Coordinates (age 10+)

Describe positions on the full coordinate grid (all four quadrants); use coordinates with negative values

How to tell they’ve got it

Tick these off as you see them — no test required.

Plot points with negative coordinates such as (−3, 4) and (2, −5) on a four-quadrant grid
Identify the quadrant in which a given point lies
Describe the position of a shape using coordinates in all four quadrants

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Try this together

If your child is playing a game where ships can be at negative coordinates too, can they correctly plot and read positions like (−3, 2) or (1, −4) on a grid?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on

Coordinates (age 8+)ages 8–9Working across the full coordinate grid requires first-quadrant plotting as a foundation

Measuring temperatureages 10–11Negative coordinates require understanding of negative numbers

Plotting points in the first quadrantages 10–11Four-quadrant coordinates extend first-quadrant plotting

Transformations on a gridages 8–12Working with the full coordinate grid (all four quadrants) extends the transformation diagram to negative coordinates

Coordinates (age 10+)this skill · ages 10–11

Unlocks

Translating and reflecting shapesages 10–11Transformations on coordinate plane require four-quadrant coordinates

Coordinates (age 11+)ages 11–12KS3 coordinates work extends KS2 four-quadrant coordinate skills

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Candidate matches to official curriculum codes — machine-suggested, unreviewed (v0.1).

Show candidate curriculum codes · 3 ACARA · 1 NSW · 3 VIC

Australian Curriculum v9 candidate

AC9M6SP02medium confidenceYear 6 · Space

locate points in the 4 quadrants of a Cartesian plane; describe changes to the coordinates when a point is moved to a different position in the plane

AC9M5SP02medium confidenceYear 5 · Space

construct a grid coordinate system that uses coordinates to locate positions within a space; use coordinates and directional language to describe position and movement

AC9M4SP02low confidenceYear 4 · Space

create and interpret grid reference systems using grid references and directions to locate and describe positions and pathways

NSW syllabus codes & stages only

MA2-GM-01low confidenceMathematics K-10 · Stage 2

Victorian Curriculum 2.0 codes & levels only

VC2M6SP02medium confidenceMathematics · Level 6 · Space strand

VC2M5SP02medium confidenceMathematics · Level 5 · Space strand

VC2M4SP03low confidenceMathematics · Level 4 · Space strand

These are candidate alignments generated by semantic matching — machine-suggested and unreviewed (v0.1), not official or verified mappings. For official curriculum content see australiancurriculum.edu.au, curriculum.nsw.edu.au and f10.vcaa.vic.edu.au. Don’t rely on them for registration or compliance purposes.

Nearby on the map

2-D shapes (age 10+)ages 10–11 3-D shapes (age 10+)ages 10–11 Angles in triangles (age 10+)ages 10–11 Classifying shapes by propertiesages 10–11

All Geometry skills →