Coordinates
Objective: Students will be able to identify the parts of a coordinate plane.
Activity-Have students become a living graph. Ask them to form the axes of a coordinate “plane” by rearranging their desks into two lines at right angles. They should label each desk with appropriate numbers for the x- and y- axes. Call on a student by name, give him or her an ordered pair, and ask the student to stand at the approximate location of the point on the coordinate plane. Continue until all the students are standing at points on the graph.
Activity-Have one student name an ordered pair and ask another student to name the quadrant that pair is in on the coordinate plane. Reverse the activity by having one student name a quadrant and the other give an ordered pair for a point in that quadrant.
Activity-There are many government departments, such as the County Surveyor’s Office and the Municipal Public Works Department, and private businesses that use coordinate grids. Encourage students to make an appointment to visit one of these departments or businesses to talk with an employee who uses coordinate graphs. Ask students to find out how the workers use the grids and why. Provide time for students to offer a brief summary of their discussion to the class.
Activity-Ask groups of students to imagine they work at a travel agency and are responsible for coordinating a sightseeing tour. Have them make a tour map, using a coordinate plane. They may choose an actual geographical location or a fictional one. Explain that if they use an actual location, they will have to superimpose their grid over a map of the location. They should pinpoint several places of interest on the map and provide clear and accurate directions for how to get from one point to the next. Along with their map, students should prepare a formal travel route plan that can be displayed in the classroom.
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