Where Am I? Determining Relative Location
Children learn over/under, near/far, behind/in front with
the use of literature and puppets.
Author
Grade Level
Duration
National Geography
Standards
ELEMENT ONE
THE WORLD IN
SPATIAL TERMS
1. How to use maps
and other
geographic
representations,
tools, and
technologies to
acquire, process,
and report
information from a
spatial perspective.
Betty Lightfoot and Judy Phillips
K
2 class periods
Arizona Geography
Strand
Concept 1 The World in
Spatial Terms
PO 3 Determine the relative
location of objects using
the terms near/far,
behind/in front, over/under,
here/there, left/right,
up/down
Other Arizona Standards
ELA Common Core Standards
Key Ideas and Details
K.RL.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar
stories, including key details.
Range of Reading and Level of Text
Complexity
K.RL.10 Actively engage in group reading
activities with purpose and understanding.
Informational Text
Range of Reading and Level of Text
Complexity
K.RI.10 Actively engage in group reading
activities with purpose and understanding.
Writing
Text Types and Purposes
K.W.3 Use a combination of drawing, dictating,
and writing to narrate a single event or several
loosely linked events, tell about the events in the
order in which they occurred, and provide a
reaction to what happened.
Speaking and Listening
K.SL.1 Participate in collaborative conversations
with diverse partners about kindergarten topics
and texts with peers and adults in small and
larger groups.
a. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions
(e.g., listening to others and taking turns
speaking about the topics and texts
under discussion).
b. Continue a conversation through multiple
exchanges.
K.SL.2 Confirm understanding of a text read
aloud or information presented orally or through
other media by asking and answering questions
about key details and requesting clarification if
something is not understood.
K.SL.5 Add drawings or other visual displays to
descriptions as desired to provide additional
detail.
Where Am I? Determining Relative Location
descriptions as desired to provide additional
detail.
K.SL.6 Speak audibly and express thoughts,
feelings, and ideas clearly.
Language
Conventions of Standard English
K.L.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions
of standard English grammar and usage when
writing or speaking.
d. Understand and use question words
(interrogatives) (e.g., who, what, where,
when, why, how).
e. Use the most frequently occurring
prepositions (e.g., to, from, in, out, on,
off, for, of, by, with).
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
K.L.6 Use words and phrases acquired through
conversations, reading and being read to, and
responding to texts.
Overview
Procedures
Children at this age begin to understand relative
location and the terms to describe it. This lesson
addresses that readiness.
SESSION ONE
1. Brainstorming: Ask the children to describe
where the teacher is sitting using position words.
(If students do not understand, provide an
example: "I am on the chair.")
Purpose
Children will determine the relative location of
objects using terms such as, near/far, behind/in
front, and over/under.
2. Record student responses on chart paper.
Materials
4. Have student retell the story using the position
words. (I.e. The bird is over the tree.")
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Book for shared reading
Crayons
Index cards
Craft sticks
Puppet pattern
Glue
Construction paper
Chart paper
Student assessment
Objectives
The student will:
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Use position words to tell where things are.
Listen for position words in "Simon Says" or
another type of guessing game.
Dictate captions that explain positions in
drawings.
3. Read a story that uses position words in the
text.
5. Students make a stick puppet of a child by
coloring the pattern, cutting it out and gluing it to
the craft stick.
SESSION TWO
1. Play a modified game of Simon Says with the
stick puppet using many position words. (I.e.
"Simon Says: put your puppet under your chair.")
2. Children draw pictures of themselves in relation
to an object. These may be examples that were
used in the Simon says game.
3. The student writes or dictates to the teacher
captions for these drawings. (I.e. Sam is standing
behind the tree.)
4. The children share their drawings with their
classmates.
Where Am I? Determining Relative Location
5. Display children's drawings on a bulletin board
with the caption "Where Am I?" Another
suggestion might be to compile the drawings into
a class book.
Assessment
As an assessment tool, the teacher can ask,
"Where Am I?" and record the student responses.
The students should complete the drawing and
the caption with 100% accuracy.
Use the more formal observation in the individual
student assessment. This can be used when you
observe students during "Simon Says."
Satisfactory will be considered 2 checks in the
“regularly” category,
Extensions
Use a camera and take pictures of students at
school (in the classroom, on the playground, etc.).
Have the students decide where to take their
pictures. Create a class book with the students.
The students should provide the text (i.e. Sam is
on the slide). Use this class book as the shared
reading and for other reading/language arts
activities.
Sources
The following is a sample of books appropriate for
use in this lesson:
Hutchins, P. (1968). Rosie's Walk. New York:
Simon & Schuster/Aladdin Paperbacks. ISBN 002-043750-1
Over, Under, and Through by Tana Hoban
ISBN 0689711115
Up, Down, and All Around by Sharon Street
ISBN 1575842734
In the Space of the Sky by Michael Lewis
ISBN 0152531505