Positional Language Fun

Overview

This 50-minute lesson is the fifth in a seven-part unit called "Mapping Our World," designed for Year 2 students. The focus is on using and understanding positional language through interactive games involving toys and programmable devices like Bee-Bots. This aligns closely with the National Curriculum for England’s Geography programme of study, ensuring pupils develop locational and directional language skills relevant to their age.

National Curriculum Links

Geography - Key Stage 1 (Years 1-2)

Locational knowledge: Name, locate and identify characteristics of the four countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom and its surrounding seas.
Place knowledge: Understand geographical similarities and differences through studying the human and physical geography of a small area of the UK, and of a contrasting non-European country.
Geographical skills and fieldwork: Use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to: key physical features, including: beach, cliff, coast, forest, hill, mountain, sea, ocean, river, soil, valley, vegetation, season and weather; key human features, including: city, town, village, factory, farm, house, office, port, harbour and shop; use simple compass directions and positional language (e.g. near and far, left and right) to describe the location of features and routes on a map.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to:

Use positional language (e.g., next to, behind, in front of, left, right) accurately to describe the location of objects within a familiar environment.
Follow and give clear directional instructions using left, right, forward, and backward.
Program and navigate Bee-Bots or similar toy vehicles to reach a designated location by giving and interpreting directions.
Demonstrate collaborative skills and confidence speaking in front of peers during game activities.

Resources Needed

Bee-Bots or similar programmable floor robots (1 per group of 4-5 students)
A carpet or large grid mat with 1m x 1m squares (ideally 4x4 or 5x5)
A variety of small toys or objects (e.g., teddy bears, cars, blocks)
Position cards (showing words and pictures: next to, behind, in front of, left, right, between, etc.)
Whiteboard and markers
Laminated direction arrows (forward, left turn, right turn) for pupils to hold up
Printed positional language word bank posters

Lesson Structure

1. Introduction and Recap (10 mins)

Starter Discussion: Begin with a quick recap of positional language terms learned in previous lessons (behind, in front of, next to, left, right). Refer to the word bank posters placed prominently.
Demonstration: Using a teddy bear and a chair, a teacher models statements such as “The bear is next to the chair,” “The bear is behind the chair,” and asks children to point or reposition the bear accordingly.
Q&A: Invite students to describe where the bear is placed using correct positional language.

2. Positional Language Games with Toys (15 mins)

Group Activity: Pupils in groups of 4-5 each receive a small set of toys and a chair or box to use as landmarks.
Game Instructions: One pupil places a toy and describes its position relative to another object (“The car is in front of the box”). Another pupil moves a toy based on the description. Swap roles after 2-3 turns.
Challenge Variation: Teacher calls out positional instructions for the whole class to act out their own positioning using their toys. Use phrases including “between,” “next to,” “left of,” “right of,” etc., to increase complexity.

3. Programming Bee-Bots with Positional Language (20 mins)

Set-up: Pupils sit in small groups around the grid mat. Teacher demonstrates basic Bee-Bot controls, explaining how to program moves using buttons for forward, left turn, right turn, and backward.
Activity:
- Pupils program the Bee-Bots to move from a start square to a target (marked by a toy or card).
- They must give verbal instructions to their group using positional and directional language (“Move two steps forward, turn left, move forward”).
- Encourage pupils to predict if their sequence will take the Bee-Bot to the correct place before pressing ‘Go’.
Extension: Pupils create their own ‘maps’ with toys on the grid and challenge peers to program the Bee-Bot to find a toy’s location.

4. Plenary and Assessment (5 mins)

Oral Quiz: Call on random students to give positional descriptions of objects placed either on the mat or around the classroom.
Peer Feedback: Pupils share what positional language phrases they found easiest or trickiest during the Bee-Bot activity.
Self-Assessment: Children rate their confidence with positional language on a simple 3-face smiley chart (happy, neutral, unsure).

Differentiation

Support: Provide visual cues and repeated instructions for pupils with EAL or lower language skills. Use physical demonstrations of position.
Challenge: Encourage more able pupils to include more complex positional phrases such as “diagonally,” “adjacent to,” and incorporate multiple steps in Bee-Bot programming.

Assessment Opportunities

Observe group interactions during games to assess oral use of positional language.
Check accuracy and understanding through Bee-Bot programming success or modification.
Note pupil participation and confidence during plenary oral activities.
Collect simple anecdotal records or short teacher notes on key learners needing extra support.

Additional Notes for Teachers

Encourage expressive language by asking pupils to describe precisely how to reach an object, enhancing vocabulary and reasoning.
Use the Bee-Bot activity as a formative assessment tool; if necessary, revisit specific directional vocabulary in next lessons.
Consider integrating cross-curricular links by using positional language in maths (coordinates on grids) or literacy (descriptive language in stories).

This lesson empowers pupils to confidently use positional language while having fun, building essential geography and computational thinking skills in an age-appropriate way directly linked to the National Curriculum for England.

Teaching Instructions