This lesson plan introduces the concept of direction to young children by using the location of the sun in order to understand where east, west, north, and south are located.
The way to a place is called direction. In order to find a place, we must know in what direction from us it lies. Most commonly, directions are provided in terms of whether the place lies north, south, east, or west of where we are currently located. North, south, east, and west are known as cardinal directions. These cardinal directions can be abbreviated as N, S, E, and W.
We can use the location of the sun in the sky in order to determine direction. Stand outside in the morning and look up at the sky. Where is the sun currently located. The sun rises in the east. Therefore, the location of the sun in the morning is towards the east. Compare this to the location of the sun in the sky in the late afternoon. The sun sets in the west. At noon local time, the sun is directly overhead.
How To Use Your Body to Located North, South, East, and West
In the morning using the location of the rising sun, stretch out your right arm so that your right hand is point east. Take your left hand and point it towards the west. You are now facing north and your back is towards the south.
Exploring North, South, East, and West
Stand outside the front door of your house or school. What direction is the building facing? Take and piece of paper and mark the locations of north, south, east, and west on your paper. Now draw the outline of the building with the front of the building in the correct location. Look around the building. What is on the north side of the building? Doors, windows, trees? Mark those one your paper in the correct spot. What is on the east side of the building? Draw those now on the paper in the spot you marked for the east direction. Do the same for south and west.
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