CCSS 6.NS.C.6 & 6.G.A.3

🛰️ Star Map Architect

What to do: You are charting a star map on the coordinate plane. Click the grid to place each star at the right (x, y), then answer the questions. Finish all 7 tasks, then press Check My Work.

0 of 7 tasks answered

Learning Targets

I can plot ordered pairs (x, y) in all four quadrants of the coordinate plane.
I can reflect a point across the x-axis or y-axis and write the new coordinates.
I can identify which quadrant a point belongs to by looking at the signs of its coordinates.
I can find the length of a horizontal or vertical segment on the coordinate plane by subtracting coordinates.

Standard: 6.NS.C.6 & 6.G.A.3 Est. time: 30–40 min Materials: This page, pencil (optional) Format: Individual or pair work

📋 Teacher Notes

Pacing

Allow 5–7 min for Tasks 1–4 (plotting), then 3 min each for Tasks 5–7. Reserve 5 min at the end for the reflection.

Grouping

Works well as individual practice or in pairs (one student plots, partner verifies). For whole-class intro, project the page and plot one star together.

Differentiation — Support

Provide a printed four-quadrant reference card with quadrant labels and sign rules.
Scaffold Task 5 by reviewing the reflection rule aloud: "x stays; y changes sign."
Allow students to count grid squares by hand before clicking to verify.

Differentiation — Challenge

Ask students to reflect Star B across the y-axis and write the new coordinates.
Challenge: given the four plotted stars, can you find the perimeter of the shape they form?
Extend Task 7: find a second side length and compute the area of the square.

ESOL / Language Supports

Key vocabulary with visuals: coordinate plane, ordered pair, x-axis, y-axis, origin, quadrant, reflect.
Sentence frame for Task 5: "When I reflect across the x-axis, x stays ___ and y becomes ___."
Sentence frame for Task 6: "The point is in Quadrant ___ because both coordinates are ___."
Allow native-language dictionaries; label quadrants on the printed grid in the student's home language.

Scoring Rubric

Level	Score	Descriptor
Mastery	6–7 / 7	Plots all four stars correctly; applies reflection rule without error; names the quadrant using sign logic; calculates side length using coordinate subtraction.
Proficient	4–5 / 7	Plots most stars correctly with at most one sign error; can reflect across one axis; correctly identifies quadrant; minor arithmetic error in side length.
Developing	2–3 / 7	Plots points in the correct general region but confuses x and y order; struggles with negative coordinates or reflection; can identify quadrant with a reference chart.
Beginning	0–1 / 7	Plots stars in wrong quadrants or cannot locate negative values; unable to apply reflection rule without direct instruction; needs re-teaching of coordinate basics.

Tasks 1–4 · Plot the Stars

Click the grid to place each star

Click a grid spot to drop the glowing star. Click again to move it. Use the buttons or arrow keys to move the chosen square; press Enter to drop a star.

Now placing: Star A

Reminder: in (x, y), x is left/right, y is up/down.

Task 5 · Reflect a Point

Mirror across the x-axis

Star A is at (3, 4). Reflect it across the x-axis. Type the new ordered pair like (3, -4).

Reflected point (x, y)

Across the x-axis, x stays the same and the sign of y flips.

Task 6 · Name the Quadrant

Where does (-2, -5) live?

A star sits at (-2, -5). Tap the quadrant it is in.

Task 7 · Build the Space Station

Find a side length

A square station has corners (-3, 2) and (4, 2) on the same line. How many units long is that side? Type just the number.

Length in units

Same y-value, so subtract the x-values: |4 − (−3)|.

Reflection

Think about what you did in this activity:

How does knowing the signs of a coordinate pair help you figure out which quadrant a point is in? Give an example.

Deliverable: When you are done with all 7 tasks and the reflection, press Check My Work below, then use Save as PDF or Save as DOC to submit your completed Star Map to your teacher.

🔑 Answer Key (Teacher Only)

Tasks 1–4: Plot the Stars

Task 1 — Star A: (3, 4) — Quadrant I, 3 units right, 4 units up
Task 2 — Star B: (−4, 2) — Quadrant II, 4 units left, 2 units up
Task 3 — Star C: (−2, −3) — Quadrant III, 2 units left, 3 units down
Task 4 — Star D: (0, −4) — On the negative y-axis (not in any quadrant)

Task 5: Reflect (3, 4) across the x-axis

Answer: (3, −4). When reflecting across the x-axis, the x-coordinate stays the same and the y-coordinate changes sign: y = 4 becomes y = −4.

Task 6: Quadrant of (−2, −5)

Answer: Quadrant III. Both coordinates are negative. Quadrant III is the lower-left region where x < 0 and y < 0.

Task 7: Side length from (−3, 2) to (4, 2)

Answer: 7 units. Both points share y = 2, so the segment is horizontal. Length = |4 − (−3)| = |4 + 3| = 7.