Here is a co-ordinate pair on the board: (−5, −2). You already know how to plot points that go right and up. Now both numbers can carry a minus sign. So which way do we travel for each number in this pair — and how far?

Each screen shows a co-ordinate pair already plotted on the grid. Notice how the x tells you left or right and the y tells you up or down. On the last one, read the point back; the label confirms it.

Today we'll work these out together at the board, one pupil at a time while everyone else watches and agrees. First the grid shows a point with its label hidden, and we read off its co-ordinate pair. Then I'll call out a pair and one of us will plot it. We'll swap between reading and plotting so both skills get a turn.

Today we'll work through these together at the board. First we'll plot some mixed-sign points. And for the tricky one, three corners of a rectangle are placed and we'll work out where the fourth one goes.

What we learned today

• A minus sign means travel the opposite way: left along x, down on y.
• To read a placed point, look across first, then up or down, and write the pair (x, y).
• (−3, 4) and (4, −3) use the same numbers but land in opposite corners — order matters.

Coming up

Next we will slide whole shapes around this four-quadrant grid, reading off the new co-ordinates of every corner after the move.