Lesson 25 — Activity 2: Writing Instructions for a Path


Getting Ready


How did you do on the last assignment? Were you able to easily follow the directions and end up at the correct locations?

You have learned that when you are following directions, there are two very important things you must have. First, the directions must make sense. Second, they must be accurate.

In this activity, you will practise giving accurate directions.




Think about what directions you could give to others.
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Let's look at the town map once again.


Read the directions that follow.

Imagine someone is asking you directions for how to get to the Grocery Store from the Church. You could say:


"Go east on 1st Avenue, turn right on to 5th Street, turn left onto 2nd Avenue, then turn right onto 6th Street, then turn left onto 3rd Avenue, and finally turn right onto 7th Street and go two blocks. The Grocery Store is right there."


These directions do get you to the grocery store. But do they make sense? Not really! They are so hard to follow that the person asking you may just thank you for your time and then go and find someone else to ask.

Wouldn't it have been much easier to say:


"Go east on 1st Avenue until you get to 6th Street. Turn right on to 6th Street. Turn left when you get to 4th Avenue and the Grocery Store is 2 blocks ahead on your right."


These directions also get you to the Grocery Store and they make sense! They are easy to follow, and they are accurate. If you were the person doing the asking, these short and precise directions are exactly what you would like to hear.