Cartesian Coordinate Plane Activities Provide Hands-On Practise

Looking for Cartesian coordinate plane activities that will have students working in all four  quadrants? You’ve found one! In this engaging Four Quadrant Sort, students will decide if each coordinate belongs in quadrant one, two, three, four, or if the point lies on the x or y-axis. 

This resource includes: 

• 32 sorting cards
• Quadrant mat
• Recording sheet
• Answer key

This Cartesian coordinate plane activity can be completed individually or in small groups, making it ideal for stations, guided groups or independent practise. 

What Are the Four Quadrants on a Cartesian Plane? 

The cards in this activity can be sorted into four different quadrants or on one of two axes. So what are they? 

• Quadrant 1: Lies in the upper right of the Q4 plane. Both x and y coordinates will be positive. Example: (4, 5)
• Quadrant 2: Lies in the upper left of the Q4 plane. The x coordinate will be negative and the y coordinate will be positive. Example: (-2, 7)
• Quadrant 3: Lies in the lower left of the Q4 plane. Both x and y coordinates will be negative. Example: (-3, -6)
• Quadrant 4: Lies in the lower right of the Q4 plane. The x coordinate will be positive  and the y coordinate will be negative. Example: (1, -8)
• x – axis: The horizontal line with y value of zero. Points on this line will have 0 value for y. Example: (-3, 0)
• y – axis: The vertical line with an x value of zero. Points on this line will have a 0 value for x. Example: (0, 9) 

Easily Print, Cut and Play!

This Cartesian coordinate plane activity is available in both easy-to-print PDF and Google Slides format. Use the drop-down arrow on the download button to choose the option that best suits your classroom. 

This resource was created by Kaylyn Chupp, a teacher and a Teach Starter collaborator.

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