Finding Our Way with Cardinal Directions — Reading Comprehension
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Standards
FL.SS.2.G.1.1
SS.2.G.1.3
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This learning resource is available in interactive and printable formats. The interactive worksheet can be played online and assigned to students. The Printable PDF version can be downloaded and printed for completion by hand.
This engaging passage introduces elementary students to the concept of cardinal directions—north, south, east, and west. Aligned with standard SS.2.G.1.1, the passage explains how these main directions help us find places and move around using maps and compasses. Students learn how natural clues, like the rising and setting sun, also show direction. Real-life examples such as GPS and how people use compasses highlight the topic’s importance. This reading helps young learners build strong geography and map-reading skills while connecting the concept to the real world. The content supports reading comprehension and includes vocabulary and critical thinking activities to reinforce learning.
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Cardinal Directions: North, South, East, and West
We use four special directions to describe where things are on Earth. These are called cardinal directions: north, south, east, and west. People everywhere use these directions, just like the four corners of a playground. When you know where north is, you can figure out where everything else is!
What Do the Directions Mean?
North points toward the North Pole and the North Star. South is the opposite direction, leading toward the South Pole. East is where the sun rises each morning. West is where the sun sets every evening. These directions work the same way no matter where you are on Earth.
Why Do We Need Directions?
Cardinal directions help us describe where places are, give directions, and read maps. They help us navigate so we don’t get lost. Weather reports use them to tell us which way storms are moving. For example, Canada is north of the United States, and the Pacific Ocean is west of California. These directions are a universal language for location.
How Do We Find Directions?
We can use tools and clues from nature to find our way. A compass has a magnetic needle that always points north. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. At noon, the sun is highest in the south (in the Northern Hemisphere). At night, the North Star shows us where north is. Today, GPS uses satellites to tell us our exact direction.
Memory Tricks and the Compass Rose
To remember the order of the directions, try a trick like “Never Eat Soggy Waffles” (clockwise: North, East, South, West). A compass rose is a symbol on maps that shows all four cardinal directions. The top usually points to north.
Explorers and Directions
Long ago, explorers used cardinal directions to sail across oceans and make maps of new places. Knowing directions was the key to discovering the world!
Interesting Fact: The word “cardinal” comes from the Latin word for “important.”
Which direction does a compass needle point?
NorthSouthEastWest
Where does the sun rise?
EastWestNorthSouth
What is the opposite of north?
EastSouthWestCompass
Why do we use cardinal directions?
Describe locationsOnly for weatherOnly for explorersOnly on playgrounds
How do explorers use directions?
To find new placesTo cook foodTo plant treesTo make clothes
What tool uses a magnetic needle?
CompassMapGPSStar
The sun sets in the east. True or False?
TrueFalse
What is a compass rose?
Map symbol for directionsA type of flowerA kind of stormA weather report
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