Navigating our city: vocabulary and directions

Navigating Our City: Vocabulary and Directions

LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
Students will be able to use vocabulary related to directions and locations to give and follow instructions.

ASSESSMENTS:
Students will demonstrate mastery by creating sentences using directional vocabulary and answering questions about locations based on a map provided.

KEY POINTS:

• Vocabulary: along, straight ahead, towards, over, away from, opposite, behind, near here, next to, in front of, on the corner of.
• Understanding how to ask for and give directions in English.
• Recognizing common phrases used in conversations about locations and directions.
• Practicing sentence formation with the provided vocabulary.

OPENING:

• Begin with a brief discussion about places students often visit in their city.
• Ask, "How do you find your way around? What words do you use?"
• Introduce a fun map activity where students will identify landmarks and practice using directional vocabulary.

INTRODUCTION TO NEW MATERIAL:

• Present the vocabulary list and definitions.
• Use visuals or a map of a familiar area to illustrate each term.
• Discuss a common misconception: students may think that all direction words are interchangeable; clarify how each word has a specific context.

GUIDED PRACTICE:

• Model how to ask for and give directions using the vocabulary.
• Provide sentence starters and examples for students to practice in pairs.
• Monitor student performance by circulating the room and providing feedback, prompting students to elaborate on their answers.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE:

• Assign students to create their own map of a fictional city, labeling important locations (e.g., library, park, school).
• Students will write 5 sentences giving directions to each location using the vocabulary learned.
• Set behavioral expectations: students should work quietly and collaborate respectfully with peers.

CLOSING:

• Have a quick review session where students share one sentence they wrote about directions.
• Ask a few students to explain how they would get from one location to another using the vocabulary.

EXTENSION ACTIVITY:

• For students who finish early, they can create a short role-play scenario where one student asks for directions and another provides them, using the vocabulary.

HOMEWORK:

• Assign students to interview a family member about their favorite place in the city and write 3 sentences giving directions to that place from their house, using the vocabulary.