Grade: Kindergarten Subject: Social Studies Unit: Basic Maps & Globe Lesson: 5 of 6 SAT: Information+Ideas ACT: Reading

🏠 Describing Places

📖 Learn

We use special location words to tell where things are. These words help us describe places on a map and in real life!

📍 Position Words

  • ⬆️ Above / On top of - higher than something
  • ⬇️ Below / Under - lower than something
  • ⬅️ Left of - on the left side
  • ➡️ Right of - on the right side
  • 📍 Next to / Beside - right by something
  • 🏠 Between - in the middle of two things

🗺️ Distance Words

  • Near / Close - not far away
  • Far - a long way away
  • In front of - facing something
  • Behind - at the back of something

🌳 Describing What You See

When we describe a place, we can say:

  1. What the place IS (a park, a school, a house)
  2. Where it IS (next to the library, on Main Street)
  3. What is NEAR it (trees, other buildings, water)

💡 Examples

Let's practice describing where things are!

Example 1: Classroom Description

Question: Where is the bookshelf?

Good answer: "The bookshelf is next to the door and across from the window."

We used location words to describe where it is!

Example 2: Map Description

Looking at a neighborhood map:

Question: Where is the park?

Good answer: "The park 🌳 is between the school 🏫 and the library. It is near the houses 🏠."

Example 3: Giving Directions

Question: How do I get to the playground?

Good answer: "Walk past the big tree 🌳. The playground is on the right ➡️, next to the swings."

✏️ Practice

Fill in the blanks with the correct location words!

1. ⬆️ The bird is flying _______ the tree.

Think: Is the bird higher or lower than the tree?

2. ⬇️ The dog is hiding _______ the table.

Think: Is the dog higher or lower than the table?

3. 📍 The school is _______ the park. They are very close!

Think: What word means "right by"?

4. 🏠 The store is _______ the bank and the post office.

Think: The store is in the middle of two buildings.

5. ➡️ Turn _______ at the corner to find the library.

Think: Which direction? Left or right?

6. 🌳 The mountains are very _______ from our town.

Think: Are the mountains close or a long way away?

7. 🏫 The playground is _______ the school building.

Think: Is the playground at the front or back of the school?

8. 📍 My house is very _______ to my friend's house. We can walk there fast!

Think: Is it far or close?

9. ⬅️ The art room is on the _______ side of the hallway.

Think: Which side - left or right?

10. 🗺️ When describing a place on a map, we use _______ words.

Think: What kind of words tell us where things are?

✅ Check Your Understanding

Think about what you learned!

1. Name three position words we use to describe where things are.

2. What is the difference between "near" and "far"?

3. Describe where your desk is in your classroom using location words.

🚀 Next Steps

  • 🏠 Practice describing where things are in your home
  • 📍 Give directions to a friend using location words
  • 🗺️ Look at a map and describe where places are
  • Get ready for the Unit Checkpoint to show what you've learned!