Pathways Across Aotearoa

Overview

In this fourth lesson of Year 4 Maths Across Aotearoa, learners use a consistent grid convention, position language and pathways to locate places and describe routes. They build from earlier work with direction and movement, then apply their understanding to floor grids, arrow cards and an accessible local map.

Learning intentions

• WALT use letters and numbers to locate places on a grid.
• WALT describe movement using north, south, east and west.
• WALT find and compare shortest routes between two locations.
• WALT explain our mathematical thinking using movement, pointing, speaking, drawing or writing.

Success criteria

• I can locate C2 when the grid uses letters across and numbers down.
• I can describe a route using direction words and the number of squares.
• I can give a route from A1 to C3.
• I can find another shortest route and explain why it is still shortest.

Curriculum links

• Mathematics and Statistics — Mathsteasers: higher-order thinking questions that challenge advanced learners and deepen understanding.
• Mathematics and Statistics — Mathsteasers / Alignment: mathematical challenge connected to relevant textbook and classroom content.
• Mathematics and Statistics — Mathsteasers / Additional resources for advanced learners: reasoning, strategy selection and explaining more than one possible solution.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Hook and prior knowledge. Teacher displays an aerial-image idea of a local pathway and asks, “How could we tell someone exactly where to go without pointing?” Open with the pathway hook and learning intention slides and invite learners to share direction words, map features and previous grid experiences. Students think-pair-share, then demonstrate north, south, east and west with their bodies.

2. 7–17 min · Model the convention. Teacher draws a grid with letters A–D along the bottom and numbers 1–4 up the side, explicitly explaining that the letter comes first and the number second; model locating B3, then moving two squares east. Use the labelled grid and worked B3 example and check understanding by asking learners to point to A1, C2 and D4. Students use their fingers or mini whiteboards to show each location and movement.

3. 17–27 min · Floor-grid rehearsal. Teacher places a large grid on the floor and gives pairs arrow cards or spoken instructions, correcting ambiguous language and reinforcing “two squares east” rather than “go right a bit”. Students take turns being the navigator, mover and checker; they locate C2 as the Must Do and record or say the route in a way that suits them.

4. 27–44 min · Route Planner activity. Teacher forms groups of three or four and distributes the Route Planner grid-map worksheet. Display the Route Planner instructions and route examples: start at A1, finish at C3, and record each movement with arrows, words or a drawn line. Students complete the Must Do, then the Can Do by giving one route from A1 to C3: east 2, then north 2. They count four moves in total and explain how they know it is a shortest route.

5. 44–53 min · Try and compare. Teacher presents the prompt, “Can you find another shortest route from A1 to C3?” and gathers routes without judging them as different or wrong. Students test alternatives, such as east 1, north 1, east 1, north 1, and use the floor grid or worksheet to check that every shortest route has two east moves and two north moves, making four moves altogether.

6. 53–60 min · Local-map share and exit check. Teacher displays an accessible local map with familiar places and uses the local-map discussion and plenary slides to ask, “What information makes this route clear to someone else?” Students describe one route to a partner using position and direction language, then complete the final worksheet prompt: locate C2 and write, draw or tell one route from A1 to C3. Invite two learners to share different shortest routes.

Resources

• the Pathways and Grid Maps slide deck
• the Route Planner grid-map worksheet
• Large floor grid made with tape or joined paper
• Arrow cards showing north, south, east and west
• Mini whiteboards, markers and erasers
• Accessible local map with familiar places and a clear legend
• Counters or small place markers
• Pencils and coloured pencils

Assessment

• During modelling, ask learners to show B3, C2 and a move two squares east; note whether they apply the agreed letter-number convention.
• During the Route Planner, listen for precise language such as “north three squares” and check that learners count moves rather than only drawing a line.
• Use the final worksheet response to identify who can locate C2, describe a route from A1 to C3, and recognise that alternative shortest routes still contain four moves.

Differentiation

• Support learners with a colour-coded grid, a compass rose, place markers and sentence frames such as “Start at __. Move __ squares __, then __ squares __.”
• Allow learners to move, point, speak, draw or write; pair a learner who needs language support with a patient navigator and checker.
• For EAL learners, rehearse the words north, south, east, west, square, start, finish with gestures and visual arrows before the main task.
• Extend confident learners by asking them to find and explain all possible shortest routes from A1 to C3, or to create a new start and finish that has more than one shortest route.