Position and Location

Overview

This is lesson 1 of 4 in Pathways Through Our World. Students develop the Phase 1 Geometry understanding that objects and people can be described and located in relation to other objects. Learning is introduced through movement, oral language and familiar classroom materials before students record or explain their thinking at an appropriate year level.

Learning intentions

• WALT describe where objects and people are.
• WALT use mathematical position words accurately.
• WALT listen to and follow positional instructions.
• WALT explain how we know where something is located.

Success criteria

• I can use words such as above, below, beside, behind and in front.
• I can describe whether something is inside or outside, near or far.
• I can follow a positional instruction and check whether it is correct.
• I can describe an object’s position without pointing.

Curriculum links

• Geometry — describe and locate objects in relation to other objects.
• Mathematics and Statistics — use mathematical language, representations and reasoning to communicate ideas.
• Key Competencies — managing self, relating to others, participating and contributing, and using language, symbols and texts.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–10 min · Number warm-up. Teacher uses the opening and calendar slides from the position and location slide deck to lead the daily calendar: day, date, month, yesterday, today and tomorrow. Students count together, complete a Number of the Day using counters or Numicon, and join in briefly with a Jack Hartmann Count to 120 activity. Keep the pace brisk and invite students to count forwards, backwards where appropriate, or from a given number.

2. 10–20 min · Model position words. Teacher displays each word on the position and location slide deck and physically models it with a toy, chair and child: above, below, beside, next to, behind, in front, inside, outside, near and far. Ask, “Where is the object?”, “How do you know?” and “What would change if I moved it?” Students echo the vocabulary, act out each relationship and explain their answers using a complete sentence, such as “The teddy is behind the chair.”

3. 20–32 min · Partner and group positioning. Teacher places students in mixed groups of four and gives each group a hoop, blocks, toy animals and a small number of classroom objects. Give one-step instructions first, such as “Put the rabbit inside the hoop”, then two-step instructions for ready learners, such as “Put the bear beside the blocks and the car in front of the hoop.” Students take turns being the director, mover, checker and reporter. The checker asks, “Is it in the right place?” and the reporter describes the final positions.

4. 32–45 min · Classroom ‘Where is it?’ treasure hunt. Teacher uses the activity prompt slides from the position and location slide deck to place or identify safe classroom objects. Give each group a positional clue, for example, “Find something below the window” or “Find an object near the door.” Students move safely with their group, locate the object and tell the teacher or partner its position. Change an object’s position to address misconceptions, particularly beside versus behind and near versus far. Ask children to justify their choice rather than point.

5. 45–55 min · Independent or teacher-led groups. Teacher provides the differentiated tasks and records observations. Year 0 students match picture cards to position words and demonstrate the relationship orally. Year 1 students use the position and location recording sheet to draw and label objects in three positions. Year 2 students describe several objects in relation to one another and explain why their chosen language is accurate. A teacher may work with Year 0 students, using one-step instructions, visual prompts and repeated oral rehearsal. Movement and talk remain central; recording is brief.

6. 55–60 min · Reflection and exit check. Teacher displays the final reflection prompt on the position and location slide deck. Each child demonstrates one position word with an object and tells a partner where it is, without pointing. Invite a few students to share. Ask, “Can you describe the position without pointing?” Finish with a quick individual check: show a toy in a new position and ask selected students to describe it independently.

Resources

• the position and location slide deck
• the position and location recording sheet
• Classroom furniture, toy animals and blocks
• Hoops and positional-word cards
• Counters and Numicon
• Paper, pencils and markers
• Picture cards for matching
• Safe classroom objects for the treasure hunt
• Audio or video access for a brief counting activity

Assessment

• During modelling and movement, listen for accurate use of above, below, beside, next to, behind, in front, inside, outside, near and far.
• Observe whether students follow instructions, describe location independently and explain how they know.
• Use the final demonstration to identify children who confuse beside with behind or near with far. Reposition the object and ask them to rehearse the language through movement.

Differentiation

• Year 0: use real objects, gestures, picture prompts, repeated sentence frames and one-step instructions. Accept oral responses and demonstrations instead of writing.
• Year 1: provide two-step instructions, labelled examples and a drawing scaffold. Encourage the sentence frame, “The ___ is ___ the ___.”
• Year 2: ask students to describe several objects in relation to one another, use more than one positional word and justify their choices.
• Support EAL learners and students needing additional support with consistent gestures, modelling, partner rehearsal and reduced vocabulary choices. Extend confident speakers by asking them to give an instruction that another child must interpret, then check whether it has more than one possible meaning.