells you which picture to show and when.
Teach straight from the plan. Timings, talk prompts, misconceptions and answers are all on the one page.

No maths background needed

This pack is written for the busy generalist teacher. Each plan explains the idea in plain words, lists the muddles children bring, and gives model answers, so you can walk in and teach it.

One day, one lesson

The five lessons fill a week of maths, one lesson of about 40 minutes a day. Run them in order: each day stands on the one before. Every lesson can also split into a short warm-up and a main session if your timetable runs small blocks.

On the board

This pack is the printable half of a free interactive unit. The on-screen half has five interactive pictures (herd Ruby the kelpie with forward and turn, watch left and right flip when a figure turns to face you, make a vague direction exact, program a path on a grid, and place picnic things by words alone) plus a self-check quiz you can run as a class game on Day 5.

seegongsik.com/au/y1/space/AC9M1SP02

Aligned to the Australian Curriculum V9 (AC9M1SP02). This pack is original material from seegongsik, independently produced and not endorsed by ACARA. Curriculum content descriptors are (c) ACARA, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Free to print and use in class.

The week at a glance5 lessons

The week at a glance

One lesson a day for a week. Each day stands on the day before, so run them in order.

Day	Lesson	Children learn and do	On screen
1	Position words	Say where things are with position words	The kelpie fetch
2	Whose left?	Tell left from right, and see it can flip	Whose left?
3	Say it exactly	Make a vague direction exact: how far and which way	Say it exactly
4	Program the path	Follow and write a sequence of moves on a grid	Program the path
5	The picnic rug	Place and move objects to spots by direction	The picnic rug

How the week builds

Day 1 gathers the position words for where a thing is; Day 2 sorts out left and right, and the surprise that my left can be your right when we face each other; Day 3 turns a vague “over there” into an exact direction with how far and which way; Day 4 strings moves into a program on a grid; and Day 5 uses directions to place and move objects to a spot. It builds on naming where things are from Foundation, and it opens the way to using a grid reference later.

Materials for the week (one trip)

From the classroom: scissors, pencils, this pack printed.
A soft toy to be the mover, and a few small objects to place: a cup, a plate, an apple, a ball, a box. Anything the children know will do.
Cut out once, use all week: the arrow cards, the object cards and the grid map in this pack. No maths equipment to buy.

A note homeHome practice

Dear families

This week in maths, Year 1 is learning to give and follow directions. We use direction words like forward, back, left, right, turn, next to, between, in front of and behind to move a person or a thing to where we want it.

Try this at home

Run a little treasure hunt: hide something and give directions to it, like three steps forward, turn left, two steps forward.
Set the table by directions: put the cup next to the plate, the spoon on the right of the plate.
Take turns being the mover. One person gives a direction, the other follows it exactly, then swaps.
Ask which hand is your left, which is your right. Face each other and notice how your lefts point opposite ways.

My directions this week

Fill one row a day. Tick when you have given a direction and followed one.

Day	I gave it	I followed one
Monday	□	□
Tuesday	□	□
Wednesday	□	□
Thursday	□	□
Friday	□	□

Printed from the free seegongsik Giving Directions teaching pack · seegongsik.com/au/y1/space/AC9M1SP02/pack

Day 1 · Teacher planDay 1 of 5

Position words

Before children can give a direction, they need the words for where a thing is: next to, between, in front of, behind, under, over, on, and left and right. A position word never stands alone. A ball is not just under, it is under the chair. Every word links one thing to another.

We are learning to

use position words: next to, between, in front of, behind, under, over, on,
say where a thing is and name the other thing the word points to,
place a thing in a spot when someone says the position word.

Success criteria

I can say where a thing is with a position word.
I can put a thing where you tell me.

You need

A soft toy and a few things to place: a cup, a ball, a box, a couple of chairs. The object cards and the grid map (cut-out sheets 1 and 2) are handy but not needed today. The worksheet, one per child.

Lesson flow (about 40 minutes)

10 min	Where is the toy Put the toy on a box, then under it, then next to it, and between two chairs, saying the word each time. Ask: “The toy is not just under. Under what? Tell me the whole where.”
20 min	Place and say Pairs take turns. One child says a position, the other places a thing there — the cup next to the plate, the ball behind the box — then they check it and swap. Ask: “You said in front. In front of which thing? Point to it and say them both.”
10 min	Say it back Place the toy somewhere; children say where it is in a full sentence. Ask: “Is in front the same as behind? Stand the toy so we can see, then walk around it.”

Two half-sessions instead? End Session A after where is the toy. Start Session B by placing the toy and asking three children to say where it is before the pair work.

On the board

Open the interactive unit and show “The kelpie fetch”. Press “Forward” to send Ruby the kelpie a square, and “Turn left” or “Turn right” to face a new way, then talk about where she ends up: is she in front of the sheep or behind it?

seegongsik.com/au/y1/space/AC9M1SP02

Watch for these ideas

Saying a position word with no reference: behind, but behind what? The other thing must be named.
Muddling in front of and behind: they swap when you walk around to the other side, so act it out.
Thinking next to means only touching: things can be next to each other with a small gap.

Answers

The ball is under the chair. The cat is between the two trees. The bag is on the desk.
The dog by the gate can be in front of or behind it, depending on which side you stand. Either is right if the child can say which side.
Draw-your-own varies: check the picture matches the position word the child wrote.

Day 1 · Worksheet

Say where it is

NameClassDate

Look at each little scene. Fill the gap with a position word: on, under, next to, between, in front of or behind. Then draw one of your own.

Fill the gap

Where is it?	My word
The ball is ____ the chair.
The cat is ____ the two trees.
The bag is ____ the desk.
The dog is ____ the gate.

Draw it

Draw a ball under a chair. Then write: the ball is ____ the chair.

Draw a ball under a chair

Your own where

Draw a cup next to a plate. Then say where it is out loud to a partner.

Draw a cup next to a plate

Day 2 · Teacher planDay 2 of 5

Whose left?

Left and right are the trickiest direction words, because they belong to the mover, not the floor. My left is on one side of me wherever I turn, so when a friend faces me, their left is on the opposite side from mine. Children sort out their own two hands first, then meet the flip.

We are learning to

tell my left hand from my right hand,
say if a thing is to my left or my right,
notice that left and right belong to the person, so they flip when we face each other.

Success criteria

I can show my left hand and my right hand.
I can say which side of me a thing is on.

You need

A soft toy for the demonstration. The object cards (cut-out sheet 1) are handy. The worksheet, one per child. Room for pairs to stand and face each other.

Lesson flow (about 40 minutes)

10 min	Which hand Wave the left hand, then the right. Play a quick Simon says: left hand up, right foot tap, touch your left ear. Anchor it to the hand each child writes with. Ask: “Which is your left hand? Point to it. Now keep it up and turn all the way around. Is it still your left?”
20 min	Facing each other Pairs stand face to face and both raise their left hand. The hands are on opposite sides. Then both stand the same way, side by side, and the hands line up. Ask: “Your left hands do not match up when you face each other. Why? Whose left is on my side?”
10 min	Say it back Put the toy to a child’s left; the class says which side it is on, then the child turns and they say it again. Ask: “The toy has not moved, but you turned. Is it still on your left?”

Two half-sessions instead? End Session A after which hand; start Session B with facing each other.

On the board

Show “Whose left?”. Press “Step to her left” and “Step to her right” while the figure faces away, then turn her to face you and press them again: when she faces you, her left is on your right. Directions belong to the mover, not the watcher.

seegongsik.com/au/y1/space/AC9M1SP02

Watch for these ideas

Thinking left is always the same side of the page or the room: left belongs to a person and turns with them.
Reading a facing figure as if it were yourself: when someone faces you, their left is on your right.
Muddling left and right: keep it light and use the writing hand as an anchor.

Answers

Which hand a child writes with varies: check the hand they name really is their left or right.
My friend can sit on either side; check the child names the side that matches where the friend is.
Facing a friend, my right hand is near their left hand. The two lefts point opposite ways.

Day 2 · Worksheet

Whose left?

NameClassDate

Trace your hands

Put each hand flat in the box and trace around it. Label one Left and one Right.

Trace your left hand and your right hand

Fill the gap

Write left or right in each gap.

The sentence	Left or right?
I write with my ____ hand.
My friend sits on my ____.
I face my friend. My right hand is near their ____ hand.

The girl is facing you

A girl stands facing you and raises one hand. It is her left hand. Draw a circle on the side of the page where you see her raised hand. Remember: her left is on your right.

Circle the side where you see her raised left hand

Day 3 · Teacher planDay 3 of 5

Say it exactly

A useful direction says two things: how far and which way. “Over there” could land anywhere, so the follower has to guess. “Three steps forward, then turn right” lands in one place, every time. Today children swap vague words for exact ones.

We are learning to

spot when a direction is too vague to follow,
say how far (a number of steps) and which way (forward, back, left, right, turn),
give an exact direction that lands in one place.

Success criteria

I can tell a vague direction from an exact one.
I can say how far and which way.

You need

An open space to walk a few steps. Floor tiles or a taped line help children count steps. The worksheet, one per child.

Lesson flow (about 40 minutes)

10 min	Follow the vague one Stand a child up and say “go over there” with no pointing. They cannot know where. Ask the class what is missing. Ask: “Where exactly is over there? What two things does a good direction need to tell us?”
20 min	Make it exact Children take turns giving a mover an exact direction: a number of steps and a way to face, like three steps forward, turn left, two steps forward. The mover follows it exactly. Ask: “How many steps? Which way do you turn? Say it so I could follow it with my eyes shut.”
10 min	Fix a vague one Give the class a vague direction and let them rebuild it into an exact one, counting the steps out on the floor. Ask: “Near the box is not exact. How many steps, and on which side of the box?”

Two half-sessions instead? End Session A after follow the vague one; start Session B with make it exact.

On the board

Show “Say it exactly”. Press “Try: go over there” and watch how many squares it could mean; then press “Try: forward 3, turn right, forward 2” and see it land on one square, every time. How far and which way: that is a direction.

seegongsik.com/au/y1/space/AC9M1SP02

Watch for these ideas

Thinking there or that way is a direction: it points at nothing exact and the follower has to guess.
Giving the way but not how far, or how far but not the way: an exact direction needs both.
Forgetting to say where to turn, so the mover walks past the turn.

Answers

Fix-the-vague answers vary, but each must give how far and which way. Over there could become forward 4, turn left.
Map A to B: forward 3 (to the tree), turn right, forward 2 (to B). The mover starts at A facing the tree.
Accept any exact route a child can follow on the map, as long as it truly reaches B.

Day 3 · Worksheet

Say it exactly

NameClassDate

A good direction tells us how far and which way. Fix the vague ones, then write the way from A to B.

Fix the vague direction

Each direction below is too vague to follow. Rewrite it so it says how far and which way.

Vague direction	My exact direction
It is over there.
Go that way a bit.
The ball is near the box.

Write the way from A to B

The mover starts at A, facing the tree. Write exact directions to get to B. Count the steps.

Day 4 · Teacher planDay 4 of 5

Program the path

One direction moves a mover once. A path is a list of directions, run in order, to reach a spot. On a grid, forward means one square the way you face, and a turn changes the way you face without moving. The hard part is keeping track of the facing after each turn.

We are learning to

follow a list of moves on a grid, one at a time,
keep track of which way I face after a turn,
write a list of moves to reach a chosen square.

Success criteria

I can follow the moves and mark where I land.
I can write the moves to reach the treasure.

You need

A floor grid made from tape or tiles, big enough for a child to step on, is ideal. The arrow cards and the grid map (cut-out sheets 1 and 2). The worksheet, one per child.

Lesson flow (about 40 minutes)

10 min	Be the robot A child stands on a floor grid facing one way. The class reads out one move at a time: forward, forward, turn right, forward. The child does exactly that and no more. Ask: “You turned. Which way do you face now? Point your nose that way before you step.”
20 min	Follow and write Pairs use the grid map and arrow cards. One lays out a short list of moves; the other follows it with a counter and marks the landing square. Then they write moves to reach a square they choose. Ask: “Read the moves in order. What square do you land on? Now write moves to get to that corner.”
10 min	Check it lands Swap lists with another pair and follow theirs. If you do not land on the treasure, hunt for the step that went wrong, usually a missed turn. Ask: “Where did the path go wrong? Was it a turn you missed or a forward too many?”

Two half-sessions instead? End Session A after be the robot; start Session B with follow and write.

On the board

Show “Program the path”. Build a plan with “F”, “Turn L” and “Turn R”, then press “Run next step” and watch it move one square at a time. Use “Clear plan” to start again. The plan runs in order, so a missed turn sends it the wrong way.

seegongsik.com/au/y1/space/AC9M1SP02

Watch for these ideas

Losing track of turns: after a turn, forward goes a new way. Point the way before stepping.
Reading forward as up the page: forward is whichever way the mover faces, not up.
Running the moves out of order: a path only works if you follow it top to bottom.

Answers

Follow the moves: start at column 1, row 1, facing right. Forward, Forward brings you to column 3, row 1; Turn left now faces up; Forward lands on column 3, row 2. Mark column 3, row 2.
Write the moves from column 1, row 1, facing right, to the treasure at column 3, row 3: Forward, Forward, Turn left, Forward, Forward. Any list that truly lands on the treasure is right.

Day 4 · Worksheet

Program the path

NameClassDate

The mover starts on the square marked go, facing the way the arrow points. Forward is one square the way it faces. A turn changes the way it faces but does not move it.

1. Follow the moves

Start facing the arrow. Follow the moves in order, then colour the square you land on.

Moves: Forward, Forward, Turn left, Forward.

2. Write the moves

Start facing the arrow. Write the moves that reach the treasure (the X).

Day 5 · Teacher planDay 5 of 5

The picnic rug

Now the words do a job: directions place and move things to where we want them. Children set out a picnic on a rug by following a list of directions in order, then write directions of their own for a friend to follow. This pulls the whole week together.

We are learning to

place an object in a spot when someone gives a direction,
follow a list of directions in order to set out several things,
write directions so a friend can set the rug the same way.

Success criteria

I can place things by following directions.
I can write directions a friend can follow.

You need

A tea towel or sheet of paper as a rug, and small objects: a cup, a plate, an apple, a ball, a box. The object cards (cut-out sheet 1). The worksheet, one per child.

Lesson flow (about 40 minutes)

10 min	Set the rug Spread the rug. Give directions one at a time: put the cup top-left, put the plate top-right, put the apple between them. Children copy each step before the next. Ask: “The apple goes between the cup and the plate. Do we place it before or after the other two? Why?”
20 min	Your turn to direct Pairs set a rug, then one child writes or says directions for the other to copy on a second rug. Compare the two rugs and fix any step that did not match. Ask: “Your rugs do not match. Which direction did we read in a different order?”
10 min	Move it there Give moving directions, not just placing ones: move the ball next to the box, move the cup in front of the plate. Ask: “Move the ball so it sits next to the box. Which way, and how far?”

Two half-sessions instead? End Session A after set the rug; start Session B with your turn to direct.

On the board

Show “The picnic rug”. Place each thing by words alone: put the ball between the hat and the bucket, the cup next to the esky, the thongs in front of the chair, the cricket bat behind the esky. Press “Start again” to reset and let another child direct.

seegongsik.com/au/y1/space/AC9M1SP02

Watch for these ideas

Not following the order of the steps: between needs the other two placed first, so order matters.
Placing a thing near, not in, the spot the direction names: check it truly matches the words.
Writing a direction that leaves out how far or which way, so the friend cannot copy it.

Answers

Follow the directions: cup in the top-left, plate in the top-right, apple in the top-middle (between the cup and the plate). The apple is placed last.
Write the directions for the set rug: put the cup top-left, put the plate top-right, put the apple between the cup and the plate. Any wording that sets the same rug is right.

Day 5 · Worksheet

The picnic rug

NameClassDate

Follow the directions to set the rug. Do them in order. Then write directions for a friend.

1. Follow and place

Draw each thing on the rug. Do the steps in order.

Put the cup in the top-left square.
Put the plate in the top-right square.
Put the apple between the cup and the plate.

2. Write the directions

This rug is already set. Write directions so a friend could set it the same way.

Cut-out cards 1 of 2Arrow and object cards

Arrow cards and object cards

Cut out the arrow cards. Lay them in a row to build a path, then follow it with a counter on the grid map: forward moves one square the way you face, and a turn card changes the way you face. One set per pair is plenty.

forward

back

left

right

turn left

turn right

Objects to place

Cut out these little objects too. Place them on the rug or the grid map and say where each one is.

cup

plate

apple

ball

box

Teacher note: the arrow cards match the on-screen buttons in the Program the path picture, so the floor game and the screen use the same moves.

Cut-out cards 2 of 2Grid map

Grid map

This is a five-by-five grid. Put a counter on a square, choose a way to face, then lay arrow cards to move it. Squares are named by the column first, then the row: column 3, row 2 is three across and two up.

Teacher note: the same grid is used in the Day 4 worksheet. Row 1 is the bottom row, so column 1, row 1 is the bottom-left square.

Mini-check · End of the weekGiving Directions

What we know: giving directions

NameClassDate

Work on your own. Say your answer out loud too if you like.

Look at the table. Circle the thing that is under the table.
The girl faces you and raises her left hand. Tick the box on her left, A or B.
This direction is too vague: “It is over there.” Write an exact one that says how far and which way.
Start on the square marked go, facing the arrow. Follow the moves: Forward, Turn right, Forward. Colour the square you land on.
A ball and a box sit on the grid. Write directions to move the ball so it is next to the box.

For question 1

For question 2

For question 4

Mini-check · Answers and markingFor the teacher

Answers and marking guide

Answers

The ball (it is under the table; the cup is on top of the table).
Box B. The girl faces you, so her left hand is on your right, the B side.
Any exact direction that gives how far and which way, such as forward 3, turn left, forward 2.
Column 2, row 2. Start at column 1, row 1 facing up: Forward goes to column 1, row 2; Turn right now faces right; Forward lands on column 2, row 2.
Any exact direction that ends with the ball next to the box, such as move the ball two steps right until it is beside the box. Check it says how far and which way.

A quick three-level guide

Idea	Working towards	At standard	Beyond
Position words (Q1)	points to a thing with help	names what is under, on or between and the other thing	explains a position always needs another thing
Left and right (Q2)	shows own left and right with a prompt	finds a facing figure's left, on the watcher's right	keeps left and right steady as people turn
Exact directions (Q3, Q5)	gives a way or a distance, not both	gives how far and which way so it can be followed	writes a clear two-part direction a friend can copy
Follow a path (Q4)	follows one move at a time with help	follows the moves in order and marks the right square	keeps the facing after each turn without losing track

Five questions, four ideas. A child at standard gives and follows directions that say how far and which way, and names the thing a position points to.

Weekly recordClass checklist

Weekly class record

Jot a tick as you move around the room; the mini-check fills any gaps. A tick a day is plenty.

Name	Position words	Left and right	Say it exactly	Program the path	The picnic rug

The five columns are the five days: position words, left and right, say it exactly, program the path, and the picnic rug.