Understand the idea.
A turn changes direction
A turn changes the direction you face. One full turn brings you back to your starting direction. A half turn faces the opposite direction, and two quarter turns make that half turn.
Picture four directions around you: up, right, down and left on the page. Moving clockwise visits them in that order. Each move to the next direction is a quarter turn.
Check the start and the direction
Mark the starting arrow before turning. Clockwise follows the direction of clock hands; anticlockwise goes the other way. The same amount of turn can finish differently when its direction changes.
Check a turn one quarter at a time, using your body or a drawn arrow. Count the moves between directions, not the starting direction itself. Four quarter-turn moves should return to the start.
See the method in action.
A robot turns
A robot faces up and makes a half turn. Which way does it face?
Worked solution
- 1
Split the half turn into quarters.
Two quarter turns have the same amount of turn as one half turn.
- 2
Turn clockwise from up to right.
This uses the first quarter turn.
- 3
Turn clockwise once more to down.
The second quarter completes the half turn, so the robot faces down.
- 4
Check the other turning direction.
Anticlockwise goes up to left to down, giving the same opposite direction.
Down; either turning direction gives the same half-turn result.
Three quarter turns
An arrow faces right and turns three quarters clockwise. Where does it point?
Worked solution
- 1
Make the first quarter turn.
Starting right, a clockwise quarter turn points down.
- 2
Make the second quarter turn.
From down, the next clockwise quarter turn points left.
- 3
Make the third quarter turn.
From left, the next clockwise quarter turn points up, so up is the final direction.
Up.
Try it yourself.
Check your understanding
How many quarter turns make one full turn?
Show answer & reasoning
4
Four quarter turns make a full turn: . After all four moves, you face the starting direction again.
Keep practising
6 worksheet questions
Read the questions online
- An arrow points up. Turn it one quarter clockwise. Which way does it point?
- An arrow points left. Turn it half a turn. Which way does it point?
- A robot faces down. It turns one quarter anticlockwise. Which way does it face?
- An arrow points up. Turn it three quarters clockwise. Which way does it point?
- How many half turns make one full turn?
- A child makes a full turn and says they now face the opposite way. Explain the error.
Read the worked solutions
- An arrow points up. Turn it one quarter clockwise. Which way does it point?
Up → right is one clockwise quarter turn.
Right. - An arrow points left. Turn it half a turn. Which way does it point?
A half turn points in the opposite direction.
Right. - A robot faces down. It turns one quarter anticlockwise. Which way does it face?
Anticlockwise from down moves towards right.
Right. - An arrow points up. Turn it three quarters clockwise. Which way does it point?
Up → right → down → left.
Left. - How many half turns make one full turn?
Two halves make a whole turn.
2 - A child makes a full turn and says they now face the opposite way. Explain the error.
Track four quarter turns to check.
A full turn returns to the starting direction; a half turn faces the opposite way.
Curriculum reference & lesson scope
Australian Curriculum v9 and SA Curriculum
Solid-object features; comparing/classifying objects; turns; smaller/larger than a right angle.
Official curriculum source ↗