Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 3

Lesson Video

This page supports the lesson note with a companion video and a short classroom-ready summary.

For class groups and homework, share this lesson page so learners also get the summary, objectives, and full lesson context.

Performance objectives

• Describe the position of objects (in front of, behind, left, right).
• Follow simple directions to move from one point to another.
• Give clear directions to guide someone on a grid or map.
• Identify the location of an object on a grid using coordinates (like A3).
• Draw a basic map of a familiar space, like your classroom.

Lesson summary

This week, we are becoming explorers and map-makers! We will learn about position, direction, and mapping. This is a very important part of Mathematics because it helps us understand the world around us. In our daily lives in South Africa, we use these skills all the time. Think about telling a friend how to get to your house from the taxi rank, describing where you left your school bag, or finding your favourite shop at the mall. Understanding position and maps helps us to not get lost, to give clear instructions, and to describe our surroundings accurately. This topic builds a foundation for later understanding geometry and even reading complex maps like a GPS on a phone.

Lesson notes

A. Positional Language: Where is it? Positional language helps us say exactly where something is. It's like using 'word pointers'.

In front of / Behind: Something is in front of you if you are facing it. Something is behind you if it is at your back.

Example: The chalkboard is in front of the class. The windows are behind the learners.

Next to / Beside: These words mean something is at the side of another object.

Example: In our South African flag, the green stripe is next to the white stripe.

Left / Right: These words describe the side of something.

A fun trick: Hold up both hands with your palms facing away. The hand that makes an 'L' shape with the thumb and first finger is your left hand!

Example: Your pencil case is on the right side of your desk.

Above / Below: 'Above' means over something, and 'below' means under something.

Example: The roof of the classroom is above our heads. The floor is below our feet.

Between: This means something is in the middle of two other things.

Example: The learner is sitting between two friends.

B. Directions: How do I get there? Directions are instructions that help someone move from a starting point to an end point. We use positional words to give good directions.