Cardinal & Intermediate Directions - Third Grade Social Studies
Imagine stepping outside your school building on a bright afternoon and trying to describe how to walk to the nearest ice cream shop without using words like "right," "left," or "straight ahead." Words like "turn left" can be terribly confusing because left changes every time you turn your body around! To give reliable directions that remain true no matter which way you are facing, geographers and explorers rely on cardinal and intermediate directions based on the fixed magnetic and rotational orientation of planet Earth.
The Four Cardinal Directions
The four foundational reference directions on Earth are known as cardinal directions: North, South, East, and West. These directions never change based on your personal body position; they are absolute guides tied directly to Earth's geographic poles and rotation.
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| THE FOUR CARDINAL DIRECTIONS |
| |
| NORTH (N) |
| ^ |
| | |
| | |
| WEST (W) <----------+----------> EAST (E) |
| | |
| | |
| v |
| SOUTH (S) |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Understanding North and South
North is the direction pointing toward the geographic North Pole, which is situated at the top of the spinning globe. When you look at standard maps, North is almost always oriented toward the top of the page. South is the exact opposite direction, pointing toward the frigid South Pole at the bottom of the globe.
Understanding East and West
East is the direction in which planet Earth spins on its axis, and because of this eastward rotation, the Sun appears to rise in the eastern sky every morning. West is the direction opposite of sunrise, pointing toward where the Sun appears to set in the evening. A simple memory trick to remember the order of cardinal directions clockwise starting from the top is: "Never Eat Soggy Waffles" (North, East, South, West)!
The Four Intermediate Directions
While the four cardinal directions work wonderfully for broad navigation, what happens if your town's playground is not directly north or directly east, but positioned halfway between both? To solve this puzzle, cartographers created intermediate directions. The prefix "inter-" means between, so intermediate directions are the points that lie halfway between the main cardinal points.
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| THE COMPLETE EIGHT-POINT COMPASS ROSE |
| |
| NORTH |
| N |
| NW | NE |
| (Northwest) | (Northeast) |
| \ | / |
| \ | / |
| WEST W --------+-------- E EAST |
| / | \ |
| / | \ |
| SW | SE |
| (Southwest) v (Southeast) |
| SOUTH |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Northeast (NE) and Northwest (NW)
Northeast lies precisely halfway between North and East. In the United States, states like Maine, New York, and Massachusetts are located in the Northeast region. Northwest lies halfway between North and West, pointing toward states like Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Notice that the cardinal word "North" always comes first when naming these intermediate directions!
Southeast (SE) and Southwest (SW)
Southeast sits halfway between South and East, pointing toward warm coastal states like Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. Southwest rests halfway between South and West, pointing toward sunny desert states like Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Just like with northern directions, the cardinal word "South" always comes first!
Using Compass Directions to Read Neighborhood Maps
Whenever you study a map of a city, park, or zoo, using cardinal and intermediate directions allows you to describe paths clearly and accurately.
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| SAMPLE NEIGHBORHOOD GRID MAP |
| |
| [Library] [Park] [School] |
| |
| [Fire Station] [Town Hall] [Bakery] |
| |
| [Post Office] [Hospital] [Grocery] |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Tracing Relative Locations
Looking at the sample map grid above, you can describe positions with precision. If you are standing at Town Hall in the very center, the Park is located directly North of you, while the Hospital is directly South. The Bakery is located directly East, and the Fire Station is directly West. Furthermore, the School is located Northeast of Town Hall, while the Library is Northwest, the Grocery is Southeast, and the Post Office is Southwest!
Chapter Practice Exercises
Question 1: What are the four cardinal directions, and what clever phrase can help you remember their clockwise order on a compass rose?
Question 2: What are the four intermediate directions, and which word (North or South vs. East or West) is always written first when naming them?
Question 3: If you stand outside at dawn facing the rising sun, which cardinal direction are you facing, and which direction is directly behind your back?
Question 4: Imagine you are standing at a central fountain in a town square. If you walk halfway between South and West to reach a bookshop, in which intermediate direction did you walk?
Solutions and Explanations
Solution 1: The four cardinal directions are North, South, East, and West. A popular and helpful mnemonic phrase to remember their clockwise order starting from the top is "Never Eat Soggy Waffles" (North, East, South, West).
Solution 2: The four intermediate directions are Northeast (NE), Northwest (NW), Southeast (SE), and Southwest (SW). When naming any intermediate direction, the cardinal words "North" or "South" are always placed first, followed by "East" or "West."
Solution 3: If you stand outside at dawn facing the rising sun, you are facing directly East, because Earth's rotation causes the sun to appear to rise in the eastern sky. Directly behind your back is West, which is the direction where the sun sets in the evening.
Solution 4: If you walk halfway between South and West to reach the bookshop, you walked in the intermediate direction of Southwest (SW).