Mathematics · Foundation

Active learning ideas

Describing Position and Direction

Active, movement-based tasks help young learners grasp spatial language because their bodies and visual fields anchor meaning. When students physically move or manipulate objects, the language of position and direction becomes memorable and transferable to new situations.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9M6SP04
• AC9M7SP02

• 15–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 20 min · Whole Class

Simulation Game: Simon Says Directions

Call out commands like 'Simon says jump two steps forward' or 'Simon says touch something behind you'. Students follow only 'Simon says' instructions, using left, right, front, back. Pause to discuss positions after each round.

Can you move the puppet two steps to the left?

Facilitation Tip

During Simon Says Directions, stand with your back to the students so your left and right become theirs, making perspective shifts explicit.

What to look for

Provide students with a simple 2D shape drawn on a grid and a line of reflection. Ask them to draw the reflected image. Check if the reflected shape is a mirror image and correctly positioned.

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

Activity 02

• Experiential Learning
• 25 min · Pairs

Pairs: Mirror Reflections

Give pairs shape cards and mirrors. One student holds a shape; the partner positions the mirror to reflect it across a line and draws the image. Switch roles and compare originals to reflections.

Is the flower in front of or behind the tree in this picture?

Facilitation Tip

For Mirror Reflections, place a small mirror on the desk so students can watch the flip happen as they trace, reinforcing the reversal effect.

What to look for

Give each student a card with a shape and a line of reflection. Ask them to write one sentence describing how the shape moved (e.g., 'It flipped over the line') and to draw the reflected shape.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Experiential Learning
• 30 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Classroom Hunt

Hide objects around the room. Groups receive direction cards like 'three steps right, under the table'. They follow clues to find items, then describe final positions to the class.

Can you give a friend directions to walk from the door to the window?

Facilitation Tip

In the Classroom Hunt, assign different starting points so students experience how positions change based on viewpoint.

What to look for

Show students two identical shapes, one a reflection of the other. Ask: 'How is the second shape different from the first? What line could we use to flip the first shape onto the second?' Listen for use of vocabulary like 'reflection' and 'line of reflection'.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Experiential Learning
• 15 min · Individual

Individual: Picture Descriptions

Provide worksheets with scenes. Students circle objects and write or draw positions, like 'ball behind chair'. Share one description with a partner for feedback.

Can you move the puppet two steps to the left?

Facilitation Tip

During Picture Descriptions, provide sentence frames like ‘The [object] is [position word] the [reference object].’ to scaffold language.

What to look for

Provide students with a simple 2D shape drawn on a grid and a line of reflection. Ask them to draw the reflected image. Check if the reflected shape is a mirror image and correctly positioned.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach spatial language by combining movement with immediate feedback. Avoid abstract explanations; instead, pair words with actions. Research shows that young children learn spatial terms best when they experience the terms kinesthetically and connect them to visual outcomes. Rotate roles in partner tasks to build flexibility in perspective-taking.

Students will confidently use position and direction words in context, accurately follow instructions, and correctly reflect shapes on grids. They will adjust their language based on their own perspective and that of others.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Simon Says Directions, watch for students who give commands only from their own perspective, such as saying ‘touch your left knee’ while facing the class.

  Have the student giving the command physically turn to face the direction of the command or model turning to face the student receiving it, then reissue the command from that perspective.

• During Mirror Reflections, watch for students who redraw the shape in the same orientation, ignoring the flip.

  Place a small mirror along the line of reflection and ask the student to verify the shape’s position by looking at the reflection before drawing.

• During Classroom Hunt, watch for students who assume positions are absolute, such as always calling the chair by the door ‘in front of’ the desk.

  Ask the student to move to a new starting point and describe the same object’s position relative to their new viewpoint.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game
• Experiential Learning