Distance, Turns and Instructions

This is lesson 3 of 4 in the unit "Pathways Through Our World". Lesson Title: Distance, Turns and Instructions Lesson Description: Learning intention: We are learning to describe how far something moves and combine movement with turns. NZC Phase 1 Geometry connection: progress towards using direction, distance, and half and quarter turns in sequenced instructions. Vocabulary: distance, steps, turn, quarter turn, half turn, forward, backward, left, right, start, finish and route. Number warm-up (10 min): calendar, Number of the Day represented with cubes or a ten-frame, a short Jack Hartmann Count to 120 activity, and a quick count of steps. Geometry teaching (10 min): model “Walk 4 steps forward,” compare short and long pathways, and physically demonstrate quarter-turn left, quarter-turn right and half-turn; ask, “What would happen if we turned?” and have children predict the new direction. Main activity (25 min): groups use floor markers, dice, cones and arrows to build pathways. Children follow instructions such as “Walk forward 4 steps, make a quarter turn right, then walk 3 steps,” then create and give their own instructions to a partner. Compare routes using more/fewer steps and near/far. Independent/small group (10 min): Year 0 counts and walks one to three steps and copies a quarter turn; Year 1 records two- or three-step routes with arrows and turn cards; Year 2 creates, records and explains multi-step routes combining distance and half or quarter turns. A Twinkl/SparkleBox turn-and-direction card set or simple grid-pathway worksheet can support recording. Reflection (5 min): children demonstrate a quarter turn or half turn and explain how many steps their pathway used. Ask: “How do you know this is a half turn?” Resources: cubes, footsteps or floor markers, dice, cones, arrows, turn cards, hoops, masking tape, grid paper, toy robots/cars, whiteboards, Twinkl/SparkleBox search term: ‘quarter turn half turn directions’. Differentiation: Year 0 prioritises movement, counting and visual turn cues; Year 1 follows and records short sequences; Year 2 reasons about efficient routes, combines turns and distance, and explains why an instruction works. Teacher questions: “How far did it move?”, “Was this pathway longer or shorter?”, “What direction will you face after a quarter turn?” Assessment: check accurate step counting, direction and turn size; address misconceptions by using a large floor circle, body rotation and repeated comparison of a quarter turn with a half turn.

Overview

This is lesson 3 of 4 in Pathways Through Our World. Students build on earlier work describing position and movement by combining distance, direction and quarter- or half-turns in sequenced instructions. The lesson is practical, active and suitable for Year 0–2 learners working at different stages.

Learning intentions

WALT describe how far something moves using steps.
WALT use forward, backward, left and right to describe movement.
WALT recognise and make quarter turns and half turns.
WALT give and follow a sequence of movement instructions.

Success criteria

I can count the steps in a pathway.
I can make a quarter turn and a half turn.
I can follow instructions in the correct order.
I can explain whether a route is longer, shorter, near or far.

Curriculum links

Geometry, Phase 1: explore position, direction and movement, including distance and half- and quarter-turns.
Number, Phase 1: count forwards and backwards and connect number words to quantities and actions.
Mathematical language: use and explain words including distance, steps, turn, route, start and finish.
Key competencies: thinking, managing self, relating to others and participating and contributing.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

0–10 min · Number warm-up. Teacher completes the calendar routine, then displays the calendar and number warm-up slides and leads a Number of the Day using cubes or a ten-frame, followed by a short Count to 120 activity and a quick class count of steps. Students represent the number, join in counting and estimate then count how many steps they take between two classroom points.
10–20 min · Model distance and turns. Teacher uses a clear floor pathway and models, “Walk 4 steps forward,” comparing a short and long route. Demonstrate a quarter turn left, quarter turn right and half turn, using a large floor circle if needed; ask, “What would happen if we turned?” Students predict the new direction, physically copy each turn and explain that a half turn changes the facing direction completely, while a quarter turn is one part of a full turn. Use the distance and turns teaching slides to show simple arrows and movement sequences.
20–45 min · Group pathway challenge. Teacher places 28 students in mixed-ability groups of four or five and provides floor markers, dice, cones, arrows, hoops and turn cards. Give each group a start and finish point, then model: “Walk forward 4 steps, make a quarter turn right, then walk 3 steps.” Students take turns being the mover, instruction reader, route builder and checker. They follow teacher instructions first, then roll a dice or choose a number of steps to create their own route. Partners swap roles and check whether the route matches the spoken instructions. Prompt with: “How far did it move?”, “Was this pathway longer or shorter?”, and “What direction will you face after a quarter turn?” Students compare routes using more/fewer steps and near/far.
45–55 min · Differentiated recording and practice. Teacher works with groups while others complete the appropriate task on the grid-pathway recording sheet. Year 0 students count and walk one to three steps, then copy a quarter turn using visual turn cues. Year 1 students record two- or three-step routes with arrows and turn cards. Year 2 students create, record and explain multi-step routes combining distance with half- or quarter-turns, checking that their instructions lead to the intended finish. Invite students to use toy robots or cars on the grid if body movement is difficult.
55–60 min · Reflection and demonstration. Teacher invites several children to demonstrate a quarter turn or half turn and asks, “How do you know this is a half turn?” Students show a turn, state how many steps their pathway used and share one instruction that helped their partner reach the finish. Revisit the reflection and exit prompt slide and collect the recording sheets.

Resources

the complete distance, turns and instructions slide deck
the grid-pathway recording sheet
Cubes, ten-frames and a calendar
Footsteps or floor markers, dice, cones, arrows and hoops
Quarter-turn, half-turn and direction cards
Masking tape and a large floor circle
Grid paper, whiteboards, toy robots or cars

Assessment

Observe whether students count steps accurately and use forward, backward, left and right consistently.
Check that students distinguish a quarter turn from a half turn and follow instructions in sequence.
Review route recordings and listen for explanations using distance, direction, turns and route language. Note students who need further practice in the final unit lesson.

Differentiation

Support Year 0 learners with one instruction at a time, large visual arrows, a floor circle and adult or peer modelling. Prioritise movement, counting and copying turns rather than written recording.
Support Year 1 learners with a start arrow, numbered floor markers, sentence frames such as “Go ___ steps, then turn ___” and a reduced two-step route.
Challenge Year 2 learners to design two different routes to the same finish, decide which is more efficient and explain why their instructions work.
For EAL learners, pair each direction word with a gesture or picture and rehearse vocabulary orally before movement. For students with mobility or sensory needs, offer a tabletop grid with a toy car, larger pathways, extra processing time and a trusted partner.