What Is an Ordered Pair?

The concept of an ordered pair is pretty simple. Written inside of parentheses, an ordered pair is two values, separated by a comma, that show an x-coordinate and y-coordinate value). This can then be plotted on a coordinate grid by placing a dot at the intersection of the two values.

For example, looking at (4,6) shows that the x-coordinate value is 4, and the y-coordinate is 6. To plot this ordered pair on a coordinate grid, simply move across the x-axis to the location of 4 and then move vertically along the y-axis to the location of 6.

If you are looking for an activity for your students to practice this skill, look no further! Teach Starter has created a match-up activity for your students to practice graphing ordered pairs and describing the process for graphing on the coordinate grid.  

To complete this activity, students must match each ordered pair to the corresponding graph and written description of the point’s location on the grid. Responses can be recorded on the answer sheet provided.

Tips for Differentiation + Scaffolding 

A team of dedicated, experienced educators created this resource to support your math lessons. 

In addition to individual student work time, use this match-up activity to enhance learning through guided math groups or whole class lessons.

If you have a mixture of above and below-level learners, check out these suggestions for keeping students on track with the concepts: 

🆘 Support Struggling Students

Provide a dry-erase coordinate grid for students to plot the pairs before searching for matches. Include completed examples and notes about the vocabulary, such as x-coordinate and y-coordinate. Remove a few matches to make fewer sets.

➕ Challenge Fast Finishers

For students needing a challenge, ask them to create various shapes on a coordinate grid and name the locations of the vertices. Also, the resource can be modified to include decimal amounts in the ordered pairs.

Plan lessons for all ability levels with our 10 Best Scaffolding Strategies! 

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the PDF or editable Google Slides version of this resource. A recording sheet and answer key are also included with this download. 

Print on cardstock for added durability and longevity. Place all pieces in a folder or large envelope for easy access. 

Sustainability Tip: Print a few recording sheets on cardstock and slip them into dry-erase sleeves. Students can record their answers with a whiteboard marker, then erase and reuse them.  

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This resource was created by Lorin Davies, a teacher in Texas and Teach Starter Collaborator. 

Don’t stop there! We’ve got more activities and resources that cut down on lesson planning time:

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