Coordinate Grid Worksheet for 11-Year-Olds: Translate 2D Shapes and Understand Forms, Lines & Shapes

Instructions

Welcome, master plotter! Get your graph paper and a pencil ready. You will need to draw a coordinate grid with an x-axis and a y-axis. Make sure your grid goes from -10 to 10 on both axes. Remember, for a coordinate pair (x, y), the first number tells you how far to go right (positive) or left (negative), and the second number tells you how far to go up (positive) or down (negative).

Part 1: Plotting Points to Create Shapes

Activity A: The Mystery House

Plot the points for each shape below. Connect the points with a straight line as you plot them. Lift your pencil between each shape section.

• Main House: (1, 1) → (7, 1) → (7, 6) → (1, 6) → (1, 1)
• Roof: (1, 6) → (4, 9) → (7, 6)
• Door: (3, 1) → (3, 4) → (5, 4) → (5, 1)

What picture did you create?

___________________________________

Activity B: Identify the Shape

Plot the given vertices for each polygon on your grid. Connect the vertices to form a shape, then write down its most specific name (e.g., use "square" instead of just "quadrilateral").

1. Shape 1 Vertices: A(-8, 1), B(-5, 5), C(-2, 1)
   This shape is a(n) ___________________________________.


2. Shape 2 Vertices: D(2, -2), E(7, -2), F(7, -7), G(2, -7)
   This shape is a(n) ___________________________________.


3. Shape 3 Vertices: H(-7, -8), J(-6, -5), K(-3, -5), L(-2, -8)
   This shape is a(n) ___________________________________.

Part 2: Translating Shapes

Translation means sliding a shape to a new position without rotating or resizing it.

Activity C: Shifting a Shape

First, plot the triangle with the following vertices: P(1, 2), Q(4, 2), R(1, 5).

Now, translate this triangle 5 units to the right and 3 units down. Plot the new triangle on the same grid.

What are the coordinates of the new vertices?

• P' (read as "P prime"): (_____, _____)
• Q': (_____, _____)
• R': (_____, _____)

Activity D: What's the Move?

A rectangle was translated from its original position (Shape 1) to a new position (Shape 2).

• Shape 1 (Original) Vertices: A(-9, 8), B(-5, 8), C(-5, 6), D(-9, 6)
• Shape 2 (Translated) Vertices: A'(-4, 5), B'(0, 5), C'(0, 3), D'(-4, 3)

Look at the coordinates. Describe the translation. How many units was the shape moved and in which directions?

The rectangle was translated __________________________________________________.

Answer Key

Part 1: Plotting Points to Create Shapes

• Activity A: The Mystery House
  The picture is a house.
• Activity B: Identify the Shape
  
  1. Isosceles Triangle
  2. Square
  3. Trapezoid (or Trapezium)

Part 2: Translating Shapes

• Activity C: Shifting a Shape
  The new coordinates are:
  • P': (6, -1)
  • Q': (9, -1)
  • R': (6, 2)
• Activity D: What's the Move?
  The rectangle was translated 5 units to the right and 3 units down.
  (How to check: To get from A(-9, 8) to A'(-4, 5), you add 5 to the x-coordinate (-9 + 5 = -4) and subtract 3 from the y-coordinate (8 - 3 = 5).)