Geometry and Spatial Sense, Grades 4 to 6 - EduGains

LEArnInG ABout LoCAtIon
And MovEMEnt In thE
JunIor GrAdES
Introduction
Spatial sense can be described as the intuitive awareness of one’s surroundings and of the
objects in them. Having spatial sense enables students to accurately describe the location of
objects in their surroundings and of shapes in an abstract plane. Understanding and being
able to visualize the various ways in which shapes and objects can move also contribute to
the development of spatial reasoning skills.
PRIOR LEARNING
In the primary grades, students learn to describe the location of an object using expressions
such as “in front of”, “beside” and “to the left of”. They describe transformations as slides,
flips, and turns, and discuss the results of these transformations by comparing the trans-
formed image with the original shape. In investigating lines of symmetry, primary students
use concrete materials and tools to develop a greater understanding of reflections.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS DEVELOPED IN ThE JUNIOR GRADES
Instructional strategies for teaching location and movement in the junior grades should
focus on an understanding of spatial relationships. The location of a point is related to both a
horizontal and a vertical position. Transformations are related to one another – for example,
the position of an image after a rotation can often be replicated by a combination of other
transformations. Although location and movement can be treated as separate components
of a junior curriculum, when they are taught in combination with a focus on relationships,
students are able to make important mathematical connections.
Instruction that is based on meaningful and relevant contexts helps students to achieve the
curriculum expectations related to location and movement, listed in the table on the following page:
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