Coordinate Graphing Mystery Pictures
A coordinate graphing picture, or mystery picture, is a list of ordered pairs. Plot them in order, join each point to the one before, and a picture appears. It’s plotting practice with a built-in check: if the picture looks wrong, a point is in the wrong place.
Plot a mystery picture on screen
Pick a picture and plot it one point at a time. Each new point joins the last one until a STOP. It’s a quick way to check a printed sheet, or to show the whole class how it works.
Press Plot next point to start.
First quadrant mystery pictures
Every point has two positive coordinates, 0 to 16 on both axes: where graphing starts in 5th grade. One PDF per picture, with the finished picture as the answer key on page 2.
House Coordinate Graphing Picture
Grade 5
First quadrant, 0 to 16: plot 27 points in order to draw a mystery picture. The picture is on page 2.
Download PDF (47 KB)
Sailboat Coordinate Graphing Picture
Grade 5
First quadrant, 0 to 16: plot 17 points in order to draw a mystery picture. The picture is on page 2.
Download PDF (47 KB)
Christmas Tree Coordinate Graphing Picture
Grade 5
First quadrant, 0 to 16: plot 25 points in order to draw a mystery picture. The picture is on page 2.
Download PDF (53 KB)Four-quadrant mystery pictures
Points from −10 to 10 in all four quadrants, so the signs matter: (−4, 7) and (4, −7) land in different places. For 6th grade and up.
Snowman Coordinate Graphing Picture
Grades 6–7
All four quadrants, −10 to 10: plot 49 points in order to draw a mystery picture. The picture is on page 2.
Download PDF (54 KB)
Rocket Coordinate Graphing Picture
Grades 6–7
All four quadrants, −10 to 10: plot 22 points in order to draw a mystery picture. The picture is on page 2.
Download PDF (47 KB)
Fish Coordinate Graphing Picture
Grades 6–7
All four quadrants, −10 to 10: plot 22 points in order to draw a mystery picture. The picture is on page 2.
Download PDF (47 KB)The Christmas tree and snowman suit December. For more seasonal sheets see the Christmas math worksheets.
How to plot a mystery picture
- x first, then y. Start at the origin (0, 0). Move across to the x-coordinate, then up or down to the y-coordinate.
- Join as you go. Draw a straight line from each point to the one before it.
- STOP means lift your pencil. The next point starts a new line; don’t join it to the last one.
- A “dot” is just a dot: an eye, a button or an ornament. Don’t join it to anything.
The most common mistake is swapping the coordinates: plotting (3, 9) as (9, 3). In four quadrants the next is dropping a sign. A picture with one spike or a sudden zig-zag nearly always points to one of those two. The interactive coordinate plane is good practice for single points first.
When kids learn it
Graphing points in the first quadrant is a 5th grade standard (CCSS 5.G.A.1–2). Negative coordinates and all four quadrants come in 6th grade (6.NS.C.6 and 6.NS.C.8). See 5th grade and 6th grade math practice.
Seasonal worksheets: Thanksgiving math worksheets · Christmas math worksheets
Common questions
What is a coordinate graphing mystery picture?
A list of ordered pairs that you plot in order on a coordinate plane, joining each point to the one before. When every point is plotted, a picture appears, so the picture itself shows whether the points went in the right places.
What does STOP mean on a mystery picture worksheet?
Lift your pencil. Don't join the next point to the last one: it starts a new line, such as a window or a door after the outline of a house.
Do the worksheets have answer keys?
Yes. Page 2 of every PDF is the finished picture on the same grid, so you can check a sheet at a glance.
What grade are coordinate graphing pictures for?
First quadrant pictures, with only positive coordinates, fit 5th grade (CCSS 5.G.A.1-2). Four-quadrant pictures with negative coordinates fit 6th grade and up (6.NS.C.8).
Are these free?
Yes. All six PDFs are free to download, print and share for home or classroom use, with no login, sign-up or email.
Related: coordinate plane & graph paper · number line · all printable worksheets