Quarter, half, three-quarter and full turns

A turn changes the direction an object faces. The amount of turn and the direction of turn are both important.

Learning sequence: Start direction → choose clockwise/anticlockwise → make the turn → name the amount → check final direction.

• Quarter turn: 1 of 4 equal parts of a full turn.
• Half turn: 2 quarter turns; faces the opposite direction.
• Three-quarter turn: 3 quarter turns.
• Full turn: 4 quarter turns; faces the starting direction again.

Clockwise follows the direction of clock hands. Anticlockwise goes the opposite way. A three-quarter turn one way reaches the same final direction as a quarter turn the other way, but the amount and direction of turn are different.

1. Quarter turn

Start facing north (↑). Make a quarter turn clockwise. You face east (→).

2. Half turn

Start facing east (→). A half turn ends facing west (←), regardless of whether the half turn is clockwise or anticlockwise.

3. Three-quarter turn

Start facing north (↑). Three quarter-turns clockwise lead to west (←).

4. Full turn

Start facing south (↓). After a full turn you face south again. You rotated; you did not move to a new position.

5. Robot instruction

A robot faces east. “Quarter turn anticlockwise” makes it face north. The instruction needs both the amount and the direction.

AC9M2M05: identify, describe and demonstrate quarter, half, three-quarter and full measures of turn in everyday situations.

• E1: identify turning objects and represent amount/direction of turn
• E2: give and follow movement instructions using turns
• E3: connect clock-hand movement with quarter, half and full turns and clockwise/anticlockwise language
• E4: use turns in routes, grids and robot programming

• A full turn means moving forward. No: a turn changes orientation; a full turn finishes facing the start direction.
• Quarter and three-quarter turns are interchangeable. They may sometimes end facing the same way if the turn direction changes, but they are different amounts of rotation.
• Direction does not matter. For quarter and three-quarter turns, clockwise and anticlockwise usually produce different final directions.
• Half turn means halfway across a path. Here “half” refers to half of a full rotation, not distance travelled.

1. Body-turn check: stand facing one wall and demonstrate quarter, half, three-quarter and full turns.
2. Clock connection: trace the minute hand from 12 to 3, 6, 9 and back to 12 and name each amount of turn.
3. Arrow cards: draw a start arrow and predict the final direction before physically turning the card.
4. Robot route: give a partner a short sequence of forward moves and turns and check the final facing direction.
5. Everyday hunt: identify taps, handles, knobs and doors that rotate and describe the turn used.

• ¼ turn = one quarter-turn.
• ½ turn = two quarter-turns.
• ¾ turn = three quarter-turns.
• Full turn = four quarter-turns.
• Clockwise follows clock hands; anticlockwise is opposite.
• Always identify the starting direction before deciding the final direction.

Quick check

1. Facing north, where do you face after a quarter turn clockwise?
2. What turn makes you face the opposite direction?
3. Why does a full turn end facing the starting direction?
4. Facing east, where do you face after a quarter turn anticlockwise?