My Neighbourhood, Maps and Directions: Class 3 Study Guide
Our neighbourhood is the area around our home. Many people and places work together to make it a good place to live.
A neighbourhood is the place where you live and the people around you. It includes your neighbours, nearby shops, schools, parks, hospitals, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and markets. You may live in a village, a town or a big city. The sights, sounds and way of life differ, but in every neighbourhood people help each other.
Community helpers do important jobs: the doctor treats illness, the postman delivers letters, the police officer keeps us safe, the farmer grows food, the teacher helps us learn, the sweeper keeps our streets clean and the electrician fixes wires.
Community helpers
| Helper | What they do | Where you find them |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor / nurse | Care for sick people | Hospital, clinic |
| Postman | Delivers letters and parcels | Post office, streets |
| Police officer | Keeps people safe | Police station |
| Farmer | Grows food | Farm |
| Teacher | Teaches children | School |
| Sanitation worker | Keeps the area clean | Streets, markets |
Directions
There are four main directions: north (N), south (S), east (E) and west (W). The Sun rises in the east and sets in the west. If you stand facing the rising Sun, north is on your left and south on your right. The in-between directions are north-east, north-west, south-east and south-west. A compass is an instrument that always points to the north.
You are facing east.
Right is south; left is north.
Where the Sun sets in the evening.
Simple maps
A map is a drawing of a place as seen from above. It uses symbols for buildings, roads and trees, and a key to explain them. To draw a map of your classroom, picture the room from the ceiling, draw the door, the board and desks as boxes and mark north. A map of the way from home to school can show roads, a temple, a shop and a park to help someone follow it.
Worked examples and common mistakes
Example: The school is to the east of the post office. If you stand at the post office and face the school, you are facing east. Example: Which helper do you meet if your pet is sick? A veterinarian. A common mistake is to think the Sun rises in the east everywhere at exactly the same spot: the point changes slightly through the seasons, but it always rises roughly in the east. Another is to draw a map from the side, not from above.
Check your understanding: model answers
1. For example: doctor (treats patients), postman (delivers letters), police officer (keeps us safe). 2. At sunset the Sun is in the west, so you face west. 3. Check that your map is drawn from above, has a key, a compass and landmarks.
✨ Key Takeaways
- A neighbourhood has people, places and helpers.
- The Sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
- A map shows a place from above, with symbols and a key.
- Directions: north, south, east, west.
💬 Questions for Discussion & Reflection
- Name three community helpers near you and their jobs.
- Stand facing the setting Sun. Which direction are you facing?
- Draw a simple map from your home to school.
Print graph paper for map drawing →