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What is positional language?
Positional language is the use of compass points to locate places and provide directions between places. A magnetic compass will always point to north. All other directions are taken from this reference point. An 8-point compass — north, north-east, east, south-east, south, south-west, west, and north-west — is standard in most geography books and atlases. A 16-point compass provides even further detail.
Why is positional language useful?
Positional language allows geographers to be accurate when giving directions and locations of places. It avoids confusion with positioning if the words such as left and right, up and down, top and bottom are used. No matter what direction you are facing, compass direction always remains the same, based around north.
FIGURE 1 An eight-point compass
Task 1
Copy as accurately as possible the 16-point compass below onto a piece of paper and label all of the compass points.
As a class lets complete this table on the board.
Task 2
Using the map below, write the answers to these questions in your books:
In which direction from Katherine would you need to fly to get to Kakadu National Park?
In what direction is Jabiru in Kakadu National Park from Darwin?
In what direction is Jabiru from Pine Creek?
If I was to drive from Katherine in a north-west direction, would I arrive in Jabiru or Darwin?
If I want to drive from Pine Creek to Jabiru. Describe the directions in which I would need to travel while on the road.
Task 3
Complete the following worksheet to practice your directional language skills.
Use the map on page 2 to answer questions 1 - 6 in your geography workbook.
Direction Skills.pdfExtension/ Homework Task
Plan a trip across Australia visiting places you would really like to see. You must include at least THREE landforms within THREE different states (i.e. a mountain or mountain range, valley, plateau, monolith).
On a printed blank map of Australia, plot the locations of the places you have identified, ensuring you use different symbols for places such as national parks, cities, tourist resorts, natural features (such as Uluru). These should be included as symbols in a legend that you will also create. Remember that your map should include BOLTSS.
Join these places up with straight lines using a ruler.
Write a narrative to describe the trip, notably the direction of each location to the next and the distances involved.
e.g. To begin my trip I am going to travel North from my house in the N.Beaches. This will take me to Terrigal Beach which is on the Central Coast. From there I am going to travel in a westerly direction ......
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