Through, Over and Under

Overview

In this second lesson of the four-lesson unit Bear Hunt Pathways, students revisit the bear’s journey and use their bodies to explore positional language. They follow and give one- and two-step directions involving movement through, over, under, around and between, while locating people and objects in a classroom pathway.

Learning intentions

• We are learning to use positional words accurately.
• We are learning to follow one- and two-step movement instructions.
• We are learning to give clear directions to a partner.
• We are learning to describe where an object or person is.

Success criteria

• I can show what through, over, under, around and between mean.
• I can follow a direction with one or two steps.
• I can give my partner a clear direction.
• I can tell someone where an object or person is.

Curriculum links

• Mathematics and Statistics — positional language, spatial awareness and describing location.
• Mathematics and Statistics — communicating mathematical thinking and responding to instructions.
• Mathsteasers — using higher-order thinking and challenge questions to deepen understanding.
• Mathematics and Statistics — developing confidence, collaboration and mathematical reasoning through practical problem solving.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Revisit the journey. Teacher opens the bear hunt introduction slides and retells the familiar journey using the images for grass, river, mud, forest and snow, pausing to ask, “Where did the bear go?” Students use actions and words to recall the journey, such as walking through grass or stepping over a river.

2. 4–9 min · Teach positional language. Teacher places a teddy bear and a hoop, chair or tunnel in view, models through, over, under, around and between, and checks each word with questions such as, “Where is the bear now?” Students copy the movement, say the matching word together and show the meaning with their hands or bodies.

3. 9–14 min · Build the pathway. Teacher and students arrange safe classroom equipment to represent the five settings: fabric or paper for grass, a blue rope or scarf for the river, cushions for mud, chairs or tables for the forest, and white paper or soft material for snow. Teacher demonstrates how to move safely and displays the pathway instruction slides. Students help identify where they will move through, over, under, around and between.

4. 14–22 min · Partner direction game. Teacher pairs the 16 students and gives each pair a clear starting point. One student gives a one- or two-step instruction, such as, “Go through the forest, then over the river,” while the other completes it; partners then swap roles. Students use the pathway, speak in full directions and listen carefully. Teacher circulates, prompting, “Which word tells your partner what to do first?” and noting accurate positional language.

5. 22–26 min · Locate and describe. Teacher places the teddy or another object at different points in the pathway and asks pairs to locate it using a sentence frame from the locating-and-speaking slides: “The bear is ___ the ___.” Students describe the object to a partner, then listen to another pair’s description and point to the correct place.

6. 26–30 min · Share and check. Teacher gathers students together, revisits the journey on the plenary slides and asks, “Which word was easiest to show? Which was trickiest?” Students demonstrate one positional word, explain one direction they followed and complete a quick oral exit check: “Show me under,” followed by “Tell me where the bear is.”

Resources

• the Bear Hunt Pathways slide deck
• Teddy bear or soft toy
• Hoops, chairs, tables or a play tunnel
• Blue scarf, rope or paper for the river
• Cushions or mats for mud
• Green fabric or paper for grass and forest
• White paper or soft material for snow
• Clear floor space and safety boundaries
• Optional teacher observation notes

Assessment

• During modelling, check whether students can match each positional word to the correct movement and explain where the bear is.
• During partner work, listen for accurate use of through, over, under, around and between, as well as the ability to follow the order of a two-step instruction.
• At the final oral check, record students who can demonstrate a word, give a direction and describe an object or person’s location. Re-teach two or three words in the next lesson as needed.

Differentiation

• Support students with a small, uncluttered pathway, repeated modelling, gestures and sentence frames such as, “Go ___ the ___” and “The bear is ___ the ___.”
• Begin with one-step directions before adding a second step. Pair students who need support with a patient, confident speaker and allow them to point or demonstrate before saying the word.
• For students ready for challenge, invite them to give a three-part direction, use two different positional words in one sentence, or direct a partner to locate an object without pointing.
• Consider mobility, sensory and communication needs: provide seated or adapted movement choices, avoid narrow or unstable obstacles, use visual symbols and accept signing, pointing or home-language rehearsal before spoken English.