Compass Rose and Directions Worksheet
Grade 1 students match compass directions to their descriptions, then fill blanks using north, south, east, west, and northeast in simple map sentences.
10 questions · Matching · Fill in the blank · Recognition
This worksheet introduces Grade 1 students to the compass rose — the symbol found on most maps that shows direction. Students first match direction words to short descriptions, then read simple map clues and choose the correct direction word to complete each sentence. Understanding north, south, east, west, and northeast helps young learners describe where places are in relation to one another, a skill they will use every time they look at a classroom map, a weather map, or a neighborhood guide. A printed word bank supports all readers in the fill-in-the-blank section. Use this sheet as a warm-up activity, a guided lesson tool, or independent practice for early map-skills instruction.
Compass Rose and Directions Worksheet — Grade 1
Read each part carefully. Use the words and clues on the sheet to help you.
Word bank
- east
- north
- northeast
- south
- west
Remember
- A compass rose shows four main directions: north is up, south is down, east is right, west is left.
- The sun rises in the east each morning and sets in the west each evening.
- Northeast, southeast, northwest, and southwest are directions found between the four main ones.
Part A — Match each direction word to its description
Draw a line from each direction word on the left to the correct description on the right.
Choose from
- A. Between north and east on a compass rose
- B. The direction at the bottom of a map
- C. The direction where the sun sets
- D. The direction at the top of a map
- E. The direction where the sun rises
- 1.
North
- 2.
South
- 3.
East
- 4.
West
- 5.
Northeast
Part B — Fill in the blank with a direction word
Use a word from the box above to fill each blank.
- 6.
On a map, north is at the top. The park is above the school. The park is ____ of the school.
- 7.
On a map, south is at the bottom. The store is below the school. The store is ____ of the school.
- 8.
East is the right side of a map. The library is right of the school. The library is ____ of the school.
- 9.
West is on the left of a map. The fire station is to the left of the school. It is ____ of the school.
- 10.
Northeast is between north and east. The pond is above and right of the school. The pond is ____ of it.
Answer key
Part A — Match each direction word to its description
- 1.The direction at the top of a map
- 2.The direction at the bottom of a map
- 3.The direction where the sun rises
- 4.The direction where the sun sets
- 5.Between north and east on a compass rose
Part B — Fill in the blank with a direction word
- 6.north
- 7.south
- 8.east
- 9.west
- 10.northeast
What this sheet teaches
- Identify north, south, east, and west as the four main compass directions on a map.
- Match each compass direction to its correct position or description on a compass rose.
- Use direction words to describe where one place sits relative to another.
Notes for the adult
- Many Grade 1 students mix up east and west — remind them the sun rises in the east every morning.
- If a student confuses north and south, point to a classroom map and show that north is always at the top.
- A student is ready to move on when they name all four main directions without looking at the sheet.
What is on the page
Printed on one side, Compass Rose and Directions Worksheet runs to two parts and ten exercises. Matching and fill-in-the-blank work, in that order, so a student who has understood the material has to show it in more than one form before the page is finished.
Part A Match each direction word to its description sets five items against five lettered options, one lettered option per item, which means the last pair can be reached by elimination. Part B Fill in the blank with a direction word is fill-in-the-blank work off a printed word bank — five words for five blanks, an exact fit.
What it asks of the student
Compass Rose and Directions Worksheet puts about 230 words of reading in front of the student — the fact box, the directions, every question, and every printed option. That is the number worth checking against a class before it goes out, because a sheet that is pitched right on the history and wrong on the reading fails for the same child either way. The longest single prompt on it runs to 24 words.
Nothing on Compass Rose and Directions Worksheet is answered on ruled lines — every response goes in a blank, against a printed option, or on the rule beside the question — so the whole of it fits on one side of paper and the full answer key runs to 41 words.
Where this one sits
Compass Rose and Directions Worksheet is one of nine Map Skills sheets on this site and one of two written for grade 1. two of them share its topic, compass rose and directions, which is worth knowing before printing two that overlap.
The closest things to it are Map Keys and Legends Worksheet (grade 2) and Map Keys and Legends Worksheet (grade 3). If Compass Rose and Directions Worksheet lands well, those are the ones to reach for next; if it lands badly, the recognition sheets a grade either side are usually the adjustment rather than a different topic altogether.
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Compass Rose and Directions at other grades
This sheet: Grade 1, 10 questions — matching, fill in the blank. The same topic is also written for:
- Compass Rose and Directions Worksheet — Kindergarten · 10 questions, matching, fill in the blank · recognition work