Directions to food

Directions to food

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This task is about compass directions and distance.
[Scale: 1 square = 10 centimetres]
The ant only crawls along the dotted lines with arrows on this grid.
For each part of the ant's journey, give
1. the distance the ant needs to travel and
2. the direction it travels in (North, South, East or West).
The ant only crawls along the dotted lines with arrows on this grid.

Question 1Change answer

a)  To get to the muffin, the ant needs to crawl cm to the SouthEastNorthWest.

Question 1Change answer

b)  To get to the kiwifruit, the ant needs to crawl
  1. cm to the NorthEastSouthWest, then
  2. cm to the NorthEastSouthWest.

Question 1Change answer

c)  To get to the apple the ant needs to crawl
  1. cm to the SouthNorthEastWest, then
  2. cm to the SouthEastNorthWest, and then
  3. cm to the SouthEastNorthWest.

Question

d)  Between which two objects does the ant need to walk the furthest?

    • The muffin and the gingerbread man.

    • The muffin and the apple.

    • The muffin and the kiwifruit.

    • The gingerbread man and the apple.

    • The gingerbread man and the kiwifruit.

    • The apple and the kiwifruit.

Task administration: 
This task is completed online and has auto marking displayed to students.
Level:
3
Curriculum info: 
Maths, Geometry and Measurement, Position and orientation
Key Competencies: 
Using language, symbols, and texts
Keywords: 
scale, maps, compass, direction, bearings
Description of task: 
Students are required to describe the compass direction and distance that an ant travels toward different items of food positioned on a grid.
Curriculum Links: 

Key competencies

This resource involves knowing and using specialised language of direction and compass bearings, and using scale which relates to the Key competency: Using language, symbols and text.
 

 

Learning Progression Frameworks
This resource can provide evidence of learning associated with
Geometric thinking, sets 3-4
within the Mathematics Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Read more about the Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Answers/responses: 

 

Y6 (11/2013)
a)  30 cm East Both correct - easy
b)

20 cm West then
20 cm South

All correct - moderate
c)

40 cm South, then
30 cm East , then
20 cm North

All correct - moderate
d) F - Kiwi fruit and apple easy

 Based on an online sample of 56 Y8 students in Oct-Nov 2013. Results consistent with earlier ARB resource.

Teaching and learning: 
This task involves direction/orientation, distance and scale adjustment.
Diagnostic and formative information: 
   Common errors Likely misconception Next steps

a)
b)
c)

3 cm
2 cm and 2 cm
4 cm, 3 cm and 2 cm


The student does not use the scale 1 square = 10 cm
  • The student needs to realise that each square represents 10 cm, not 1 cm.
  • Students should look carefully at the diagram and the scale underneath it.
  • If this does not help. students need introduction to the ideas of a scale map.

b) i)
c) ii)


 

The student confuses East and West
  • The student may need to learn the order of the main directions - "East clockwise from North, and West anticlockwise from North" or "West left, East right".
  • Acrostics such as "Never Eat Soggy Weetbix" or  "Naughty Elephants Squirt Water", or student-invented ones may help.