When Jill at Marvelous Multiagers was presented with the challenge of teaching the compass rose to her students, she decided to come up with a collaborative and interactive way for all students to participate in the learning process. This teacher had one student leave the room while another student hid a stuffed animal somewhere in the classroom. When the student returned, the class gave him/her directions (i.e. “North, now go west.”) Once the child found the animal, they started again, sending a new student outside and hiding the animal in a new spot.
Afterwards, students drew maps of the classroom with the compass rose on them.
We love this activity for diverse classrooms as you can so easily add supports if needed. Some students may need feedback from the group while others may be able to do more problem-solving on their own. Visuals (North, South, East, West) could also be held up by peers if certain children needed additional cues. This activity also gives you the flexibility of having different students take on different roles (e.g., hider, seeker, cue giver) to suit their individual needs.
About Paula Kluth
