Intermediate
40 mins
Teacher/Student led
+80 XP
Teacher-led from the board. Pupils do not need a device, but can follow on one.

Follow the Route: Directions on a Grid

In this lesson you will learn to follow routes made of along and up moves across a grid. You will see how different orders of the same moves can still reach exactly the same square every time.

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    1 - Getting Started ~3 mins

    Look at the treasure map on the board. The door is on the bottom-left square, and the star is two squares along and one square up.

    A route is the list of steps we take, one square at a time. Along means a step left or right; up means towards the top of the grid. Today along will mean right when we walk towards the star.

    The star is 2 squares along and 1 square up from the door. Which way could we walk?

    2 - Watch and Notice ~8 mins

    You will see three finished routes on the grid. Each one starts on the bottom-left square. Each one finishes on the triangle, which is the star.

    Look at these first two paths. Same start, same star, but the moves are in a different order.

    This third walk also ends on the star. Say each move you can see on the path.

    3 - Try It Together ~9 mins

    One child at a time comes to the board to lay the blocks. Everyone else watches and chants each move as the block lands.

    The start square is already marked. We will try these routes:

    • 2 right
    • 1 up and 1 right
    • 2 right and 1 up
    • 1 up, 1 right, 1 up

    Lay the route, move by move

    4 - Mark the Square in Your Copy ~2 mins

    COPYBOOK MOMENT

    Illustration for Mark the square in your copyUse squared paper in your maths copy. Start at the bottom-left corner of a small set of squares.

    Put one clear mark on the square that is 2 along (2 right) and 1 up from that start. Mark only the finish square.

    5 - Class Challenge ~8 mins

    This time the class plans each route out loud before anyone lays a block. Then one child lays the blocks while everyone checks each move.

    On the puddle route, the hexagon is the puddle, so no block may land on it.

    We will try these routes:

    • 2 squares right
    • 2 right and 1 up
    • around the puddle to the star: 1 up, then 2 right

    Follow the route

    Pupil practice
    Module 6 · Shape and Space: 2D, 3D, Position and Turns Shape & Space
    Lesson 70 · Follow the Route: Directions on a Grid
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