You will learn
- Say near and far.
- Compare distance.
- Sort places.
- Say the starting point matters.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Near is close and far is a long way.
- Distance is how far apart.
- Near and far depend on the start.
- A journey may be short or long.
Words to know
close by
a long way off
how far apart things are
a trip from one place to another
1. Discover: Two journeys
Kofi’s home is near school. He walks for five minutes. Mei’s grandmother lives far away. Mei goes by bus all day. “Far is a long journey,” says Mei. “Near is a short journey.”
Think: Which is the shorter journey?
2. Understand: Near and far
Idea 1: Near and far
Near means close by. Far means a long way off. Distance is how far apart two places are.
Idea 2: Journeys
A journey is a trip from one place to another. A near place takes a short time to reach. A far place takes a long time. We can walk, ride, take a bus, a boat or a plane.
Idea 3: Starting point
Near and far depend on where we start. The market may be near my house but far from my cousin’s house. Always say “near to what?”
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Near or far
Sort the places.
- Pick a start.
- Compare.
- Sort.
Answer: School: near. Another country: far.
Example 2 (We do it together): Which is shorter
Compare two journeys.
- Read.
- Compare.
- Say.
Answer: Five minutes is shorter.
Example 3 (You try): Starting point
Change the start.
Show the steps and answer
- Pick a new start.
- Compare.
- Say.
Answer: Near my house, far from yours.
Did you know?
Some people travel to school by canoe or boat, and for them a river crossing can be a long or a short journey depending on the weather.
Why this matters
Knowing near and far helps us plan journeys and stay safe.
4. Explore: Near and far sort
Put five picture cards (shop, school, market, airport, another town) in a near or far box from your home. Then change the start and sort again.
- Take cards.
- Sort.
- Change start.
- Compare.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Sorting changed with the start.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- Near means ___.
- Far means ___.
- A journey is ___.
- It depends on ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is near?
Close by.
Question 2. What is far?
A long way.
Question 3. What is distance?
How far apart.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is near?
- What is far?
- What is distance?
- What is a journey?
- Can we walk far?
Level 2: Grow
- Why does the start matter?
- Why plan journeys?
- Why near is short?
Level 3: Stretch
- Sort five places.
- Draw a near and a far place.
- Tell a friend one journey.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Name a place near your home and a place far away.
Show a sample answer
Answers vary.
Another one. Tell about a journey you took.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Far depends on the start.
Fix: Near means close.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say near and far.
- I can compare distance.
- I can sort places.
- I can say the starting point matters.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Near is close and far is a long way.
- Distance is how far apart.
- Near and far depend on the start.
- A journey may be short or long.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Left and right. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Say what near and far mean. [2 marks]
- Sort two places into near and far. [3 marks]
- Say why the start matters. [3 marks]
- Name a journey you took. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Near [1]; far [1]
- Near [1]; far [1]; reason [1]
- Start [1]; change [1]; example [1]
- Journey [1]; how [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is near?
- What is far?
- What is distance?
- What is a journey?
- Can we walk far?
- Why does the start matter?
- Why plan journeys?
- Why near is short?
- Sort five places.
- Draw a near and a far place.
Homework
Tell about one near and one far place from your home.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is near? | Close by. | 1 |
| 2. What is far? | A long way. | 1 |
| 3. What is distance? | How far apart. | 1 |
| 4. What is a journey? | A trip. | 1 |
| 5. Can we walk far? | Yes, but it takes long. | 1 |
| 6. Why does the start matter? | Distances change. | 1 |
| 7. Why plan journeys? | Time and safety. | 1 |
| 8. Why near is short? | Less distance. | 1 |
| 9. Sort five places. | Sorted. | 1 |
| 10. Draw a near and a far place. | Drawing. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Close by.; 2 A long way.; 3 How far apart.; 4 A trip.; 5 Yes, but it takes long.. Level 2: 1 Distances change.; 2 Time and safety.; 3 Less distance.. Level 3: 1 Sorted.; 2 Drawing.; 3 Sentence..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Say near and far | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Compare distance | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Sort places | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Say the starting point matters | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “Far is always another country.” Far depends on the start.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Sort toys into near and far from a spot.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns near and far. Please talk about journeys when you travel. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Talk about distance on trips.
- Compare times.
- Ask Near to what?
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: say near and far; compare distance; sort places; say the starting point matters.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 1 ideas: our community, places and the local area.
Materials. Picture cards, two boxes. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Make place picture cards.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Ask about journeys.
Explanation (10 min). Teach near and far.
Guided activity (10 min). Sort cards.
Independent activity (10 min). Discuss.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What is near? What is far? Does it depend on where we start?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Far is always another country.” Far depends on the start.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Sort toys into near and far from a spot. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 1 Unit 6, topic 2; NCSS C3 Framework, geographic representations and spatial views; Cambridge Primary Humanities, places and maps; IB Primary Years Programme, where we are in place and time. These sources informed the lesson.