Print this if you're lost. Except if you need to find North.

Here is a writing sample Lizzie's teacher sent home with me tonight at Parent/Teacher Conferences. Sadly, it appears that Lizzie has inherited my sense of direction.

"Direction Hunting"
Telling the direction you're facing is actually really easy and a good habit for hiking and long trips, and you don't even need any tools! But before you start, make sure it is either sunrise or sunset, or close to one of those. Next, think of this poem; it's always handy:

'The sun rises in the East and sets in the West"

What's important about this rhyme is that it's true wherever you are in the world. If it is sunrise, look where the sun is/is supposed to be. The direction you are looking is East.

If it is sunset, look toward the sun or pink clouds. That way is West.

If you'd like to put them all together, or find all the directions, guess where you think South ought to be. If it is fall, look for a big flock of birds that are flying South. That way must be South.

North is the last direction left. To be frank, I don't know how to find North. But if you're doing all directions, North is the last direction.

Good luck on you're direction hunting!"

Yes, honey, good luck! You'll need it! ;)

And since I've teased Lizzie, I will share with you a compliment as well - her teachers love her creative writing! One said that not only does she have an excellent voice and word choice, but she is able to keep her writing focused without rambling - a tendancy of many writers her age. There you go. Who needs to know North and South when you can write stories about those places instead?