6 OUR SOLAR SYSTEM IS A VERY SMALL PART OF ONE OF BILLIONS OF GALAXIES IN THE UNIVERSE

Task 1: Determination of the cardinal directions in the open countryside

WORKSHEET

Level: Primary (1.–5. Graders)

Subject: national history and geography

Recommended age of pupils: 6–11 years old or older

Time allocated: 1-2 lessons

List of equipment needed for pairs of pupils:

A stick (roughly one meter long) • Two pebbles • the Sun

Description – a brief summary:

The goal of the activity is to get acquainted with the possibilities of determining the cardinal directions in the open countryside without a compass or an orienteering compass.

Description – individual sections of the lessons

	Work content	Time	Material and equipment needed	Teacher’s activity	Pupils’ activity
Introduction to topic – motivation	What are the cardinal directions?	10 minutes	A notebook for recording the findings, a pencil	Explains the importance of the cardinal directions determination in the open countryside. He/she manages and assesses pupils’ activity	In the form of a group work, pupils estimate the cardinal directions.
Pre-laboratory preparation	Dividing pupils into groups, motivation, formulation of the target, assessment, a worksheet.	10 minutes or based on the distance of the location for determining the cardinal directions in the open countryside	A notebook for recording the findings, a pencil	Divides pupils into groups, motivation, formulates the target, introduces the assessment criteria to pupils, distributes the worksheets, supervises pupils when working, and manages the transfer.	Transfer to the location in the open countryside, pupils complete the worksheet with tasks, cooperate within the group, and ask the teacher questions.
Practical (research) activity	Finding of the cardinal directions	20 minutes	A notebook for recording the findings, a pencil	Pays attention to pupils.	Pupils are finding the cardinal directions.
Evaluation of lessons	Summary, advantages and disadvantages of determining the cardinal directions, presentations.	5 minutes	none	Controlled discussion with pupils.	Disadvantages of determining the cardinal directions without any instruments.

Preparation of the teacher:

Description of the activity

Brief information on the cardinal directions. (10 minutes)
Equipment: notebook, a pencil
The teacher informs pupils about the cardinal directions.
Transfer to the location in the open countryside where they will determine the cardinal directions. (10 minutes)
Equipment: a stick (1 m long)
2 pebbles
On the location, pupils will guess where the cardinal directions will be.
Finding of the cardinal directions. (20 minutes)
Pupils, working in groups, stick one metre long straight rod vertically into a flat, clear piece of ground. Notice where its shadow falls, and mark the top of the shadow with a pebble or a stick. Wait for at least 15 minutes and mark the position of the new shadow. They connect the points and by doing so, they get the east-west direction, with the first mark facing west. The north-south direction is perpendicular to this line. This method works anywhere during the day if the sun is shining, and in any latitude. This method works anywhere during the day if the Sun shines.
Discussion with pupils about the disadvantages of the determination of the cardinal directions without the use of any instruments. (5 minutes)