Using Maps for Directions

Active learning helps Year 1 students grasp spatial concepts because movement and hands-on tasks turn abstract ideas like symbols and directions into concrete experiences. Using familiar spaces like the classroom or playground makes the learning immediate and meaningful, helping students connect symbols to real places through their own actions.

• Year 1
• HASS
• 4 activities
• 20 min–35 min

Learning Objectives

1. Identify key symbols on a simple map of a familiar location.
2. Demonstrate how to follow a sequence of directions (e.g., forward, back, left, right) on a map.
3. Create a simple map of a familiar space using basic symbols.
4. Explain the purpose of a map in helping people find their way.

Simulation Game

⏱ 30 min·Small Groups

Treasure Hunt: Classroom Map Follow

Provide each small group with a simple pictorial map of the classroom marked with a starting point and treasure location. Students take turns reading directions aloud (go forward three steps, turn left) and leading the group to the spot. Discuss successes and adjustments after each hunt.

Prepare & details

How does a map help you find your way to somewhere you have never been?

Facilitation Tip: During the Treasure Hunt, circulate and ask guiding questions like, 'Which symbol do you think matches the bookshelf we passed?' to help students connect the map to their real movements.

Setup: Flexible space for group stations

Materials: Role cards with goals/resources, Game currency or tokens, Round tracker

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Simulation Game

⏱ 25 min·Pairs

Map Drawing: My Desk to Door

Students draw individual maps from their desk to the classroom door, using symbols for furniture and arrows for directions. Pairs swap maps and follow them to verify accuracy. Share maps on a class display for peer feedback.

Prepare & details

Can you use a simple map to show someone how to get from one place to another?

Facilitation Tip: For Map Drawing, provide grid paper and model how to draw symbols first, then ask students to label their path from desk to door before drawing the symbols.

Setup: Flexible space for group stations

Materials: Role cards with goals/resources, Game currency or tokens, Round tracker

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Simulation Game

⏱ 35 min·Small Groups

Direction Relay: Schoolyard Paths

Create a large schoolyard map on the ground with chalk. Divide the class into teams; one student gives oral directions from start to goal while the team follows. Rotate roles and vote on clearest directions.

Prepare & details

What makes a map easy to understand and use?

Facilitation Tip: In the Direction Relay, start with a small group demonstration so students see how body turns relate to directional language before attempting the relay themselves.

Setup: Flexible space for group stations

Materials: Role cards with goals/resources, Game currency or tokens, Round tracker

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Simulation Game

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Partner Directions: Desk Swap Game

Pairs create secret maps to each other's desks without looking. One partner hides an object at their desk; the other uses the map to find it by following directions. Switch roles and refine maps based on results.

Prepare & details

How does a map help you find your way to somewhere you have never been?

Setup: Flexible space for group stations

Materials: Role cards with goals/resources, Game currency or tokens, Round tracker

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Teaching This Topic

Teach this topic by starting with students’ lived experiences of their classroom or schoolyard. Use simple, child-friendly symbols and avoid overwhelming detail. Research shows that young learners need repeated, varied experiences with the same symbols in different contexts to build mental maps. Avoid abstract explanations about north or scale at this stage; focus instead on relative directions tied to their own movements.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students confidently using symbols on maps to identify locations and following simple directional language to move from one point to another. They should also start explaining their routes to peers using terms like left, right, forward, and back without needing teacher prompts.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Treasure Hunt, watch for students assuming the map shows an exact photograph of the classroom.

What to Teach Instead

Pause the hunt and hold up a symbol card (e.g., a small picture of a chair). Ask students to find the real chair in the classroom and match it to the symbol on their map, explaining that maps use simple pictures to stand for real objects.

Common Misconception

During Direction Relay, watch for students starting all directions as if they are always facing the same way.

What to Teach Instead

Before starting the relay, have students stand and turn to face the playground slide. Ask them to point left and right from that orientation, then repeat the process facing the swings. Use a simple phrase like, 'Your left changes when you turn your body.'

Common Misconception

During Map Drawing, watch for students assuming all maps look the same regardless of the space.

What to Teach Instead

After students draw their desk-to-door map, display a school playground map and ask, 'How is this map different from yours?' Guide them to notice that some maps show bigger spaces with fewer details while theirs shows a small space with lots of details.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After Treasure Hunt, provide each student with a classroom map. Ask them to point to the symbol for the door and trace the path from their desk to the door using directional language like, 'go forward two steps, turn right.' Note which students can do this independently and which need prompts.

Exit Ticket

After Map Drawing, give each student a blank piece of paper and ask them to draw a map of their walk from the classroom door to their desk. They should use at least two symbols and one directional arrow, then label their map. Collect these to check for correct symbol use and directional language.

Discussion Prompt

During Partner Directions, show students a map of the school playground. Ask, 'What does this symbol show?' and 'How would you tell a new student how to get from the swings to the slide using this map?' Listen for students using directional language and referencing the symbols on the map.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Provide a second map of the same space but with missing symbols. Ask students to add the missing symbols and explain their choices to a partner.
• Scaffolding: For students struggling with left and right, use a small mirror or a simple hand signal to reinforce the concept before they attempt the tasks.
• Deeper: Introduce a simple compass rose and explain that it always points to north, then have students mark north on their own maps and describe how their route changes if they start facing a different direction.

Key Vocabulary

Map	A drawing or plan that shows the position of places, roads, and features of an area. It helps us see where things are.
Symbol	A small picture or shape on a map that represents a real thing, like a tree, a door, or a building.
Direction	The way someone or something moves or is placed, such as forward, backward, left, or right.
Route	A path or way that leads from one place to another. A map can show us the route.