Plotting points in the first quadrant
Plot and read ordered pairs in the first quadrant of the coordinate plane; represent real-world and mathematical problems by graphing points and interpreting coordinate values in context
What a learner can do afterwards
- Plot the point (4, 7) accurately on a first-quadrant grid
- Graph a set of data pairs (e.g. time vs distance) as points on the coordinate plane
- Read coordinates of a plotted point and explain what they represent in a given scenario
The lesson
A coordinate grid is made of two number lines that cross. The flat one is the x-axis. The standing one is the y-axis. They meet at a corner called the origin, (0, 0).
Every point on the grid has an address: an ordered pair like (4, 7). The first number tells you how far to move right from the origin. The second number tells you how far to move up.
To plot (4, 7), start at the origin. Move right 4 spaces along the x-axis. Then move up 7 spaces. Mark that spot with a dot. That dot is the point (4, 7).
A runner's distance is recorded every minute: (1, 3), (2, 6), (3, 9). Each point uses the first number for the minute and the second number for the distance. Plotting all three points shows how the runner's distance grows over time.
Order matters. Right always comes before up. If you swap the numbers, you land on a different point.
In an ordered pair, the first number moves you right and the second moves you up from the origin.
Watch it
Where it sits
Learn first
This opens up
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.