Maths

Build Your Own Town, Cardinal Directions

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Overview:

Design your own town using a key with different features, then use cardinal directions to describe its layout. This activity helps students practise using directional language while developing spatial awareness and understanding the placement of buildings in a town. Designed for students in the middle and upper years.

Learning Objectives:

  • Design and organise a town layout using cardinal directions.
  • Describe the location of different features using directional language.
  • Explain the reasoning behind the placement of buildings and landmarks in the town.

How the Activity Works:

In Step 1, students will design their own town on a blank map, drawing symbols for the buildings listed in the key: house, police station, lighthouse, train station, and pizza shop. They should consider where to place each building thoughtfully, taking into account the relationships between them. For example, students might place the house near the pizza shop for easy access, or the lighthouse by the coast.

In Step 2, students will use cardinal directions (e.g., north, south, east, west) to describe the locations of the buildings they have drawn. For example, they might say, "The police station is east of the house," or "The train station is north of the pizza shop."

In Step 3, students will choose two features of their town and explain why they placed them where they did. For example, "I put the police station near the train station so that people can easily get to the station if they need help" or "I placed the lighthouse near the edge of the map to help guide ships from the coast."

This activity encourages students to think about the logical placement of features in a town while practising directional language and critical thinking. It helps reinforce the use of cardinal directions while fostering creativity in designing their own town.

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