Let’s see what the 4 cardinal points are and how to locate them, even without a compass! Can you already imagine how?
What are the 4 cardinal points?
There are 4 cardinal points: North, South, East and West. Each of these points is located at one end of the planet.
The 4 cardinal points are the 4 sides of the world: North, South, East and West. Each of these is located at one end of the planet and serves to guide us.
Who was the creator of the cardinal points?
The cardinal points were created by the Greeks more than 2,000 years ago. Back then, people believed that the world was flat and that the 4 were the ends of the planet.
What is the name of the graph that represents them?
This graph is called “star of the cardinal points“. I show it to you below.
⬅️ Where is the west? Left or right?
The west is on the left if we are looking towards the North. If we are looking towards the South, the west is on the right.
⭐ What does the star of the cardinal points mean?
This star is a figure that is formed by drawing a line from North to South and another from East to West. It helps us orient ourselves and know where the 4 cardinal points are.
How to know where the cardinal points are without a compass?
There are several ways to know where they are without a compass:
- One of them is search for the polar star.
- Another way is look for the sun: the sun rises in the East and sets in the West.
- We can also use a clock to know where North is: if we look at the clock, North is meet at 12 noon.
⭐ How to find them with the stars?
To find the cardinal points with the stars, we need to look for the North Star.
The Polar Star is located in the North and helps us orient ourselves.
To find the North Star, we look for the brightest star in the sky. Then, we draw a line from the star to the South Star.
How to teach the cardinal points?
To teach the cardinal points, we can use a map or a globe thus placing the North at the top.
Then, we can place East on the right, West on the left, and South at the bottom.
If we use an online compass like this one, we must place North on the compass needle. If we use a clock, we must set North at 12 noon.