Quarter turn
A quarter turn changes the direction by one corner.
Up can change to right after one quarter turn.
Year 1
Use whole, half, quarter and three-quarter turns
Recognise how direction changes after whole, half, quarter and three-quarter turns.
Lesson overview
Geometry - position and direction
A turn changes the way something faces. A whole turn brings you all the way round to the starting direction. A half turn turns you around. A quarter turn is a small turn, and a three-quarter turn is bigger than a half turn. We can use arrows to show the new direction after each turn.
Half turn
A half turn faces the opposite direction.
Right becomes left after a half turn.
Whole turn
A whole turn brings you back to where you started.
The arrow finishes facing the same way after a whole turn.
Worked example
An arrow starts facing up. It makes a quarter turn clockwise. Which way does it face now?
- Look at the starting direction first.
- The arrow starts facing up.
- A quarter turn clockwise moves it one corner to the right.
- So the arrow now faces right.
Answer: right
Try it
Look at the starting direction and choose the correct direction after the turn.
Question 1
An arrow starts facing up. After a quarter turn clockwise, which way does it face?
Question 2
An arrow starts facing right. After a half turn, which way does it face?
Question 3
Which turn brings you back to the way you started?
Question 4
A three-quarter turn is bigger than which turn?
Question 5
An arrow starts facing up. After a half turn, which way does it face?
Common mistakes
These reminders help when thinking about turns.
- Mixing up quarter turn and half turn.
- Turning the wrong way when reading the arrow.
- Forgetting that a whole turn ends in the starting direction.
Related topics
These connect closely to movement, direction and turning.
- Describe position, direction and movement.
- Recognise and name common 3-D shapes, including cuboids, cubes, pyramids and spheres.