You will learn
- Say left and right.
- Follow instructions.
- Describe positions.
- Know left and right change with facing.
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
- We have a left side and a right side.
- Left and right help us give directions.
- Turn left or turn right.
- They change when we turn.
Words to know
the side of the heart for most people
the other side from left
to move round
to look towards
1. Discover: Left hand, right hand
Teacher Mr Cole says, “Raise your left hand.” Carlos raises his right hand. Everyone laughs kindly. “Let us try again,” says Mr Cole. He writes an L on the left hand. This time Carlos gets it right. “You are learning,” says Mr Cole.
Think: How can we remember left?
2. Understand: Left and right
Idea 1: Left and right
We have a left hand and a right hand. We have a left foot and a right foot. Many people write with the right hand, but some write with the left. Both are fine.
Idea 2: Remembering
Some children make an L with the left thumb and finger. Some put a bracelet on one hand. These tricks help us remember which hand is which.
Idea 3: Turning
When we turn left, we move round toward the left. If we face a different way, left and right change. Facing a friend, their right is on our left.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Show left
Show your left hand.
- Think.
- Raise.
- Check.
Answer: This is my left hand.
Example 2 (We do it together): Follow
Walk, turn left.
- Face forward.
- Walk.
- Turn left.
Answer: I am at the door.
Example 3 (You try): Face a friend
Whose right?
Show the steps and answer
- Face a friend.
- Point to right.
- Compare.
Answer: Their right is on my left.
Did you know?
In some countries, cars drive on the left side of the road, and in others on the right.
Why this matters
Left and right help us give and follow directions.
4. Explore: Left-right game
Play a game: left foot, right hand, turn left, step right. Then face a partner and check what changes.
- Listen.
- Move.
- Face partner.
- Compare.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Left and right change with facing.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- My left hand is ___.
- I turn ___ at the door.
- Left and right change when I ___.
- A way to remember left is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. Show your left hand.
Hand raised.
Question 2. Show your right foot.
Foot raised.
Question 3. Which hand do you write with?
Answers vary.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- Show your left hand.
- Show your right foot.
- Which hand do you write with?
- What does turn mean?
- Do left and right change when we turn?
Level 2: Grow
- Why use left and right?
- Why use a trick?
- Why is both fine?
Level 3: Stretch
- Follow a left-right trail.
- Draw an L on your left hand.
- Tell a friend a direction.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Walk to the door and turn left.
Show a sample answer
Action.
Another one. Teach someone left and right.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: It changes with facing.
Fix: Either hand is fine.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say left and right.
- I can follow instructions.
- I can describe positions.
- I can know left and right change with facing.
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
- We have a left side and a right side.
- Left and right help us give directions.
- Turn left or turn right.
- They change when we turn.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Basic directions. 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.
- Name a left body part and a right body part. [2 marks]
- Follow: take two steps and turn left. Describe. [3 marks]
- Say how left and right change when we turn. [3 marks]
- Name one trick to remember left. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Left [1]; right [1]
- Steps [1]; turn [1]; left [1]
- Face [1]; change [1]; example [1]
- Trick [1]; clear [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
- Show your left hand.
- Show your right foot.
- Which hand do you write with?
- What does turn mean?
- Do left and right change when we turn?
- Why use left and right?
- Why use a trick?
- Why is both fine?
- Follow a left-right trail.
- Draw an L on your left hand.
Homework
Teach a family member left and right with a game.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Show your left hand. | Hand raised. | 1 |
| 2. Show your right foot. | Foot raised. | 1 |
| 3. Which hand do you write with? | Answers vary. | 1 |
| 4. What does turn mean? | Move round. | 1 |
| 5. Do left and right change when we turn? | Yes. | 1 |
| 6. Why use left and right? | Directions. | 1 |
| 7. Why use a trick? | To remember. | 1 |
| 8. Why is both fine? | Everyone is different. | 1 |
| 9. Follow a left-right trail. | Trail. | 1 |
| 10. Draw an L on your left hand. | Hand. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Hand raised.; 2 Foot raised.; 3 Answers vary.; 4 Move round.; 5 Yes.. Level 2: 1 Directions.; 2 To remember.; 3 Everyone is different.. Level 3: 1 Trail.; 2 Hand.; 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 left and right | 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 Follow instructions | 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 Describe positions | 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 Know left and right change with facing | 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: “Left is the same for everyone.” It changes with facing.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Walk a trail with left and right turns.
- 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 left and right. Please play a left-right game at home. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Play a game.
- Be patient.
- Use words at home.
- 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 left and right; follow instructions; describe positions; know left and right change with facing.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 1 ideas: our community, places and the local area.
Materials. Masking tape or chalk. 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. Mark L and R signs.
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). Play left-right game.
Explanation (10 min). Teach.
Guided activity (10 min). Practise.
Independent activity (10 min). Reflect.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What are left and right? Do they change when we turn?
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. “Left is the same for everyone.” It changes with facing.
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. Walk a trail with left and right turns. 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 3; 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.