Imagine you and your friends find a treasure map.
To get to the treasure, you'll need to learn about clockwise and counterclockwise turns, and cardinal directions too!
We can make two types of turns: clockwise and counterclockwise.
Clockwise turns follow the way a clock's hands move.
If you're going around something, clockwise would mean turning right all the time.
Going the opposite direction is called counterclockwise.
A clock doesn't normally go this way.
Counterclockwise is the opposite of the normal movement of a clock.
Cool, so now you understand what "rotate clockwise 90°" means in the treasure map.
Rotate clockwise 90° means to turn right to face your shoulder.
Now, let's learn about what "Face north" means.
To "Face north", you'll need a compass.
Tip: most smartphones and tablets have compass apps.
A compass tells you what cardinal direction you're facing.
The four main cardinal directions are north, south, east, and west.
They're often written using the first letter of their names.
North always points to the North Pole, the top of our planet.
Tip: A compass is just a magnet that always points to the north pole, because our planet is kind of like a big magnet too!
South points to the South Pole, the bottom of our planet.
The sun rises in the east, and sets in the west.
You can use a compass to help you figure out if you're going in the right direction in the world.
There are halfway points in between the main cardinal directions.
Knowing these directions will help you get around the world.
The compass directions north, south, east, and west should be lowercase unless they are part of a proper noun, like the North Pole, or at the start of a sentence.
Now, let's look at how different turns can change your cardinal direction.
Let's say you're facing north.
You turned clockwise to face east.
What fraction of a full turn did you make?
Yes. You made 1/4 of a full turn.
Tip: this is also called a 90° turn.
You're now facing east.
Now, let's say you want to face west by turning counterclockwise.
What angle did you turn?
Yes. You turned 180° counterclockwise.
You're now facing west.
Where will you face if you make a 270° turn clockwise?
Correct! You'll now face south.
Excellent job learning about turns and compass directions.
Now, you can navigate around the world with a compass!
Imagine Jenny is standing at the center of her town.
If she made a 180° turn counterclockwise, where will she be facing?
Correct! She'd be facing the school.
Tip: A 180° turn is half of a full turn.
If she turns clockwise to face the ice cream shop, what angle must she turn?
You got it. A 90° degree turn.
If she decides to make a 360° turn counterclockwise, where will she be facing?
Very good. She'd be facing the ice cream shop again.
Tip: A 360° turn is a full turn. Whether you do it clockwise or counterclockwise, you would still end up where you started.
Now, you're ready to ace the practice.