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LESSON PLAN

Cartesian Coordinates and Graphing

A
Apothem Team
Grade 7 · Geometry
LESSON AT A GLANCE
Warm-up
5 min
Explore
15 min
Formalize
10 min
Practice
12 min
Exit ticket
3 min

Warm-up

Plot a few points in Quadrant I. Ask: Where is (2, 3)? Where is (5, 1)?

Explore

Students plot points in all four quadrants. Connect points to form shapes or pictures. Then, create a table of values for a linear relation and graph the line.

Formalize

Record the steps:

Plot (x, y): Start at origin. Move x units horizontally (right if +, left if −). Move y units vertically (up if +, down if −). Graph y = mx + b: Create table, plot points, connect with a line.

Identify key features: origin, quadrants, x- and y-intercepts, slope direction.

Practice

Students plot points, identify coordinates, and graph several linear relations. Exit ticket: one graphing task.

Exit ticket

Students plot points, identify coordinates, and graph several linear relations. Exit ticket: one graphing task.

TIP  Use both paper and digital tools. Digital platforms let students explore interactively.
WORKED EXAMPLES
Plot the points (2, 3), (−1, 2), and (0, −2).

From origin: (2,3) is 2 right, 3 up; (−1,2) is 1 left, 2 up; (0,−2) is 2 down on the y-axis.

Graph y = −x + 2.

Table: x=0, y=2 (point (0,2)); x=1, y=1 (point (1,1)); x=2, y=0 (point (2,0)). Connect to form a line.

MATERIALS
Coordinate plane grids (printed or digital)
Rulers
Graph paper
Colored markers
WATCH FOR
!Confusing the order of x and y in an ordered pair.
!Moving in the wrong direction (right for negative x, etc.).
!Failing to recognize that any point on a line satisfies the equation.