Navigation Course Challenge

Unit Information

Unit: Past, Present and Future Lesson: 11 of 20 Duration: 60 minutes Class size: 2 students Stage: Year 1 Subject: Social Sciences (HASS, Humanities and Social Sciences) Curriculum alignment: NSW Curriculum for Year 1 HASS – Geography strand

---

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Identify and use basic navigation tools including maps and compasses to find places in their local environment.
2. Understand simple directions and recognise landmarks to navigate safely.
3. Demonstrate awareness of how people use maps and navigation tools to find their way in the past and present.
4. Develop spatial awareness by participating in an outdoor navigation challenge.
5. Communicate observations and experiences about navigating and moving through space using simple HASS-specific terms such as map, compass, direction, landmark, past, present.

These objectives align with the NSW Geography Curriculum for Year 1 focusing on the descriptor:

• ACHASSK035 and ACHASSI021: Identify features of familiar places, and how they can be represented on maps; follow directions to move around familiar and unfamiliar spaces.

---

Lesson Outline

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

• Activity: Brief discussion inside the classroom.
• Start by revisiting what students know about places in their daily life and how people move through places.
• Introduce the idea of maps and compasses as tools that help people find their way.
• Show a simple, large map of the school playground and surrounding safe outdoor area.
• Introduce a compass and demonstrate how it points north.
• Use clear, age-appropriate language: “A map is like a picture of a place from above. A compass is a tool that tells us which way is north.”

Teacher prompts:

• “Have you ever used a map or seen one before?”
• “What might people need a compass for?”
• “Why is it helpful to know directions?”

---

2. Preparation for Navigation Challenge (10 minutes)

• Explain the day’s main activity: an outdoor navigation challenge using maps and compasses.
• Show the simple map the students will use, which will include landmarks like a tree, play equipment, bench, and gate.
• Explain the course with 5 points/objectives to navigate to in order around the space.
• Demonstrate how to hold a compass correctly and how to use the map to identify where they currently are and where they need to go next.
• Discuss safety rules for moving outdoors (stay together, listen, and be careful).

---

3. Navigation Course Challenge (30 minutes)

• Move outside to the designated safe outdoor area.
• Students work together to follow the map and use the compass to reach each checkpoint in the correct sequence.
• At each checkpoint, students pause briefly to identify the landmark and check their map.
• Teacher guides slightly as needed, encouraging use of the compass and map but allowing students to problem solve.
• Encourage students to talk about the landmarks and directions as they navigate: “We are heading north to the big tree!” or “Our next stop is near the bench.”
• Teacher notes observations for assessment: ability to use map and compass, understanding of direction, cooperation.

---

4. Reflection and Review (10 minutes)

• Return to classroom or quiet outdoor spot.
• Discuss the navigation experience.
• Ask students to share what they found easy or tricky.
• Review key terms: map, compass, direction, landmark.
• Link back to the unit theme “Past, Present and Future” by discussing briefly how people long ago might have found their way before GPS or electronic devices.
• Optional: Draw or mark on a simple map where they travelled during the activity.

---

Assessment (Formative)

• Observe students using the compass and map correctly during the challenge.
• Listen to students’ verbal explanations of directions and landmarks.
• Check ability to follow sequences on the map.
• Ask questions during reflection to assess understanding of navigational concepts.
• Use a simple checklist:

Skill/Concept	Demonstrated (Yes/No)	Notes
Holds compass correctly
Understands map symbols
Uses compass direction
Follows navigation sequence
Communicates observations

---

Resources Needed

• Simple waterproof maps of playground/local area with landmarks marked (large and clear symbols)
• Two basic student compasses (suitable for young learners)
• Markers or flags for checkpoints
• Outdoor space safe to navigate and clear of hazards
• Reflection sheets or drawing materials (optional)

---

Key NSW Curriculum References

• Geography Content (Year 1):
• The location of places and features people care for in the local community and ways they can be cared for. (ACHASSK035)
• How people, places and environments interact. (ACHASSK036)
• Skills:
• Pose questions and gather information by observing, exploring and recording. (ACHASSI020)
• Follow directions to move around familiar locations on maps and models. (ACHASSI021)
• HASS Achievement Standard - Year 1:
• Students identify features of familiar places, ways places change over time and use subject-specific terms to share observations. They collect and record information from observations and map sources.

---

Teacher Tips for Engagement

• Keep language simple and concrete.
• Encourage teamwork and discussion between the two students.
• Use real objects and landmarks in the environment to anchor learning.
• Celebrate small navigation successes to build confidence.
• Incorporate movement breaks if needed to manage energy.
• If possible, relate the challenge to local Indigenous history of navigation or wayfinding in the past for enriched connection to the theme of past, present, and future.

---

This lesson incorporates active learning tailored to Year 1 cognitive and motor skills, linking the practical outdoor activity to NSW curriculum Geography outcomes, supporting foundational spatial awareness and mapping skills essential for social sciences studies.