Curriculum › Math ›Grade 6

Grade 6 Math · Level 4, Coordinate Geometry & 3D Geometry

Four-Quadrant Coordinates & Reflections

How the lesson starts: Four-Quadrant Coordinates & Reflections

1. Captain Zara's star map

   Hello, space explorer! Captain Zara and her robot pal Blip are mapping a new galaxy. Their home station sits at the center of the map. Some planets are to the left of it, or below it. Their coordinates are negative! Let's learn to find a point anywhere on the map.

2. Walk x, then y

   Two number lines cross at the station, the origin, (0, 0). The x-axis runs left and right. The y-axis runs up and down. Left and down are negative. For the Jelly Planet at (−3, 4), walk 3 left, then 4 up. For the Comet at (5, −2), walk 5 right, then 2 down.

3. The signs name the quadrant

   The axes cut the map into four quadrants, numbered counterclockwise from the top right. Why do the signs tell you the quadrant? Because a negative x means left, and a negative y means down. Take (−4, −6). x is negative, so go left. y is negative, so go down. Left and down is Quadrant 3!