Indiana Social Studies 2.G.1
The Standard
Use a compass to identify cardinal and intermediate directions and locate places on maps and in the classroom, school, and community.
2026 Indiana Academic Standards: K-12 Social Studies
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students use a compass or compass rose to find north, south, east, west, and directions such as northeast. They use these directions to locate places on maps and around the classroom, school, and community.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can identify all eight directions on a compass rose. Given a school map, they can describe where one place is from another and point in that direction.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think east always means right, even after they turn or rotate a map. They may call northeast north or mix up northeast and northwest.
How to Assess It
- Draw a compass rose with north at the top. Place a school dot in the center, a park dot above and right, and a library dot directly left; ask students to write each place's direction from the school.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs a handheld compass and a classroom map; have them mark all eight directions and point to each one.
Ask students to write how a classmate could walk northeast from the classroom door.
Play direction bingo on a prepared school map; call out a clue such as 'southwest of the gym' for students to cover.
On a community map, have students trace a route from school to the fire station and name the direction of each part.
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Printable 2.G.1 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 2.G.1, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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Related Standards
- 1.G.1
Identify the cardinal directions (i.e., north, south, east, and west) on maps and globes and at the classroom or school.
- K.G.2
Locate and describe places in the school and community using words such as here/there, over/under, left/right, above/below, forward/backward, and between.
- 3.G.4
Identify the northern, southern, eastern, and western hemispheres; cardinal and intermediate directions; and determine the direction and distance from one place...
- 1.G.2
Identify and describe continents, hemispheres, oceans, cities, and roads on maps and globes.
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