Reveal Math Grade 5, Unit 12: Coordinate Geometry
In this unit, your child learns to use the coordinate grid. They locate and plot points like (6, 3) from the origin, name the x-coordinate and y-coordinate, and graph points from real situations, explaining what each one means. It follows the unit on classifying shapes and closes the fifth-grade year, laying groundwork for graphing in middle school.
By Robert “Bobby” BarnettMath teacher, parent, and founder of Bobby’s Math Club
What is my child learning in Unit 12?
- Plotting points on a coordinate grid by moving along the x-axis first, then up the y-axis, always starting from the origin. Learn more: Finding points on a grid, like (6, 3)
- Graphing real-world pairs, like time and distance, and telling what a point such as (3, 6) means in the situation. Learn more: Plotting real-life points on a grid
Sample questions to try together
These are real questions from our practice. Tap the speaker to hear one read aloud, or the light bulb for a hint, and talk about the answer together.
Question 1 of 3
In the coordinate plane, the point (4, 2) is plotted. What does the number 2 in this ordered pair represent?
- The total distance from the origin to the point.
- The distance up from the x-axis.
- The distance right from the y-axis.
How you can help
- Play hide-and-seek on a hand-drawn grid: hide a 'treasure' at a point and give clues as ordered pairs, going across first and then up.
- Time a regular walk every few days, then graph days across and minutes up. Ask your child what one point says in a full sentence.
- Look at a park or zoo map with a letter-and-number grid. Ask how it is like a coordinate grid and how it is different.
Where kids can get stuck
- Counting the origin as 1 instead of 0, so each point lands one step short of where it belongs.
- Plotting (5, 2) by going up 5 and across 2, putting the point where (2, 5) belongs.
- Ignoring the scale, treating each grid line as 1 when the axis counts by 5s or 10s.
Practice makes perfect
Bobby's Math Club has practice problems that adapt to your child’s level, each with a detailed explanation and an easy-to-follow video, so your child can build confidence in these skills one step at a time.
Words your child will hear
- coordinate grid
- A grid with numbered lines across and up, used to locate points.
- origin
- The point (0, 0), where the two axes meet.
- x-axis
- The number line that runs across the bottom of a coordinate grid.
- y-axis
- The number line that runs up the side of a coordinate grid.
- x-coordinate
- The first number in an ordered pair; how far across to go.
- y-coordinate
- The second number in an ordered pair; how far up to go.
- ordered pair
- Two numbers in order, like (6, 3), that name one point on a grid.
- scale
- How much each step on an axis stands for, like counting by 5s.
Want to help your child master the coordinate grid?
In Bobby's Math Club, your child practices these skills at just the right level, with a hint when they need one, a clear explanation after every question, and kid-friendly videos. Unlimited practice is free.
Join the club
Written by Robert “Bobby” Barnett
Bobby is an award-winning math teacher, the author of Meet Every Learner’s Needs, and the father of two elementary-school math learners. He uses Bobby’s Math Club with his own kids a few times every week. Learn more or contact Bobby.
Which math standards does Reveal Math Grade 5 Unit 12 cover?
Reveal Math Grade 5 Unit 12 covers these math standards. Each one links to what it means, sample questions, and teaching strategies.
For teachers: Unit names and order vary between editions and districts, so your school’s own materials have the exact sequence. Learn how Bobby's Math Club can help your students grow.