The coordinate plane
A coordinate plane (or Cartesian plane) is a grid with a horizontal x-axis and a vertical y-axis that cross at the origin, (0, 0). The axes split it into four quadrants, numbered I to IV counterclockwise starting from the upper right: in quadrant I both x and y are positive, in quadrant II x is negative, in quadrant III both are negative, and in quadrant IV y is negative.
Choosing a grid
- −10 to 10: the standard for plotting points, lines and simple functions in middle school and Algebra 1.
- −5 to 5: bigger squares, good for younger students and for 4 or 6 grids per page.
- −20 to 20: more room for steep lines and wider ranges; numbers are shown every 5 units.
- First quadrant (0 to 10 or 0 to 20): for elementary grades, where coordinates are positive, and for data graphs.
Several grids per page are handy for worksheets and quizzes: each problem gets its own plane. Turn off the numbers when students should label the axes themselves.
Printing tips
- Print at 100% (Actual size), not Fit to page, so squares and line spacing keep their exact size.
- Light lines (gray or light blue) are easy to write over and fade into the background of a scan or photo; use darker lines for drawing practice or when the paper will be photocopied.
- Need a stack? Set the number of pages and print the PDF once, or print one page and photocopy it.
- Thicker paper (24 to 32 lb or 90 to 120 gsm) takes ink pens and markers without bleeding through.