Follow Directions and Draw

Author: Kristie Korth

Grade: 3 and up

 

Integrated Disciplines: Language Arts

 

NE Standards: 4.3.2 By the end of the fourth grade, students will make oral presentations that demonstrate appropriate consideration of audience, purpose, and information to be conveyed.  4.4.1 By the end of the fourth grade, students will gain information or complete tasks by listening.

 

Objectives: Students will be able to give clear directions to others.  Students will be able to listen to and follow multiple-step oral directions.

 

Materials: *paper for drawing.  *drawing utensils (crayons, pencils, markers…)

 

PROCEDURES

Anticipatory Set: Ask students if they think they give good directions.  Then ask them if they can follow directions.  Tell them that they might not be as good at it as they think, so lets find out.

 

Vocabulary: Do a quick mini-lesson on directions.  Go over north, south, east, and west.  Have the students help in naming other directions, such as left and right.  Write them all down on the board.

 

Activities:

  1. Ask the students to write out the exact directions for drawing something or maybe going somewhere in your town.  Make sure to keep in mind colors, location of writing utensils (or places), and appropriate descriptive words. 
  2. Put students into pairs.  Have them sit back to back, facing opposite directions, while one student draws (picture, patter, map of place) and the other gives directions.
  3. Have students analyze their drawings and their directions.  Did the drawing turn out correctly (did the student figure out what place the other student was talking about)?  How clear were the directions and did the drawer listen to them?  Ask students to give each other some suggestions at how they could make their directions more clear.
  4. Ask students to go back to their desks and work some more on making their directions even more clear, find another partner and repeat the process.  Did the drawing turn out clearly now?  Was this because of the directions or the listening?
  5. Variation: Try having students, or the teacher, follow the directions on an overhead projector while the class watches and listens.

 

Provisions for special needs: If a student has a hearing loss, write the directions on the board, overhead, or a piece of paper for that student, and he or she can read them.

 

Closure: Talk to the students about the importance of clear, concise directions, and also the importance of good listening skills.  If directions are not given well, or not followed well, then the end result may not be what we intended it to be.

 

Assessment: Students were able to give clear directions to others.  Students were able to listen to and follow multiple-step oral directions.  The teacher only graded on participation.  If the students kept on task and were doing what they were supposed to be doing, they got full points.

 

References: http://persweb.direct.ca/ikhan/elementary/compose3.html

 

Reflection: