Grades 1–3
Directions in My Classroom
A hands-on compass page: kids find north in their classroom, then record and draw what is on the north, south, east and west sides of the room.
Social studies worksheet · Maps and cardinal directions
From My Home to School
Kids draw a route map from home to school with landmarks along the way, then write step-by-step directions using north, south, east and west.
- Grade level
- Grades 2–5
- Time
- About 30 minutes
- Answer key
- Not needed: answers vary
- Kids practice
- Map skills, Cardinal and intermediate directions, Grids and coordinates, Map keys and scale
What kids do
“Draw a map of the way from your home to your school (or another place you go). Use the compass rose, then write the directions.”
Printed on the sheet:
- My route map (add 3 landmarks along the way)
- My directions (use north, south, east and west, left and right)
Words on this sheet
NWNESWSE
Teacher tip
Ask families to help with landmarks on the way.
How to use it
- Look at a real map of your town or school together first.
- Show a map on the document camera and model one question.
- Start with a quick question that connects the topic to kids’ own lives.
Watch for
Kids who think north means “up” on any page. Turn the map and talk about it.
Talk about it
- Why do maps need a key?
- What question would you ask an expert on this topic?
Take it further
Make a class map of the playground with a key.
US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.
More maps and cardinal directions worksheets
Grades 2–4
Map Words: Fill in the Blanks
Fill in 6 missing geography words (map, globe, compass rose, key, scale and equator) in a short paragraph, then use two of them in your own sentences.
Grades 1–2
Draw It Where It Goes
A follow-the-directions drawing page for position words: draw a house in the middle, a tree to its left, a sun above it, a dog in front and more.
Grades 1–3
My Place in the World
A where-I-live organizer that zooms out from home to street, town, state, country, continent and planet, with a drawing of each step.
Free for teachers
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