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Coordinate Grid Pictures: Free Mystery Pictures to Plot
Updated · By Edulist · 5 sources
Point 10 of 13: (5, 4)
Plot each point in order: across on the x-axis first, then up or down. Lines connect as you go; a new line starts where the list says.
Keyboard and touch help
- Drag a piece from the tray onto the board, or press a tray button (Enter) to add it in the next spot.
- Tab to a piece. Arrow keys move it (Shift for bigger steps). Space adds it to the selection.
- Tap or click an empty spot on the board to place something there (a point, for example).
- D duplicates, R rotates, G trades up a group, B breaks a piece apart, Delete removes it.
- Ctrl+Z undoes and Ctrl+Shift+Z redoes (Cmd on a Mac).
- Drag across empty space to select several pieces. Drop pieces on the trash or back on the tray to delete them.
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How to use it
- Pick a mystery picture
Choose one of eight pictures. Four use quadrant I only (numbers 0 to 10); four use all four quadrants (−10 to 10). The names stay hidden until you finish.
- Plot the next point
The next point is shown above the grid. Tap that grid point, or type it and press Plot. A wrong point isn't added, and the board says where you tapped and how to get to the right one.
- Watch the lines connect
Each point connects to the one before it. When the list starts a new line, lift your pencil: the next point starts a new line on its own.
- Finish the picture
When the last point is plotted, the closed parts fill in and the board tells you what you drew.
- Print a worksheet
Press Blank worksheet to clear the grid and list every point, then Print for a one-page worksheet with the grid and the point list.
Printables to go with it
What coordinate grid pictures are
A coordinate grid picture, also called a mystery picture or coordinate graphing picture, is a list of ordered pairs that draws something when you plot them in order. The first point is your starting place; each next point connects to it with a straight line. Some lists have several lines (a boat's hull, then its mast, then its sails), and you lift your pencil between them.
These pictures turn plotting practice into a puzzle with a built-in check. If a student plots (4, 7) as (7, 4), a line shoots off in the wrong direction and the boat looks wrong. That instant feedback is why teachers use mystery pictures before quizzes and on days before breaks: students practice dozens of points without noticing they are practicing.
How to play the mystery pictures
- Choose a picture. The menu lists eight. Pictures 1 to 3 use quadrant I, with both axes from 0 to 10. Pictures 4 to 8 use all four quadrants, from −10 to 10.
- Find the next point. It's shown above the grid, for example "Point 10 of 13: (5, 4)."
- Plot it. Tap that grid point, or type it into Plot. If it's right, it joins the line. If not, nothing is added and the board says where you tapped and how to get to the right point.
- Watch for new lines. When a new line starts, the board says so. The next point won't connect to the last one.
- Finish. When all the points are plotted, the closed shapes fill in and the board names the picture.
The eight pictures
| Picture | Grid | Points | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quadrant I, 0 to 10 | 13 | 4 |
| 2 | Quadrant I, 0 to 10 | 11 | 1 |
| 3 | Quadrant I, 0 to 10 | 14 | 3 |
| 4 | Four quadrants, −10 to 10 | 23 | 5 |
| 5 | Four quadrants, −10 to 10 | 23 | 6 |
| 6 | Four quadrants, −10 to 10 | 24 | 6 |
| 7 | Four quadrants, −10 to 10 | 15 | 1 |
| 8 | Four quadrants, −10 to 10 | 32 | 7 |
The names are a surprise; the task cards list them only as Mystery picture 1 to 8. Start with picture 2 for a short single line, or picture 1 for the first one with several lines.
Coordinate pictures by grade
The Common Core standards introduce the coordinate plane in 5th grade, with points in the first quadrant (5.G.A.1, 5.G.A.2). In 6th grade, students extend it to all four quadrants and use negative coordinates (6.NS.C.6 and 6.NS.C.8), and they draw polygons from their vertices (6.G.A.3). In 8th grade they transform figures on the plane (8.G.A).
- 4th and 5th grade: quadrant I pictures. Emphasize "across, then up."
- 6th grade: four-quadrant pictures. Talk about which quadrant each point is in before plotting it.
- 7th and 8th grade: use the pictures to explore symmetry and transformations: what happens to the picture if every x changes sign?
Making a printable mystery picture worksheet
Printed mystery pictures are classroom favorites. To make one:
- Choose a picture.
- Press Blank worksheet. The grid clears and the readout lists every point, grouped by line.
- Press Print. You get one page with a name and date line, the empty grid and the full point list.
- For an answer key, press Show me to draw the whole picture, then Print again.
For extra grids, print a quadrant 1 coordinate grid or a blank four-quadrant grid.
Common plotting mistakes
Three mistakes cause most broken pictures, and each one leaves a clue:
| Mistake | What the picture shows | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Swapping x and y, plotting (4, 7) as (7, 4) | A line that heads off at the wrong angle | Say "across, then up" before every point |
| Dropping a negative sign | A line that jumps to the wrong side of an axis | Name the quadrant before plotting |
| Counting from 1 instead of 0 | Every point one square off | Start at the origin, then count the jumps between lines |
On this board, a wrong tap is never added, and the message names the point you tapped next to the one the list wants, so students can see which of these happened.
Activities to try
- Race a partner. Two students plot the same picture on two devices. Who finishes first with no wrong taps?
- Guess early. Stop halfway and ask everyone to guess the picture. What clues do the lines give?
- Spot the symmetry. In the four-quadrant pictures, many points come in pairs like (−3, 1) and (3, 1). What does that tell you about the picture?
- Transform it. Plot the whole picture on the interactive coordinate plane, then reflect it over the y-axis. Does it look the same?
- Make your own. Draw a simple picture on graph paper with corners on grid points. Write its points as a list and trade with a classmate.
- Fix the mistake. Give a list with one wrong point. Can students find it from the broken picture?
Tips for teachers and parents
- Read the pair aloud first. "Five across, four up." Saying it slows students down and catches swapped coordinates.
- Use a finger or ruler. On paper, trace along the x-axis to the number, then straight up or down.
- Let the picture do the checking. When a line looks wrong, ask the student to find the point that broke it. Finding their own mistake builds more understanding than being told. NCTM's teaching practices put productive struggle at the center.
- Mix in quadrant talk. Before plotting a negative point, ask which quadrant it's in.
What makes these coordinate pictures different
Most coordinate pictures are PDF worksheets. These are interactive: the board accepts only the correct next point, explains wrong taps, connects lines and starts new ones automatically, and reveals the picture at the end. Every picture is original and printable as a blank worksheet with a point list and as an answer key. Undo works, share links save progress, the keyboard works throughout, and eight self-checking task cards track which pictures you've finished on this device.
When students are ready for more, the coordinate plane adds distance, midpoint, area and transformations. Families looking for a full math program can compare options in the best homeschool math curriculum guide.
Sources
- Common Core State Standards: Grade 5 Geometry (first-quadrant graphing, 5.G.A)
- Common Core State Standards: Grade 6 The Number System (four quadrants, 6.NS.C.8)
- Common Core State Standards: Grade 6 Geometry (polygons in the coordinate plane, 6.G.A.3)
- Common Core State Standards: Grade 8 Geometry (transformations)
- NCTM: Principles to Actions, effective mathematics teaching practices
Questions
How do coordinate grid pictures work?
You get a list of ordered pairs. Plot them in order and connect each one to the one before it. When the list starts a new line, begin a new line without connecting. When you've plotted every point, the lines make a picture.
What grade are coordinate grid pictures for?
Quadrant I pictures fit 5th grade, when students first graph points (Common Core 5.G.A.1). Four-quadrant pictures fit 6th grade and up, once students have learned negative coordinates (6.NS.C.8).
Can I print these coordinate pictures?
Yes. Choose a picture, press Blank worksheet, then Print. You get a page with an empty grid and the full list of points, one line per group. Show me draws the finished picture for an answer key.
What if I plot a point in the wrong place?
The board doesn't add it. It tells you which point you tapped, which point it wanted, and how to get there: how far across, then how far up or down.
Are these pictures original?
Yes. All eight were made for Edulist: a sailboat, a star, a pine tree, a house, a fish, a rocket, a heart and a cat. Each one is checked so every point sits on the grid.
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