Workbook Page 

Key Ideas

• Left and right belong to your own body and change every time you turn, so they are not reliable for giving someone else directions.
• North, East, South, and West are fixed directions that belong to the Earth and are the same for every person, everywhere.
• You can find the four directions using the sunrise at dawn, or a shadow stick at any time the sun is out.
• A direction alone does not tell you how far to go. Useful directions always pair a fixed direction with a distance.

• Direction: Which way something is, or which way to go, described so it means the same thing to anyone, regardless of which way they face.
• Horizon: The line where the sky appears to meet the land or sea, and where the sun appears to rise and set.
• Cardinal directions: North, East, South, and West: the four fixed directions that belong to the Earth and stay the same for everyone.
• Distance: How far away something is. Paired with a direction, it is what actually tells you where to stop.

1. A friend says "the park is behind the school." Is that a real direction or does it still depend on where you're standing? Explain.
2. Why do you think sailors, who spend all day on open water with no landmarks, were some of the first people to rely heavily on fixed directions?
3. Could you invent a fifth fixed direction, one that belongs to the Earth the way North does? What would it point to, and would it ever change?

• A partner and two spots where you cannot see each other
• A clear view of the horizon at sunrise (or a clear memory of where the sun rose this morning)
• A straight stick about two feet long, two small stones or pebbles, and open sunny ground