Instructions
Welcome, Grid Explorer! Your mission is to use your knowledge of coordinate grids to plot points, discover mystery shapes, and move them around the plane. You will need graph paper and a pencil to complete these tasks. Remember, coordinates are always written as (x, y). The first number (x) tells you how far to move left or right, and the second number (y) tells you how far to move up or down.
Part 1: Mystery Shapes
Plot the following sets of points on your graph paper. Connect the dots in the order they are given to reveal a shape. Connect the last point back to the first one. What shape did you make?
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Shape 1:
- Point A: (-3, 5)
- Point B: (4, 5)
- Point C: (4, -1)
- Point D: (-3, -1)
What is the name of this shape? _________________________
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Shape 2:
- Point E: (-5, -4)
- Point F: (1, -4)
- Point G: (-2, 1)
What is the name of this shape? _________________________
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Shape 3:
- Point H: (-6, 2)
- Point I: (-2, 2)
- Point J: (0, -3)
- Point K: (-8, -3)
What is the name of this shape? _________________________
Part 2: Shape Shifters - Translations
A translation simply means sliding a shape to a new location without rotating or resizing it. For each problem, take the original shape and slide it according to the instructions. Write down the new coordinates.
How to Translate:
- To move right, you add to the x-coordinate.
- To move left, you subtract from the x-coordinate.
- To move up, you add to the y-coordinate.
- To move down, you subtract from the y-coordinate.
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A triangle has the coordinates P(2, 2), Q(6, 2), and R(4, 5).
Translate this triangle 3 units to the left and 4 units down.What are the new coordinates of the translated triangle (P', Q', R')?
P': () Q': () R': ()
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A lightning bolt shape has the coordinates S(-1, 8), T(2, 5), U(0, 5), and V(3, 2).
Translate this shape 5 units to the right and 2 units up.What are the new coordinates of the translated shape (S', T', U', V')?
S': () T': () U': () V': ()
Challenge: On your graph paper, plot both the original lightning bolt and the translated one. What do you notice about their size and orientation (the direction they face)?
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Answer Key
- Rectangle (or a square if the graph paper units are equal)
- Triangle
- Trapezoid
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P': (-1, -2)
Q': (3, -2)
R': (1, 1)
(Calculation: x-3, y-4) -
S': (4, 10)
T': (7, 7)
U': (5, 7)
V': (8, 4)
(Calculation: x+5, y+2)
Challenge Answer: They are the exact same size and shape, and they are facing the same direction. The new shape is just in a different location on the grid.