I like using a hexagon when looking at bearings (without or without isometric paper) plus its a topic that we teach alongside angle reasoning so students have just looked at angles in a polygon. I spend time looking at bearings that can be calculated using angles  found on parallel lines and I also look at angles that can be measured using a protractor. The purpose of this lesson is to get students correctly using the north line and clockwise to find the correct path. Heres the ppt: Bearings