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      Giving directions and describing turns

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can give directions including left and right turns, and recognise whole, half and quarter turns.

      Key learning points

      1. Turns can be described using quarter, half and whole turns.
      2. Turns can be made to the right and left.
      3. Quarter turns to the left and right can be used to give directions.
      4. When you make a whole turn, you will end facing the same way you started.
      5. When you make a half turn, you will end facing the opposite way to where you started.

      Keywords

      • Whole turn - A rotation that completes a full circle or 360 degrees.

      • Half turn - A rotation that completes half of a circle or 180 degrees.

      • Quarter turn - A rotation that completes a quarter of a circle or 90 degrees.

      Common misconception

      Children may confuse left and right turns when someone else, whose orientation is different from their own, is making a turn.

      Encourage children to move themselves into the same orientation as the person whose turn they are trying to describe so that they can use their own left and right to help see which directions someone else is turning.

      Teacher tip

      Look for opportunities to make the learning in this lesson practical. Consider which slides to show the children and which parts could be carried out through practical activities. Encourage children to rotate their paper so their orientation is the same as the person they are giving directions to.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      True or false? The triangle block needs to be turned to extend the pattern.

      An image in a quiz
      Correct answer: True
      False

      Q2.
      Look at the shape. Which images show that the shape has made a turn?

      An image in a quiz
      Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
      An image in a quiz
      An image in a quiz
      Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
      An image in a quiz

      Q3.
      Which way will each car turn?

      An image in a quiz
      Correct Answer:The red car will turn,left

      left

      Correct Answer:The blue car will turn,right

      right

      Q4.
      In each image, which way did Izzy turn?

      An image in a quiz
      Correct Answer:In image a, Izzy turns,right

      right

      Correct Answer:In image b, Izzy turns,left

      left

      Q5.
      Look at the image. The arrow has made a turn to the .

      An image in a quiz
      Correct Answer: left, Left, LEFT

      Q6.
      The car is facing in this direction. Which turn will it make? A turn.

      An image in a quiz
      Correct Answer: right, Right, RIGHT

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Which turn will Izzy make to walk along the path? A turn.

      An image in a quiz
      Correct Answer: right, Right, RIGHT

      Q2.
      Which turns will Izzy make to get to the swing?

      An image in a quiz
      Turn right then turn left
      Correct answer: Turn left then turn right
      Turn left then turn left again
      Turn riht then turn right again

      Q3.
      Match the start and the end of the sentence to make them correct.

      An image in a quiz
      Correct Answer:To face the tree, Jun will turn,to the left

      to the left

      Correct Answer:To face the slide, Jun will turn,to the right

      to the right

      Q4.
      Jun is facing the house. He makes a half turn. Now, he is facing the .

      An image in a quiz
      tree
      Correct answer: slide
      church

      Q5.
      The arrow has made a turn.

      An image in a quiz
      whole
      half
      Correct answer: quarter

      Q6.
      Which turn has been made?

      An image in a quiz
      quarter turn
      half turn
      Correct answer: whole turn

      To help you plan your 1 maths lesson on: Giving directions and describing turns, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...