How to teach directions to the fourth-grade kids
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How to teach directions

to the fourth-grade kids

Materials: flashcards with places vocabulary

                 worksheets with the plan of imaginary town

                 papers with the names of the streets

Teaching directions can become a real challenge, however this topic is often eagerly accepted by children and there are many fun activities you can use in order to make it easy for perception. It’s natural to start the introduction of the topic with vocabulary of places: such as post office, police station, school, bank, playground, park, library etc. since these will be used extensively in directions lessons.

PROCEDURES

Warm Up - Get your pupils interested in learning how to give directions. Distribute a pile of flash cards with familiar  places in the class or on the board and ask some children to show point at some of the cards.

For example: Point at the school. Point at the supermarket.

Introduce new Vocabulary 

Introduce new vocabulary on places. For example: airport, library, playground, theatre, cinema…

Practice 
Ask students to do some choral repetition. Call on students to model pronunciation in order to check their progress on the individual level . Then you can play some games in order to elicit vocabulary in need.

1. You can ask pupils to speak out some key phrases about what we can do in this or that place. Others should try and guess the word. Or you may just limit your pupils to 3 words related to the active one. So other pupils can guess the word.
2. You can also show the part of the picture on the flashcard, so that others can guess what’s on it.

Introduce Directions Phrases 
Introduce the following phrases: 
-Turn right/left (at the 1st/2nd/3rd corner). 
-Go straight. 
-You’ll see it on the right/left.
-It’s across from (the school, the park, the post office)
-It’s next to (the police station, the playground, the library)

• It’s opposite (the fire station, the supermarket)
  Explain the meaning of each phrase and lead some pronunciation practice exercises.

Practice

a)Provide your pupils with any kind of worksheet containing a rough map of an imaginary town with streets and places indicated there. Designate your location and ask your pupils to explain how to get to another place.

Example:

I’m nest to the supermarket now. How can I get to the library?

Then ask the kids to show their chosen point on the map so that the classmates explain the way there. 

2. Demonstrate the dialogue in which one person asks for directions and the other provides them.

Practice
After demonstrating the dialogue, ask the students to work in pairs to practice giving directions. The model dialogue can be like this:
A: Excuse me. How do I get to the ~?
B: Turn left. Turn right at the 3rd corner. You’ll see it on your left.
A: Thank you

B: You’re welcome

Ask for volunteers to demonstrate their dialogues to the class.  While demonstration observe what areas may need further review. See if classmates can correct errors when they occur.

Production

For further practice you can jumble the pictures with the old as well as the new places vocabulary and distribute them again in the class. Introduce the names of the streets and put the correspondent papers in the isles between the desks, the chairs  etc…… Designate one pupil to ask for directions and the other one for explanations. Get your pupils to follow the indicated way.

If appropriate you can create a maze of desks and ask the pupil to follow the way blindfolded that can bring some fun and enjoyment to the class.

Review

Ask for translations or demonstrations of all associated vocabulary and phrases as well as directions from one place to another. During the next several classes you can include showing directions into warm-up activities.