Coordinate Plane Generator
Print a coordinate plane in one quadrant or four, with numbered, labelled axes. Leave it blank, or make a worksheet where students plot a list of ordered pairs, or name the points already on the grid. Type your own points to connect into a shape, or let the generator choose. Answer key included. Free, no sign-up.
Leave blank to use the default title.
The same number with the same settings always gives the same worksheet. Type one to bring a sheet back.
In the print dialog choose the paper size above, set the scale to 100%, and turn off headers and footers. The answer key starts on its own page, so print page 1 for students.
Coordinate Plane
Worksheet 240817Plot and label these points:
- A (7, 1)
- B (−1, 10)
- C (−2, −4)
- D (10, −1)
- E (7, 9)
Coordinate Plane — Answer key
Worksheet 240817- A (7, 1)
- B (−1, 10)
- C (−2, −4)
- D (10, −1)
- E (7, 9)
How to Use the Coordinate Plane Generator
- 1. Choose the plane. One quadrant draws the first quadrant only (x and y from 0), as used when ordered pairs are first introduced. Four quadrants draws both axes through zero. Set how far the axes run, from 5 to 20.
- 2. Choose the worksheet type. Blank planes for free use; Plot the points lists ordered pairs for students to plot; Name the points shows lettered points and asks for their coordinates.
- 3. Choose the points. Let the generator pick random whole-number points, or type your own ordered pairs, such as (2, 3) (−4, 1). Optionally connect the points in order to draw a shape.
- 4. Print. Put 1, 2 or 4 planes on a page. Plot and name worksheets print a second page with the planes completed and every coordinate listed as an answer key.
Reading Ordered Pairs
An ordered pair (x, y) gives a point's position: x says how far to move right (or left, if negative) from the origin, then y says how far to move up (or down). Order matters — (2, 5) and (5, 2) are different points — so move across first, then up or down. The signs of the two numbers show the quadrant:
| Quadrant | Position | Sign of x | Sign of y |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | Upper right | + | + |
| II | Upper left | − | + |
| III | Lower left | − | − |
| IV | Lower right | + | − |
Points with a zero coordinate lie on an axis rather than in any quadrant. By default the random points avoid the axes so that each belongs to a quadrant; tick Allow points on the axes to include them. Switch on Mark the quadrants to print faint I, II, III and IV labels behind the grid.
Worksheet 482913 — eight random points, four quadrants, axes to 10
Points in the order A to H
A (5, 6), B (−3, 10), C (−2, −1), D (7, −4), E (7, 2), F (−2, 9), G (−6, −1), H (3, −8)
Quadrants in turn
I, II, III, IV, I, II, III, IV — because the generator takes points from each quadrant in turn
Connect-the-Points Shapes
Typing your own points and choosing Connect in order and close the shape turns a list into a polygon. For example, (1, 1) (5, 1) (5, 4) (1, 4) draws a rectangle whose horizontal sides run from x = 1 to x = 5, so each is 5 − 1 = 4 units long, and whose vertical sides run from y = 1 to y = 4, so each is 3 units long. Points that share a coordinate give side lengths by simple subtraction, which is a good bridge from plotting to geometry.
Placement varies, so check your own standards. In the Common Core State Standards, grade 5 introduces using perpendicular number lines, called axes, to define a coordinate system (5.G.A.1) and graphing points in the first quadrant (5.G.A.2). Grade 6 extends this to all four quadrants (6.NS.C.8) and to drawing polygons in the coordinate plane given the coordinates of the vertices (6.G.A.3).
Printing Notes
Planes are vector graphics and print crisply. One plane fills most of a page; two sit side by side, and four form a two-by-two grid, where the unit squares are small, so keep the axes short (5 to 10) for four on a page. Axis numbers adjust automatically to the size, or you can number every 1, 2, 5 or 10 units. The worksheet number in the corner regenerates the same random points and answer key. Everything runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I make a blank four-quadrant coordinate plane?
- Choose Four quadrants and Blank planes, set how far the axes run, and print. The plane has numbered axes with arrowheads, a light grid, and axis names you can change. Use 1, 2 or 4 planes per page.
- Can I type my own points?
- Yes. Under Points, choose My own points and type ordered pairs like (2, 3) (−4, 1), or one pair per line as 2, 3. Use a decimal point for decimals, such as 2.5. Pairs that are unreadable or fall outside the plane are listed instead of being plotted.
- What is the difference between plot the points and name the points?
- In Plot the points, the plane is blank and the page lists the ordered pairs; students plot and label them. In Name the points, the plane already shows lettered points and students write each point's coordinates. The answer key shows the completed plane and every pair.
- How do I make a connect-the-dots picture?
- Type your own points in the order they should be joined, then choose Connect in order or Connect in order and close the shape. The student sheet lists the pairs for plotting; the answer key shows the finished drawing.
- Why do the random points cycle through the quadrants?
- On a four-quadrant plane, Take points from each quadrant in turn gives A in quadrant I, B in II, C in III, D in IV, and repeats. It keeps a small set of points from clustering in one corner. Untick it for fully random positions.
- Can I change the axis labels?
- Yes. The horizontal and vertical axis names default to x and y and can be changed, for example to t and d for a time and distance graph. You can also choose how often the axes are numbered, or turn the numbers off for students to add.