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National Curriculum Resource Tool

Materials to support teachers and schools in embedding the National Curriculum

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Year 2 - Geometry - position and direction

New Curriculum

  • order and arrange combinations of mathematical objects in patterns and sequences
  • use mathematical vocabulary to describe position, direction and movement, including movement in a straight line and distinguishing between rotation as a turn and in terms of right angles for quarter, half and three-quarter turns (clockwise and anti-clockwise).

Non-Statutory Guidance

Pupils should work with patterns of shapes, including those in different orientations.

Pupils use the concept and language of angles to describe ‘turn’ by applying rotations, including in practical contexts (for example, pupils themselves moving in turns, giving instructions to other pupils to do so, and programming robots using instructions given in right angles).

Links and Resources

Teachers should develop pupils’ numeracy and mathematical reasoning in all subjects so that they understand and appreciate the importance of mathematics. P9

– The national curriculum in England Key stages 1 and 2 framework document September 2013

Connections within Mathematics

Making connections to other topics within this year group

Geometry: properties of shape

Pupils should be taught to:

  • identify and describe the properties of 2-D shapes, including the number of sides and line symmetry in a vertical line
  • identify and describe the properties of 3-D shapes, including the number of edges, vertices and faces
  • identify 2-D shapes on the surface of 3-D shapes [for example, a circle on a cylinder and a triangle on a pyramid]
  • compare and sort common 2-D and 3-D shapes and everyday objects.

You could give the children a selection of 3D-shapes, discuss their properties in terms of numbers of faces, sides and vertices and shapes of faces and then ask them to make patterns using their shapes according to their own criteria, for example alternating shapes with rectangular faces and shapes with circular faces. They could show their pattern for other children to guess the rule. You could repeat this idea for pictures of 2D-shapes, discussing properties including symmetry first.

Making connections to this topic in adjacent year groups

Year 1

  • describe position, directions and movements, including half, quarter and three-quarter turns

Non statutory guidance

They use the language of position, direction and motion, including: left and right, top, middle and bottom, on top of, in front of, above, between, around, near, close and far, up and down, forwards and backwards, inside and outside.

Pupils make half, quarter and three-quarter turns and routinely make these turns in a clockwise direction.

Year 3

From properties of shape requirements (no Position and Direction in Y3):

  • Identify right angles, recognise that two right angles make a half-turn, three make three quarters of a turn and four a complete turn; identify whether angles are greater than or less than a right angle

Cross-curricular and real life connections

Learners will encounter geometry: position and direction:

Within the science curriculum there are opportunities to connect with geometry: position and direction, for example, one of the requirements states that ‘pupils should be taught to: identify and name a variety of plants and animals in their habitats, including micro-habitats. When studying animals, including those in micro-habitats, the children could compare the way different animals move. They could record these in tables or on charts, for example, finding out animals that fly, swim, crawl or run. They could observe how they do this. #Do they travel in straight lines, move in a circular motion or dart about in different directions

Within the geography curriculum, the children are expected to use simple compass directions (North, South, East and West) and locational and directional language (e.g. near and far; left and right) to describe the location of features and routes on a map. Give children the opportunity to identify places on maps and to work out in which direction they need to travel to get from one place to another.

In real life we all make turns and move in different directions in everything we do without thinking about it. You could ask the children to consider turns and moves they make while listening to you. You could ask them to make a diagram of moves they make around the classroom, for example, from the classroom door to where they sit and then to the carpet area. You could also ask them to describe turns they make using the vocabulary of clockwise, anti-clockwise, right and left. You could ask them to think about their journeys to school or to a favourite place. Did they notice the directions from home to their chosen place? Probably not! Ask them to notice and make a record of this next time they make the journey. You could ask them to think about the turns and positions they make when doing simple tasks like turning a door handle or brushing their teeth.

  • “What changes and what stays the same?“ Janet Ainley (ATM 2010) This article (free to ATM members) discusses the lack of challenge and progression in the ‘old’ curriculum and offers some suggestions for interesting activities, which support pupils learning fundamental geometric ideas.
Programme of study statements Activities
A B
order and arrange combinations of mathematical objects in patterns  
use mathematical vocabulary to describe position, direction and movement including distinguishing between rotation as a turn and in terms of right angles for quarter, half and three- quarter turns (clockwise and anti-clockwise), and movement in a straight line   

Activity set A

Give the children opportunities to arrange objects, such as shapes, base 10 equipment and counters in a variety of patterns. They could work with a partner. One child makes a pattern and the other child needs to predict what the next five objects in that pattern will be and give a reason for their thinking. Doing this with shapes enables the children to rehearse shape names and also their properties. If they do this with the cubes and 10 sticks from a set of base 10 equipment, they could make number patterns. For example:

Base 10 equipment

You could give pairs of children different coloured counters. One child makes a random pattern using around five counters. Encourage them to make patterns that don’t simply go in a straight line. Their partner then repeats this pattern. They continue until they run out of the colours needed to continue. They could then record their pattern on paper.

You could give the children squared paper, ask them to fold it in half and then to create a pattern by colouring in different squares on one side of the paper. They then give it to a partner who recreates the pattern as a reflection of the first. This makes a great link to symmetry.

You might like to explore Polly Plug Pattern from Nrich with the children. It gives them the opportunity to make and describe patterns. The challenge of extending a pattern allows the children to be creative and you may observe use of symmetry, rotations, enlargements and/or translations, even if the children themselves are not yet familiar with these mathematical terms.

Activity set B

You could explore direction and movement by asking the children to suggest things that move and how they do this. Ideas could include cars, airplanes, balloons, writing with a pencil.

You could ask them to draw a Formula 1 type track with several twists and turns in it. They could then take a toy car and move it around their track, describing to a friend the different directions they take. Encourage them to talk in terms of quarter, half, three quarter turns in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions and movements in a straight line.

You could ask then to work with a partner and give each other a task to do in slow motion, for example, sharpen a pencil, rub out a pencil mark, open a book. They take it in turns to observe each other and record the movements and directions of turn they make. They may well be surprised at the results!

You might like to explore Turning Man from Nrich This is intended to help children who are confident about turning themselves a quarter or half turn, but find it difficult to relate this to quarter or half turns in a picture or diagram. The activity is a ‘halfway house’ between the two.

Coloured Squares from Nrich gives children the chance to become more familiar with everyday words which describe position. It also requires them to work in a systematic way.

Examples of what children should be able to do, in relation to each (boxed) Programme of Study statement

order and arrange combinations of mathematical objects in patterns
  • Describe the patterns in sequences and predict what comes next in the sequence and continue the pattern.
use mathematical vocabulary to describe position, direction and movement including distinguishing between rotation as a turn and in terms of right angles for quarter, half and three- quarter turns (clockwise and anti-clockwise), and movement in a straight line
  • Recognise whole, half and quarter turns. They describe turns and give and follow instructions to turn. For example, they give instructions to a friend to follow a route around the playground. They make and draw half and quarter turns from the same starting point using, for example, two geostrips.

Use the grid to help you complete this table.

trees B2
slide  
seesaw  
  A3

Watch me as I rotate (turn) this picture of a clown.


(Rotate the clown smoothly and continuously through a full turn, keeping it facing the children at all times.)

Which of the pictures shows what the clown will look like if I rotate (turn) my picture a half turn?

Tick the picture

(Do not rotate your picture this time)

  • The video ‘Where’s Shrompy’, is a very simple one which demonstrates how to use a rhyme and develop hand signals to describe simple positions. You could adapt the words and actions to include any vocabulary you wish.