Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - JHS 1

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Define what a bearing is.
• Describe how to determine the bearing of one point from another.
• Calculate the bearing of a point using a grid.
• Understand how bearings are used in real-life.

Lesson summary

Imagine you are a fisherman in Elmina trying to navigate the sea, a pilot flying from Accra to Tamale, or even a surveyor mapping out a new piece of land for a school in your community. How do they know exactly which direction to go? They use a special mathematical tool called bearings. Bearings help us describe direction accurately using angles. Today, we will learn how to find and describe the bearing of one place from another, a skill that is useful in many real-life situations right here in Ghana.

Lesson notes

What is a Bearing?

A bearing is an angle, measured in degrees, that tells us the direction of one point from another. It is a precise way of giving directions that everyone can understand, unlike saying "go a little to the right" or "head towards the big mango tree."

To describe bearings accurately, we must follow three golden rules: Always start from the North line. Every bearing measurement begins by facing North. We draw a vertical line pointing upwards at our starting point to represent the North direction. Always measure in a clockwise direction. "Clockwise" means turning in the same direction as the hands of a clock. Always write the bearing as a three-figure number. Even if the angle is small (e.g., 60°), we must write it with three digits by adding zeros in front. So, 60° becomes 060°, 5° becomes 005°, and 135° remains 135°.

Let's break down how to find a bearing with examples.