Giving directions and describing turns
I can give directions including left and right turns, and recognise whole, half and quarter turns.
Giving directions and describing turns
I can give directions including left and right turns, and recognise whole, half and quarter turns.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Turns can be described using quarter, half and whole turns.
- Turns can be made to the right and left.
- Quarter turns to the left and right can be used to give directions.
- When you make a whole turn, you will end facing the same way you started.
- When you make a half turn, you will end facing the opposite way to where you started.
Keywords
Whole turn - A rotation that completes a full circle or 360 degrees.
Half turn - A rotation that completes half of a circle or 180 degrees.
Quarter turn - A rotation that completes a quarter of a circle or 90 degrees.
Common misconception
Children may confuse left and right turns when someone else, whose orientation is different from their own, is making a turn.
Encourage children to move themselves into the same orientation as the person whose turn they are trying to describe so that they can use their own left and right to help see which directions someone else is turning.
To help you plan your year 1 maths lesson on: Giving directions and describing turns, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 1 maths lesson on: Giving directions and describing turns, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 1 maths lessons from the Position and direction including fractions of turns unit, dive into the full secondary maths curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Licence
Starter quiz
6 Questions






left
right

right
left


Exit quiz
6 Questions



to the left
to the right


