One of my favorite topics in middle school math is graphing quadrants. I love how it’s math but it doesn’t really seem like math. This gives students the best of both worlds. They can feel confident with something in math and it’s a real-world sort of skill that has a lot of applications. Today I’m sharing 3 fun activities for graphing quadrants that you might not have thought of!
Coordinate Plane Anchor Chart
I’ve been loving math poster ideas recently! Not only do they put learning in front of students and stand as a reference during math stations. I share way more about my love for coordinate plane anchor charts in this blog post so be sure to check it out!
For this coordinate plane anchor chart, I make this as interactive as possible! Since I teach 6th grade, we are graphing quadrants 1-4 but this could easily work for 5th grade and just quadrant 1. I created a giant coordinate plane on chart paper and hung it up. I then put points on Post-it notes that can move around.
Every couple of days (or once a week…) I change the location of the post-it note ordered pairs. Students then get a chance to determine the ordered pairs for those points. I have a little bucket near the coordinate plane anchor chart for students to put their answers to the coordinate grid points. Then, I do a drawing of the slips and if the students get it right they get school points (part of our PBIS reward system).
I like the engagement of this poster for math and my students do too! This tool is great for early finishers or as a warm-up before math station rotations. I have also used this coordinate plane anchor chart as a math exit ticket for students.
Want to up the rigor of this coordinate plane anchor chart? Leave the x and y-axis labels blank. Give a reference point ordered pair. I like to use fractions or decimals as coordinates. Then let students problem-solve the other locations of points you give them. It’s a fun way to increase the rigor while still being a student-centric learning method.
Graphing Quadrants Math Poster Project
Another fun graphing quadrants activity is to use a math poster project. In this coordinate plane graphing project, students create a treasure map, leading to the missing treasure. Students have to create obstacles and list their ordered pairs so that the pirate can avoid getting trapped.
My students love the chance to get creative and there has been some elaborate treasure maps each time I use this math poster project! After they create a rough draft and list the ordered pairs, I have students make a full-scale model of their map on poster paper.
Once the graphing quadrants math poster project is complete, I have students write step-by-step directions to a path that will avoid their obstacles. You can take this one step further and have students trade directions with another group and see if they can determine which treasure map matches the directions given.
This is one of the fun end-of-the-year activities for 5th graders that will keep them engaged and reviewing in the final days before the school’s out! If you want to see other end of year activities for middle school be sure to check out this blog post.
And if you want to graph the graphing quadrants math poster project, then you can grab it here!
Graphing in Coordinate Plane Games for Mathematics
It should come as no surprise around here but I LOVE math games! I use math station rotations in my classroom once a week and so math games make a regular appearance. If you want to see how I have set up math stations in my classroom, I created a 5 part video series all about starting math learning centers. Drop your email in the box below and get all of the videos sent straight to your inbox.
Graphing in coordinate plane games is no exception! I have 2 games for coordinate plane graphing that I love to use as partner math games.
First up is a dice games for kids version. Students roll 2 dice to create ordered pairs and then graph them on the coordinate grid. This is a fun, reusable option for math station rotations as it can be played over and over again. Simple directions and simple supplies like dice make it simple to set up.
This double dice game is only available in my coordinate plane graphing activity bundle. You get 6 more activities to use with graphing quadrants in addition to the math center game. Click the picture to learn more!
Looking for different games for mathematics? Tic Tac Toe is where it’s at! Graphing quadrants in a game format is a fun way to practice than just giving coordinate plane graphing worksheets. In this game, students are given ordered pairs and then they identify the quadrant that they are located in. If they are correct, they get to take a turn at Tic Tac Toe. Oh, and this game is self-checking because their partner has their answers. Print and play, this game requires no cutting, laminating, or small pieces!
I have a bundle of Tic Tac Toe games for mathematics if you want to have more topics in your math station rotation ideas. Click here to grab the bundle.
More Graphing Quadrants Activities
Looking for more graphing quadrant activities? These blog posts have even more ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
- Graphing in Coordinate Plate Activities for 5th Grade
- 20 Awesome Coordinate Plane Activities for Middle School Math
- Coordinate Plane activities to Try
- 8 Fun & Engaging Coordinate Plane Activities
I’d love to hear from you! What are your favorite graphing quadrants 1-4 activities?
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