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Learning how to describe where objects are located in relation to ourselves.
Have you ever wondered why a giant airplane in the sky looks as small as a toy, but a tiny ladybug on your finger looks huge? It all depends on where you are standing!
When we talk about where things are, we use the words near and far. Near means something is close to you. If you can reach out and touch your desk, it is near. Far means something is a long way away. You might have to walk a long time or even drive in a car to get to something that is far. Imagine you are holding a balloon. The balloon is near your hand, but the clouds high up in the sky are far away. Even though the clouds are much bigger than the balloon, they look small because they are so far!
Let's see which item is near you right now. 1. Place an apple on the table right in front of you. 2. Look at a tree through the window across the yard. 3. Because you can touch the apple without moving, the apple is near. 4. Because you cannot touch the tree, the tree is far.
Quick Check
If you are wearing a hat on your head, is the hat near or far from you?
Answer
The hat is near because it is touching your head!
Sometimes, two things are both away from you, but one is nearer than the other. We can compare them by counting steps. If it takes steps to get to your bookshelf, but it takes steps to get to the door, the bookshelf is nearer to you than the door. The door is farther away. We always use our own body or our seat as the starting point to measure who or what is the closest to us.
Imagine you are sitting on your rug. 1. Your toy car is feet away from you. 2. Your dinosaur toy is feet away from you. 3. Since , the toy car is nearer to you than the dinosaur. 4. The dinosaur is the farthest toy.
Quick Check
If your friend is standing steps away and your teacher is steps away, who is nearer to you?
Answer
Your teacher is nearer because steps is a shorter distance than steps.
Our homes and schools have walls and doors that create a boundary. Inside means you are under a roof and surrounded by walls. This is where we keep our beds, our kitchen, and our toys. Outside is the space beyond the walls. The grass, the sidewalk, and the playground are outside. We usually wear our pajamas inside, but we put on our coats and shoes to go outside. Some things, like a dog, can be both inside and outside at different times!
Think about your house and yard. 1. Your bed is in your room, so it is inside. 2. A swing set is in the park, so it is outside. 3. If you stand on your porch, you are outside, but you are very near to the door that leads inside!
Which of these is usually FAR away from your house?
If a ball is step away and a hoop is steps away, which one is nearer?
A garden with flowers and trees is usually found inside your house.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow morning, look at your breakfast plate. Ask yourself: Is this plate near me or far from me? Is it inside or outside?
Practice Activity
Play 'I Spy' with a family member. Use clues like: 'I spy something that is far away and outside' (like a cloud) or 'I spy something near my feet and inside' (like a rug).