Cardinal Points

Often our kids have trouble with left and right, let alone the compass points.  I always do some activities with kids as these concepts become important in 2nd grade, but they stay important throughout the elementary, middle and high school years.  How is one to understand the early American's exploration of the West without the sound concept of West? Our 4th grade curriculum in Social Studies is completely organized by cardinal directions: "Now kids, we are moving on to learn about the Southwest..."  Huh?

Cardinal Points is a cool site that, though a little confusing even to me, provides a complex activity that could be used to target these concepts, perhaps with upper elementary, middle- or high school students.  The site has two interactive lessons in which you manipulate a virtual compass to navigate and gain directional information about a location in England.

Language Lens

• Activities around this site could be ideally accompanied by use of an actual compass (perhaps the one on your iPhone) to navigate the school.
• The specific directions that need to be followed to complete each lesson make this resource a great context to work on comprehension.