You will learn
- Find places on a map.
- Follow a route.
- Plan a route.
- Describe directions.
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
- A route is the way from start to destination.
- We use left, right and straight.
- We use landmarks.
- Maps help us plan.
Words to know
the way from one place to another
not turning
where you begin
the place you want to reach
1. Discover: To the clinic
Kadiatu’s mother is not well. The family wants to go to the clinic. Kadiatu looks at the community map. “We start at our house, go straight to the market, turn left at the church, and the clinic is next to the school,” she says. They arrive safely. The nurse helps her mother.
Think: How did the map help?
2. Understand: Using a map
Idea 1: Finding places
To find a place, check the key for its symbol, then look for it on the map. Check the compass to see which way is north. Notice what is near it.
Idea 2: Route
A route is the way from your start to your destination. We describe it with words like go straight, turn left, turn right, pass the market and stop at the school.
Idea 3: Landmarks
A landmark is something easy to see, such as a big tree, a church, a mosque or a market. Landmarks help us know where to turn.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Find a place
Find the clinic.
- Check key.
- Find symbol.
- Point.
Answer: The clinic is next to the school.
Example 2 (We do it together): Plan a route
From home to school.
- Find start.
- Find landmarks.
- Say the turns.
Answer: Go straight, turn left at the market.
Example 3 (You try): Describe
Tell a friend.
Show the steps and answer
- Plan.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Straight, left, school on right.
Did you know?
Many people now use phone maps with voice directions, but learning to read a paper map helps us understand space and still works without a phone or network.
Why this matters
Reading maps helps us travel safely and plan.
4. Explore: Map treasure hunt
Use a classroom or playground map with a start, a destination and landmarks. Plan and walk a route with a partner.
- Look at the map.
- Plan route.
- Walk safely.
- Describe.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Landmarks made the route easy.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- A route is ___.
- Start is ___.
- Go straight, then ___.
- A landmark is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is a route?
The way from start to end.
Question 2. What is a destination?
The place we reach.
Question 3. What is a landmark?
Something easy to see.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is a route?
- What is a destination?
- What is a landmark?
- What does straight mean?
- What do we use to find a symbol?
Level 2: Grow
- Why use landmarks?
- Why plan a route?
- Why read the key?
Level 3: Stretch
- Plan a route.
- Walk it safely.
- Tell a partner.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Describe the route from your classroom to the playground.
Show a sample answer
Answers vary.
Another one. Plan a route to a safe place with an adult.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: There may be many.
Fix: Always go with an adult.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can find places on a map.
- I can follow a route.
- I can plan a route.
- I can describe directions.
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
- A route is the way from start to destination.
- We use left, right and straight.
- We use landmarks.
- Maps help us plan.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: What is the past?. 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 a route is. [2 marks]
- Describe a route with three steps. [3 marks]
- Name two landmarks and why they help. [3 marks]
- Say who should go with you. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Meaning [1]; example [1]
- Three steps [3]
- Two [2]; why [1]
- Adult [1]; why [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 a route?
- What is a destination?
- What is a landmark?
- What does straight mean?
- What do we use to find a symbol?
- Why use landmarks?
- Why plan a route?
- Why read the key?
- Plan a route.
- Walk it safely.
Homework
Describe a safe route from your house to a place with an adult.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is a route? | The way from start to end. | 1 |
| 2. What is a destination? | The place we reach. | 1 |
| 3. What is a landmark? | Something easy to see. | 1 |
| 4. What does straight mean? | Not turning. | 1 |
| 5. What do we use to find a symbol? | The key. | 1 |
| 6. Why use landmarks? | To know where to turn. | 1 |
| 7. Why plan a route? | Safe, quick. | 1 |
| 8. Why read the key? | To find symbols. | 1 |
| 9. Plan a route. | Route. | 1 |
| 10. Walk it safely. | Walk. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 The way from start to end.; 2 The place we reach.; 3 Something easy to see.; 4 Not turning.; 5 The key.. Level 2: 1 To know where to turn.; 2 Safe, quick.; 3 To find symbols.. Level 3: 1 Route.; 2 Walk.; 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 Find places on a map | 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 a route | 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 Plan a route | 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 Describe directions | 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: “There is only one route.” There may be many.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Play a game with a toy map. Plan routes.
- 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 to follow a route on a map. Please walk a familiar route together and talk about landmarks. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Use landmarks on walks.
- Keep your child safe.
- Look at maps together.
- 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: find places on a map; follow a route; plan a route; describe directions.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 1 ideas: places, directions and natural features.
Materials. Map of school, paper, pencils. 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. Draw a school map with landmarks.
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). Tell the clinic story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach routes.
Guided activity (10 min). Plan and walk.
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. How do maps help us find places? What is a route?
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. “There is only one route.” There may be many.
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. Play a game with a toy map. Plan routes. 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 10; 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.