Position and direction - Descibe turns - Planning

The curriculum for Year 1 students during the summer term includes a unit on position and direction, with the first week dedicated to describing turns. The National Curriculum objectives for this period focus on teaching children to describe position, direction, and movement, specifically whole, half, quarter, and three-quarter turns. The educational activities aim to familiarize students with a range of vocabulary related to position and movement, such as left, right, top, middle, bottom, and terms denoting proximity and orientation like near, far, and around. The learning journey also involves connecting the concept of turning clockwise with the movement of hands on a clock face. To facilitate this learning, a variety of resources are employed, including presentations, physical objects like spoons or pencils, and mini whiteboards for individual responses.

The lesson plan includes a starter activity where children recap what a 'turn' means, followed by class discussions and practical exercises to clarify the concept. For instance, the children are asked to consider the inadequacy of vague instructions like 'turn this way a bit' by observing the resulting confusion in direction. They are then introduced to the idea of dividing a circle into equal parts to better describe turns. Partner work and group discussions help address any misconceptions and reinforce understanding. Practical tasks involve children facing a wall and practicing turning by a specified fraction, and directing a partner to rotate an object, such as a spoon or pencil, in different directions. The lesson concludes with reflective questions to consolidate the day's learning and activities that are differentiated to cater to varying levels of comprehension, from working towards the expected level to achieving greater depth in understanding turns and directions.