First Grade · History · week 13

Compass rose: N, S, E, W

Name the four cardinal directions and use a compass rose to describe locations on a simple map.

A compass rose is a little symbol on a map with four letters: N for north, S for south, E for east, and W for west. It shows you which way is which.

Here is a trick: the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. On most maps, north points toward the top of the page.

📋 For the teacher
Teach it (10–15 min):
  • Step outside together in the morning or evening and find east (sunrise) or west (sunset) as a real-world anchor.
  • Draw a simple compass rose together and label N, S, E, W in the right spots.
  • Use a real room or yard: "the door is north of your bed" or similar, so directions feel physical, not just words on paper.
  • Practice with a simple drawn map (school, park, house) and ask direction questions about it.
Talk about it:
  • What are the four directions on a compass rose?
  • How can the sun help you find east or west?
  • What is north of your house or bedroom door?

Mastery looks like: They can name all four cardinal directions and use a compass rose to describe where one thing is relative to another on a simple map.

Common stumbles: Mixing up north and south, or east and west, especially when the map is not lined up the way they are facing.

Homework for this lessonType it, write it with a stylus, or print it for pencil & paper.open →
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