[Biffer1997]

I am getting observed in a couple of weeks and would like to do a lesson on graphing ordered pairs. Does anyone have any interactive lessons or sites they recommend I could find some ideas? I could incorporate something to do with Christmas. I love to use picture books if anyone knows of any.
Thanks!

[tresie]

When I was student teaching some years ago my cooperating teacher did two lessons with ordered pairs that the children really enjoyed. In one lesson she had a grid on her board with small treats and the children had to correctly name the paired numbers to receive the treat. In another lesson she had a big grid taped out on the floor and the children played a game similar to Twister using ordered pairs as the destinations for their body parts.

[TeachCurious]

We've also played battleship with our kiddos. You can get the games, or there is an online powerpoint that's pretty cute. You can google it, or I can send it to you from school.

I also played a form of Twister on the floor to help them. We went through together labeling the X axis, y axis, origin, etc. on the taped off grid. After everyone had a turn to stand on a pair of coordinates, we played tic tac toe and battleship. Tic tac toe is where students have a grid, and one person is X and one person is o. They have to try and get 4 points in a row, but they have to say the ordered pair before they can claim it. They loved Battleship and it really got them thinking about graphing coordinate points!

I love to teach coordinate graphing! Here are two ideas:

1) For literature to teach coordinate graphing, try A Fly on the Ceiling by Julie Glass. It is a "step into reading" book, so the text will be fairly easy for your kids to read independently, if desired. The story tells about how Descartes was a very messy guy and needed a system for finding everything in his room. Very cute story, as I recall.

2) A couple of years ago, we created a "5th grade code" using a coordinate grid. We randomly assigned each letter of the alphabet and the numbers 0-9 to spaces on the grid. We photocopied the code on cardstock and gave each 5th grader a copy. We could then write messages "in code" and the kids would have to locate the letters on the grid to decode the message. Once the kids were comfortable with it, we even let them answer us in code and write their own riddles.

Good luck!

[Paul S.]

I like the idea of using tape on a tile floor... perhaps in the cafeteria. It would be very interactive. Just keep it meaningful.

Battleship does bring a bit of fun to the concept. I use the attached sheet, but I drew grid lines on my latest version. Also, please note that the word "point" is cut off.

To make extensions, I also introduce lines (perhaps at a later date). Simple ones such as x=4 and y=2 would easy for many kids. My brightest are taught the basics of y=mx + b. I call these "torpedos" and allow every player to use 3 or 4.

Your principal would probably like to know that you are going to use graphing with business type applications or basic statistical analysis at a later date.

Paul

[Biffer1997]

These are all super ideas and such fun! Much better than the book worksheets. I am leaning towards doing a guided practice with the treats on the board--some students will have to place them at the coordinates listed on the treats, and others will have to write the coordinates down to retrieve them.

We as an independent practice activity, I think I will do the code idea. Kismet, would you be able to send me the code and a riddle? Thanks in advance!

[debbie-doo]

Thanks! I'm going to try this!

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