Represent Rational Numbers on the Coordinate Plane
Plot rational ordered pairs in all four quadrants, identify quadrants
by coordinate signs, and solve real-world problems on the coordinate
plane.
6.NOS.C.6 · 6.NOS.C.9 · Coordinate Plane
Level
Guided practice with vocabulary support
🟠 Level 0 — Extra Support
Watch first: the worked example and hints are already shown for you.
One at a time: answer one question, check it, then go on.
Read aloud: press 🔊 Read aloud, then click any sentence to hear it.
Sentence starters: “First, I…” · “The answer is… because…” · “I know this because…”
W
Warm-Up
2 questions
Warm-Up 1
In which quadrant is the point (-3, 4)?
Vocabulary: The
coordinate plane is divided into four
sections called quadrants by the
x-axis (horizontal) and the
y-axis (vertical). They meet at the
origin (0, 0).
Quadrant signs: I (+, +) II (-, +) III
(-, -) IV (+, -)
✓Correct! The x-coordinate is negative and the y-coordinate is
positive, so (-3, 4) is in Quadrant II.
✗Not quite. In (-3, 4), x is negative and y is positive. Negative x
+ positive y = Quadrant II.
Warm-Up 2
True or false: The point (0, 5) is on the y-axis.
Hint: An ordered pair is
written as (x, y). If the x-coordinate is 0, the point sits on the
y-axis. If the y-coordinate is 0, the point
sits on the x-axis.
✓Correct! When the x-coordinate is 0, the point is on the y-axis.
(0, 5) is 5 units above the origin on the y-axis.
✗Look at the x-coordinate: it is 0. Any point with x = 0 lies on the
y-axis. The statement is
true.
P
Practice
5 questions
Practice 1
Write the coordinates of each labeled point on the coordinate plane
below.
How to read a point: Start at the point. Look
straight down (or up) to find the
x-coordinate on the x-axis. Then look
straight across to find the y-coordinate on
the y-axis. Write them as an ordered pair:
(x, y).
A = (,)
B = (,)
C = (,)
Sentence frame: "Point ___ is at (___, ___). I found the
x-coordinate by looking ___ and the y-coordinate by looking ___."
✓All correct! A = (3, 2), B = (-4, -1), C = (-2, 3).
✗Some coordinates need another look. Remember: read x first
(left/right from origin), then y (up/down). A = (3, 2), B = (-4,
-1), C = (-2, 3).
Practice 2
Which labeled point on the grid is at (2, -3)?
Strategy: Start at the
origin (0, 0). Move 2 units
right (positive x), then 3 units
down (negative y). Which letter is there?
Explain your reasoning:
✓Correct! Point C is at (2, -3). From the origin: 2 right, 3
down.
✗Start at the origin. Move 2 right (positive x) and 3 down (negative
y). That lands on Point C.
Sentence frame: "The point (___, ___) is in Quadrant ___ because the
x-coordinate is ___ and the y-coordinate is ___."
✓All correct! You matched each ordered pair to its quadrant based on
the signs of the coordinates.
✗Some pairs are in the wrong quadrant. Check the signs: (+, +) = I,
(-, +) = II, (-, -) = III, (+, -) = IV. Try again!
Practice 4
True or false: All points in Quadrant III have a
negative x-coordinate and a negative y-coordinate.
Remember: Quadrant III is the bottom-left section of
the coordinate plane, where both axes are negative.
Explain your reasoning:
✓Correct! In Quadrant III, both x and y are negative. For example,
(-3, -2) is in Quadrant III.
✗Think about it: Quadrant III is below and to the left of the
origin. Both coordinates are negative there. The answer is
true.
Practice 5
A treasure map shows the chest at (-4, -2). Starting
at the origin, which directions do you move to reach the treasure?
How to move on the coordinate plane:
Positive x = right, Negative x = left
Positive y = up, Negative y = down
The first number tells you left/right, the second tells you up/down.
Explain your reasoning:
Sentence frame: "The x-coordinate is ___, which means I move ___.
The y-coordinate is ___, which means I move ___."
✓Correct! -4 means 4 units left and -2 means 2 units down. The
treasure is in Quadrant III.
✗The x-coordinate -4 means move left 4. The
y-coordinate -2 means move down 2. The answer is
C.
★
Challenge
1 question
Challenge
Plot four points that form a rectangle:
(2, 3), (-2, 3),
(-2, -1), and (2, -1). Then answer
the questions below.
Hint: A rectangle has 4
vertices (corners). Each vertex is an
ordered pair. Look at the sign of each
coordinate to decide the
quadrant.
Perimeter = add up all four side lengths. Use the
coordinates to find horizontal and vertical distances.
Name the quadrant of each vertex:
Find the perimeter of the rectangle. Show your work:
Sentence frame: "The vertex (___, ___) is in Quadrant ___. The width
of the rectangle is ___ units and the height is ___ units, so the
perimeter is 2 × (___ + ___) = ___ units."