Form your non-dominant hand flat in front of you, with the palm facing down. Form your dominant hand into a 'D' shape (index finger pointing up, thumb and other fingers touching). Place the bottom of your dominant hand on the back of your non-dominant hand, and move it in a horizontal circle to represent tracing a specific area.
Sign 'school', then 'district', followed by 'you live where?'. Use the circular 'D' motion on the back of your hand to emphasize the specific region.
Sign 'shopping', then 'district', and 'downtown'. Make sure to clearly trace the area on your non-dominant hand to establish the location.
Sign 'vote', 'our', 'district', and 'representative', keeping the 'D' handshape distinct as you circle it to specify the political boundary.
Sign 'school', then 'district', followed by 'you live where?'. Use the circular 'D' motion on the back of your hand to emphasize the specific region.
Sign 'shopping', then 'district', and 'downtown'. Make sure to clearly trace the area on your non-dominant hand to establish the location.
Sign 'vote', 'our', 'district', and 'representative', keeping the 'D' handshape distinct as you circle it to specify the political boundary.
The sign for 'area' typically uses a '5' handshape moving in a circle, while 'district' is initialized with a 'D' handshape. Both use the same circular motion to represent a region, but 'district' is more specific.
Generally, the circle moves outward and around, but the exact direction (clockwise or counter-clockwise) isn't strictly important as long as the circular boundary is clearly drawn on the back of your hand.
While some signers might drop the base hand in casual, rapid signing, it is best for beginners to use the non-dominant hand as a base to clearly establish the visual concept of a flat location or map.
