# Plotpicture, full text > Draw or trace a picture on a grid and get the point list, a blank grid, the answer key and 3 difficulty versions as PDFs. Version A is free, in your browser. Every public page of https://plotpicture.com, as Markdown, in sitemap order. Built from the exported pages at build time. The short index is https://plotpicture.com/llms.txt. --- # Coordinate graphing mystery picture maker, Plotpicture URL: https://plotpicture.com/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-19 > Draw or trace a picture on a grid and get the point list, a blank grid, the answer key and 3 difficulty versions as PDFs. Version A is free, in your browser. ## Make coordinate mystery pictures Draw or trace a picture on the grid and get the point list, a blank grid, the answer key and 3 difficulty versions. Version A is free to print, with no sign up, and your pictures stay in this browser. ### How the worksheet is made Plain arithmetic on whole grid squares, so every point you see is a point the student can plot. 1. **Every point snaps to the grid.** The pen keeps the grid points it crosses, then drops the ones that sit on a nearly straight line, so a shape has a sensible number of points. 2. **Three versions come from one drawing.** Version A is the picture as drawn in the first quadrant. Version B moves it by whole squares to sit across the axes. Version C labels each square 0.5, 0.25 or a fraction. 3. **Nothing is rounded.** A point that cannot sit on a grid line in a version is flagged by its number, and that version waits until you move it. A worksheet needs at least 2 shapes or 10 points and holds up to 400. As a rough guide, 150 points fill a 45 minute lesson. Every rule is on [how it works](https://plotpicture.com/how-it-works/), the [24 starter pictures](https://plotpicture.com/starters/) are ready to open, the [free printables](https://plotpicture.com/printables/) need nothing filled in, and the [guides](https://plotpicture.com/guides/) cover running the lesson, choosing a point count and using the 3 versions. --- # Free coordinate graphing starter pictures, Plotpicture URL: https://plotpicture.com/starters/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-19 > 24 original pictures for coordinate graphing mystery worksheets, from a leaf to a planet, with point counts. Open one, change it and print 3 versions. ## Starter pictures for coordinate graphing 24 original pictures drawn for this site, every point on a whole square, from 26 to 80 points. Open one in the maker to print it as it is, in 3 versions, or to change it first. - Leaf29 points, 5 shapes, 20 by 24 grid. Autumn.A simple autumn leaf with a stem and veins, good for a first plotting lesson.[Open the leaf](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=leaf) - Kite28 points, 7 shapes, 20 by 26 grid. Spring.A diamond kite with cross spars and a tail of bows on a breezy day.[Open the kite](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=kite) - Lighthouse34 points, 8 shapes, 20 by 23 grid. Summer.A striped lighthouse with a lantern room, a door and beams of light.[Open the lighthouse](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=lighthouse) - Snowflake80 points, 8 shapes, 24 by 26 grid. Winter.A six armed snowflake outline with branching arms and a hexagon centre.[Open the snowflake](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=snowflake) - Fox42 points, 8 shapes, 22 by 22 grid. Autumn.A fox face with pointed ears, diamond eyes and a small nose.[Open the fox](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=fox) - Rocket41 points, 7 shapes, 20 by 27 grid. Any time.A space rocket with fins, a round window and a flame at the nozzle.[Open the rocket](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=rocket) - Sailboat30 points, 6 shapes, 24 by 23 grid. Summer.A small sailboat with two sails and a flag riding the waves.[Open the sailboat](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=sailboat) - Bell33 points, 5 shapes, 22 by 24 grid. Winter.A festive bell with a hanging loop, two bands and a round clapper.[Open the bell](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=bell) - Pumpkin45 points, 7 shapes, 22 by 23 grid. Autumn.A ribbed pumpkin with a curved stem and a leaf, ready for an autumn lesson.[Open the pumpkin](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=pumpkin) - Heart30 points, 2 shapes, 20 by 18 grid. Any time.A simple heart with an inner outline, a gentle first plotting task.[Open the heart](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=heart) - Star26 points, 6 shapes, 22 by 22 grid. Any time.A five pointed star with folded facet lines that meet in the middle.[Open the star](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=star) - Tree46 points, 7 shapes, 20 by 26 grid. Winter.A three tier festive tree with a star on top, garlands and baubles.[Open the tree](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=tree) - Fish42 points, 8 shapes, 26 by 19 grid. Summer.A fish with a forked tail, fins, an eye and scale marks to plot.[Open the fish](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=fish) - Cat54 points, 8 shapes, 22 by 26 grid. Any time.A sitting cat facing forward with pointed ears, whiskers and a curled tail.[Open the cat](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=cat) - House44 points, 8 shapes, 24 by 24 grid. Any time.A house with a pitched roof, chimney, door, two windows and a round attic window.[Open the house](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=house) - Hot Air Balloon38 points, 8 shapes, 22 by 28 grid. Summer.A striped hot air balloon with ropes and a basket.[Open the hot air balloon](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=hot-air-balloon) - Mug48 points, 8 shapes, 22 by 22 grid. Winter.A steaming mug with a heart on the side, good for a cosy winter lesson.[Open the mug](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=mug) - Pencil34 points, 8 shapes, 27 by 14 grid. Autumn.A sharpened pencil with an eraser, a calm back to school warm up.[Open the pencil](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=pencil) - Guitar55 points, 7 shapes, 20 by 28 grid. Any time.An acoustic guitar with a sound hole, frets and tuning head.[Open the guitar](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=guitar) - Bicycle50 points, 8 shapes, 29 by 18 grid. Spring.A side view bicycle with two round wheels, a frame, seat and handlebars.[Open the bicycle](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=bicycle) - Cactus48 points, 8 shapes, 20 by 25 grid. Summer.A potted cactus with two arms and a flower on top.[Open the cactus](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=cactus) - Whale38 points, 6 shapes, 27 by 19 grid. Summer.A smiling whale with a water spout, a flipper and a forked tail.[Open the whale](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=whale) - Crown36 points, 6 shapes, 24 by 19 grid. Any time.A five point crown with three gems on the band and a jewel on top.[Open the crown](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=crown) - Ringed planet58 points, 8 shapes, 28 by 22 grid. Any time.A ringed planet among stars, where the ring passes in front and behind.[Open the ringed planet](https://plotpicture.com/?starter=planet) ### Using a starter Opening a starter on a fresh visit fills the empty picture; if you have already drawn something, you choose between a new picture and replacing the one open, and undo brings back what you had. The student page never names the picture. How each version is made is on [how it works](https://plotpicture.com/how-it-works/), and the [mystery picture maker](https://plotpicture.com/) also opens them from its own list. --- # Free coordinate graphing printables, Plotpicture URL: https://plotpicture.com/printables/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-21 > Free printable PDFs for coordinate graphing: blank coordinate grids, a point list practice sheet with its answer key, and graph paper. A4 or US Letter. ## Free printables for coordinate graphing Ready to print PDFs with nothing to fill in: blank grids, a practice sheet with its answer key, and graph paper, on A4 or US Letter. - [Blank coordinate grids pack](https://plotpicture.com/printables/coordinate-grids/)3 pages. Printable blank coordinate grids: first quadrant 0 to 10, first quadrant 0 to 20, and four quadrants from minus 10 to 10. A free PDF on A4 or US Letter. - [Point list practice sheet](https://plotpicture.com/printables/point-list-practice/)4 pages. A free coordinate graphing practice sheet: 30 points to plot in the first quadrant that draw a mystery picture, with a blank grid and the answer key. PDF. - [Graph paper, 1 cm and quarter inch](https://plotpicture.com/printables/graph-paper/)2 pages. Free printable graph paper in two sizes: 1 cm squares with a heavier line every 5 cm, and quarter inch squares with a heavier line every inch. A4 or Letter. ### A picture of your own The [mystery picture maker](https://plotpicture.com/) makes worksheets from your own drawing, in 3 versions, and [how it works](https://plotpicture.com/how-it-works/) explains each rule. The [starter pictures](https://plotpicture.com/starters/) are another quick start. --- # Blank coordinate grids to print, 3 sizes, Plotpicture URL: https://plotpicture.com/printables/coordinate-grids/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-21 > Printable blank coordinate grids: first quadrant 0 to 10, first quadrant 0 to 20, and four quadrants from minus 10 to 10. A free PDF on A4 or US Letter. ## Blank coordinate grids pack Three labelled blank coordinate grids in one PDF: the first quadrant to 10, the first quadrant to 20, and all four quadrants from −10 to 10. It is for teachers, tutors and parents who want clean grids for plotting practice, graphs or a mystery picture of their own. Last updated 21 October 2026. Made by the Plotpicture team. ### Download the PDF 3 pages, drawn in your browser when you press a button. No sign up, nothing to fill in. Print at 100 percent (actual size). Free downloads carry a small credit line in each page's footer, never on the grid: Made with Plotpicture, plotpicture.com. ### What is on the page - Page 1: first quadrant grid, 0 to 10 on both axes, every line labelled, with name and date lines - Page 2: first quadrant grid, 0 to 20 on both axes, every line labelled - Page 3: four quadrant grid, −10 to 10 on both axes, with the axes drawn heavier - Vector grid lines, so the squares print sharp at any size ### Make your own The [mystery picture maker](https://plotpicture.com/) turns a picture you draw or trace into a point list, a blank grid and an answer key in 3 versions; [how it works](https://plotpicture.com/how-it-works/) sets out its rules. More printables: [point list practice sheet](https://plotpicture.com/printables/point-list-practice/) and [graph paper, 1 cm and quarter inch](https://plotpicture.com/printables/graph-paper/). --- # Coordinate point list practice sheet to print, Plotpicture URL: https://plotpicture.com/printables/point-list-practice/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-21 > A free coordinate graphing practice sheet: 30 points to plot in the first quadrant that draw a mystery picture, with a blank grid and the answer key. PDF. ## Point list practice sheet A ready made coordinate mystery picture: 30 points in the first quadrant, joined in order, that draw a picture when plotted, with a blank grid, the answer key and a points only page. It is for a class or a child practising plotting ordered pairs, around grade 5, who needs a sheet to print right now. Last updated 21 October 2026. Made by the Plotpicture team. ### Download the PDF 4 pages, drawn in your browser when you press a button. No sign up, nothing to fill in. Print at 100 percent (actual size). Free downloads carry a small credit line in each page's footer, never on the grid: Made with Plotpicture, plotpicture.com. ### What is on the page - Student page: the instructions, name and date lines, and the 30 points in order with Lift pen and End marks - Blank grid: the first quadrant grid to plot on, labelled on every line - Answer key: the finished picture with every point numbered - Points only page: the list again, for a second copy or a board ### Make your own The [mystery picture maker](https://plotpicture.com/) turns a picture you draw or trace into a point list, a blank grid and an answer key in 3 versions; [how it works](https://plotpicture.com/how-it-works/) sets out its rules. More printables: [blank coordinate grids pack](https://plotpicture.com/printables/coordinate-grids/) and [graph paper, 1 cm and quarter inch](https://plotpicture.com/printables/graph-paper/). --- # Printable graph paper, 1 cm and quarter inch, Plotpicture URL: https://plotpicture.com/printables/graph-paper/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-21 > Free printable graph paper in two sizes: 1 cm squares with a heavier line every 5 cm, and quarter inch squares with a heavier line every inch. A4 or Letter. ## Graph paper, 1 cm and quarter inch Two sheets of plain graph paper in one PDF: 1 cm squares ruled heavier every 5 cm, and quarter inch squares ruled heavier every inch. It is for anyone who needs graph paper for maths, drawing a picture before plotting it, or sketching a plan. Last updated 21 October 2026. Made by the Plotpicture team. ### Download the PDF 2 pages, drawn in your browser when you press a button. No sign up, nothing to fill in. Print at 100 percent (actual size). Free downloads carry a small credit line in each page's footer, never on the grid: Made with Plotpicture, plotpicture.com. ### What is on the page - Page 1: 1 cm squares, a heavier line every fifth square, filling the page inside the margins - Page 2: quarter inch squares, a heavier line every fourth square (each inch) - Squares measured on the page itself: print at 100 percent (actual size) to keep them true ### Make your own The [mystery picture maker](https://plotpicture.com/) turns a picture you draw or trace into a point list, a blank grid and an answer key in 3 versions; [how it works](https://plotpicture.com/how-it-works/) sets out its rules. More printables: [blank coordinate grids pack](https://plotpicture.com/printables/coordinate-grids/) and [point list practice sheet](https://plotpicture.com/printables/point-list-practice/). --- # How the points and the 3 versions are made, Plotpicture URL: https://plotpicture.com/how-it-works/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-19 > The rules behind every worksheet: snapping, simplifying pen lines, how versions A, B and C come from one drawing, the scale rule and why points are flagged. ## How the points and the 3 versions are made Every point on a worksheet is a grid point you placed, written in the numbers of its version. Here are the rules in the order they run, a worked example you can check, and what the maker does not do. Last updated 19 October 2026. Written by the Plotpicture team. ### The rules, in the order they run 1. **The drawing grid.** You draw on a grid of 5 to 40 squares each way, with the origin at the bottom left and y going up. A point can never sit outside it: a tap or a pen line outside the grid adds nothing, and the page says so. 2. **Snapping.** Every point goes to the nearest grid point. By default that is a whole square; you can choose half squares, quarter squares or tenths. A position exactly halfway goes up and to the right. 3. **Simplifying pen lines.** The pen keeps every grid point it crosses. Then the first and last points are kept, and between them the point furthest from the straight line joining them is kept if it is further than the tolerance you set; the same test repeats on each side. Points exactly on a straight run are always dropped. Only points you drew are ever kept, so every point stays on the grid. The line and shape tools keep each point where you put it. 4. **Shapes and Lift pen.** A shape is one line the student draws without lifting the pen. Only Lift pen (or closing a shape) ends it: changing tool keeps the pen down, so a shape can mix straight edges and pen curves, and undo keeps it open. A pen line that starts where the open shape ends carries on; one that starts anywhere else begins a new shape. A closed shape lists its first point again at the end. A point that repeats the one before it is left out of the list, and a shape with only 1 point is left out of the worksheet, each with a note. 5. **Counts.** A worksheet needs at least 2 shapes or 10 points, every shape needs at least 2 points, and a worksheet holds at most 400. Past 150 the page warns that the lesson may run long. 6. **Version A, integers in the first quadrant.** The picture exactly as drawn. The drawing grid is the first quadrant, and each square is worth the scale you choose: 1, 2, 5 or 10. 7. **Version B, integers in four quadrants.** The middle of the box around the points the student plots is found, rounded to a whole square (of the two nearest, the one that needs the smaller grid, then the nearer), and the picture moves by that many whole squares so it sits across the axes. The grid reaches at least half the drawing grid each side of the origin. Squares are worth the same scale as version A. 8. **Version C, decimals or fractions.** Each square is worth 0.5, 0.25, a half, a quarter or an eighth, in the first quadrant or across the axes. This is the scale rule: when your drawing uses parts of a square, each square of your drawing can become 2, 4, 5, 8 or 10 squares on the sheet. The engine picks the smallest that puts every point on a grid line while the sheet stays within 40 squares a side, and the page says which it chose. 9. **Flagged, never rounded.** A point that would fall between grid lines in a version is named by its number and ringed on the grid, and that version cannot be downloaded until it is moved. Choose the shape and the point to move it one snap step at a time, snap it to a whole square or delete it; Snap every point to whole squares moves them all, only when you ask, and says how many moved. A flagged point is never written on a sheet as a value. 10. **The sheets.** The point list runs in columns, numbered in plotting order, with Lift pen between shapes. A printed square is never under 3 mm or over about 1 cm. Labels go every 1, 2, 4, 5 or 10 lines; if they would overlap at that size the page refuses and names a spacing that fits. Grid lines are vector lines in the PDF. All numbers are exact: a coordinate is a whole number of squares times the value of one square. ### Worked example: the kite starter The kite is drawn on a 20 by 26 grid, in 7 shapes and 28 points. With the squares worth 1 in versions A and B and 0.25 in version C: - Version A: Integers in the first quadrant: the picture as drawn, x from 0 to 20 and y from 0 to 26. Each square is 1. - Version B: Integers in all four quadrants: the picture is moved 10 squares left and 13 squares down so it sits across the axes, x from −10 to 10 and y from −13 to 13. Each square is 1. - Version C: Decimals in the first quadrant, x from 0 to 5 and y from 0 to 6.5. Each square is 0.25. The first shape, point by point. Check any row: B is A moved, C is A times 0.25. | Point | Version A | Version B | Version C | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | (10, 24) | (0, 11) | (2.5, 6) | | 2 | (15, 19) | (5, 6) | (3.75, 4.75) | | 3 | (10, 10) | (0, −3) | (2.5, 2.5) | | 4 | (5, 19) | (−5, 6) | (1.25, 4.75) | | 5 | (10, 24) | (0, 11) | (2.5, 6) | ### What it is not - It does not trace an image for you. A loaded image is a faint guide under the grid; you draw over it, and it never prints. - It does not round. If a point does not fit a version, it says so and waits. - It does not reorder your shapes. The plotting order is the order you drew, unless you move a shape. - It is not a marketplace and has no licensed characters. The 24 starter pictures were drawn for this site. - It does not send anything anywhere. Drawings and images stay in your browser. Try it on the [mystery picture maker](https://plotpicture.com/), open a [starter picture](https://plotpicture.com/starters/), or read the [guides for the lesson](https://plotpicture.com/guides/). --- # Guides to coordinate mystery picture lessons, Plotpicture URL: https://plotpicture.com/guides/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-19 > Guides for teachers: running a coordinate graphing mystery picture lesson, choosing a point count by grade, and teaching a mixed class with 3 versions. ## Guides for mystery picture lessons Three practical guides for teachers, tutors and parents: running the lesson, choosing how many points to give, and using 3 versions of one picture in a mixed class. - [**Running a coordinate mystery picture lesson** A lesson plan for a coordinate graphing mystery picture: the warm up, the instructions, checking work, early finishers and the reveal.](https://plotpicture.com/guides/running-a-mystery-picture-lesson/) - [**How many points for each grade** Choosing a point count for grades 4 to 9: how long plotting takes, where pictures go wrong, and how to trim a picture that is too long.](https://plotpicture.com/guides/how-many-points-by-grade/) - [**Differentiating with 3 versions of one picture** One picture as integers in the first quadrant, in four quadrants, and in decimals or fractions, so a mixed class makes the same picture.](https://plotpicture.com/guides/differentiating-with-three-versions/) The rules behind every worksheet are on [how it works](https://plotpicture.com/how-it-works/), and the [mystery picture maker](https://plotpicture.com/) makes them. --- # How to run a coordinate mystery picture lesson, Plotpicture URL: https://plotpicture.com/guides/running-a-mystery-picture-lesson/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-19 > A lesson plan for a coordinate graphing mystery picture: a short warm up, clear instructions, quick checks, early finishers and the reveal at the end. ## How to run a coordinate mystery picture lesson Spend 5 minutes on a warm up, give one clear instruction about order and Lift pen, check the first 3 points of every student, and keep the picture's name a secret until the end. The rest of the lesson runs itself. Last updated 19 October 2026. Written by the Plotpicture team. ### Why it works A mystery picture turns a page of plotting into a puzzle with a built in check. The picture only appears if the points are right, so a student knows when something has gone wrong without waiting for marking. It suits the point in the year when students meet ordered pairs: in the US, graphing points in the first quadrant is a grade 5 standard and all four quadrants follow in grade 6; in England, the first quadrant appears in year 4 and the full grid in year 6. ### Before the lesson - Pick a picture that fits the time: as a rough guide, 40 to 60 points for a first lesson, more once the class plots quickly. - Print the student page, the blank grid and one answer key for yourself. Two grids a page halves the paper for a big class. - Keep the title neutral. Mystery picture is the default, and the picture's own name prints on the answer key only. - Have sharp pencils and rulers out. Pen makes mistakes permanent; a ruler keeps lines straight so the picture reads. ### A 45 minute plan 1. **Warm up, 5 minutes.** Plot 3 points together on the board, saying the rule aloud: across first, then up. In a four quadrant lesson, include one point with a negative x. 2. **Instructions, 3 minutes.** Join each point to the one before it with a straight line. At Lift pen, stop, and start the next shape at the next point without joining. 3. **Early check, 5 minutes.** Walk the room and look at each student's first 3 points. Most errors start here, and they are cheap to fix now. 4. **Plotting, 25 minutes.** Students work through the list, ticking each pair as they plot it. Quick finishers colour or try the next version. 5. **Reveal, 7 minutes.** Show the answer key and ask who knew what it was before the end, and at which point. ### Worked example: the first 3 points of the leaf The leaf starter opens with (10, 22), (12, 20), (14, 18) in version A, on a 20 by 24 grid. A student who plots (22, 10) for the first point has swapped the pair, and that point is not even on the grid; their first line starts in the wrong place and every line after it hangs from that mistake. Catching it at point 1 saves the whole picture; finding it at point 25 means rubbing out most of the page. That is the reason for the early check. ### Common mistakes - Swapping x and y. Teach across then up, and the corridor then the stairs if your class uses that rhyme. - Joining across a Lift pen, which draws a stray line through the picture. - Counting squares instead of lines, which puts every point half a square off. - On a scale of 2 or 5, reading the label as the number of squares. - In four quadrants, going right for a negative x. ### Early finishers and the next lesson Give quick finishers the next version of the same picture: version B for four quadrants, version C for decimals or fractions. They already know what the picture is, so the challenge is the numbers, and their answer key is the one you already hold. In a later lesson, students can design their own picture on squared paper and swap point lists with a partner. ### Sources - [Grade 5, Geometry: graph points on the coordinate plane](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/5/G/), Common Core State Standards Initiative. Last reviewed 19 October 2026. - [Grade 6, The Number System: points in all four quadrants](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/6/NS/), Common Core State Standards Initiative. Last reviewed 19 October 2026. - [National curriculum in England: mathematics programmes of study](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-mathematics-programmes-of-study), Department for Education. Last reviewed 19 October 2026. ### Frequently asked questions **Should students colour the picture?** Only once every point is plotted and checked. Colouring before then hides mistakes, and a student who colours early often stops plotting. **What if a student's picture looks wrong?** Ask them to find the first point where their line leaves the answer key, then check that point's x and y in the list. The mistake is almost always a swapped pair or a missed Lift pen. **Can students work in pairs?** Yes. One reads the pairs aloud and the other plots, swapping every shape. Reading coordinates aloud is good practice in itself, and the reader catches swapped pairs. ### Make the worksheet The [mystery picture maker](https://plotpicture.com/) draws, traces and prints all 3 versions; the rules it follows are on [how it works](https://plotpicture.com/how-it-works/), and the other [guides](https://plotpicture.com/guides/) cover the rest of the lesson. --- # Mystery picture point counts by grade, Plotpicture URL: https://plotpicture.com/guides/how-many-points-by-grade/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-19 > Choosing a point count for a coordinate mystery picture in grades 4 to 9: starting ranges, how to time your own class, and how to trim a long picture. ## How many points a mystery picture needs, by grade As a starting point, give grade 4 students 25 to 50 points, grade 6 students 60 to 120, and older students up to about 150, then time your own class once and adjust. Fewer, bigger shapes beat many fiddly details at every age. Last updated 19 October 2026. Written by the Plotpicture team. ### Starting ranges These are the ranges we use as a first guess. They assume students who already know how to plot an ordered pair; for a first ever lesson, take the bottom of the range. The grade levels follow where coordinates appear in the US standards (the first quadrant in grade 5, all four quadrants in grade 6) and the English national curriculum (the first quadrant in year 4, all four in year 6). | Grade | Points | Version | | --- | --- | --- | | Grade 4 (year 5) | 25 to 50 | Integers, first quadrant (version A), scale of 1 | | Grade 5 (year 6) | 40 to 80 | Version A, with a scale of 2 for a stretch | | Grade 6 (year 7) | 60 to 120 | Integers in four quadrants (version B) | | Grades 7 to 9 (years 8 to 10) | 80 to 150 | Decimals or fractions (version C), one or four quadrants | ### Time your own class Speed varies more between classes than between grades. The simplest measure is your own: in the first 10 minutes of plotting, note how many points a typical student has done, after the early check. Multiply by the minutes you have left. A student who plots 3 points a minute gets through about 75 points in 25 minutes of plotting, which is the core of a 45 minute lesson once the warm up, the check and the reveal are taken out. Decimals and fractions slow everyone down at first, because each point needs a moment of thought about where 2.75 or 1 1/4 sits. Four quadrants slow things down less once the sign rule is clear. When you move a class to a harder version, take 20 to 30 percent off the count. ### Worked example: trimming a long picture Say a pen drawing of a cat comes out at 190 points and the lesson is 45 minutes with a class that plots about 3 points a minute. That is over an hour of plotting. Raising the Simplify pen lines slider from a quarter square to a whole square typically removes the points that sit on gentle curves; then deleting the whiskers and the inner ears removes another 20 or so. At 110 points the picture still reads as a cat, and it fits. The 24 starter pictures, from the shortest: - Star: 26 points - Kite: 28 points - Leaf: 29 points - Heart: 30 points - Sailboat: 30 points - Bell: 33 points - Lighthouse: 34 points - Pencil: 34 points - Crown: 36 points - Hot Air Balloon: 38 points - Whale: 38 points - Rocket: 41 points - Fish: 42 points - Fox: 42 points - House: 44 points - Pumpkin: 45 points - Tree: 46 points - Cactus: 48 points - Mug: 48 points - Bicycle: 50 points - Cat: 54 points - Guitar: 55 points - Ringed planet: 58 points - Snowflake: 80 points ### Common mistakes - Choosing the picture first and the count second. Choose the count, then a picture that fits it. - Tiny details. Three points for an eye cost as much time as three points of outline and are much easier to misplot. - Very short shapes everywhere. Each Lift pen is a moment where students lose their place. - The same count for a harder version. Fractions and decimals need fewer points for the same time. ### Sources - [Grade 5, Geometry: graph points on the coordinate plane](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/5/G/), Common Core State Standards Initiative. Last reviewed 19 October 2026. - [Grade 6, The Number System: points in all four quadrants](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/6/NS/), Common Core State Standards Initiative. Last reviewed 19 October 2026. - [National curriculum in England: mathematics programmes of study](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-mathematics-programmes-of-study), Department for Education. Last reviewed 19 October 2026. ### Frequently asked questions **Is there a right number of points?** No. The ranges here are starting points, not research findings. Time one picture with your own class and adjust from there. **What is the most points one worksheet can hold?** 400. Past 150 the maker warns that the picture may not fit a 45 minute lesson; it still makes the worksheet. **How do I cut points without spoiling the picture?** Raise the Simplify pen lines slider first: it drops points on nearly straight stretches and keeps the corners. Then delete small details, such as a second window or a pattern on a band, which cost many points and add little. ### Make the worksheet The [mystery picture maker](https://plotpicture.com/) draws, traces and prints all 3 versions; the rules it follows are on [how it works](https://plotpicture.com/how-it-works/), and the other [guides](https://plotpicture.com/guides/) cover the rest of the lesson. --- # Differentiate with 3 versions of one picture, Plotpicture URL: https://plotpicture.com/guides/differentiating-with-three-versions/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-19 > Teach a mixed class with one picture in 3 versions: integers in the first quadrant, integers in four quadrants, and decimals or fractions, one answer key. ## Differentiate with 3 versions of one mystery picture Give each student the same picture at the level they are ready for: integers in the first quadrant, integers in all four quadrants, or decimals and fractions. Everyone draws the same picture, so the reveal is shared and one answer key checks every sheet. Last updated 19 October 2026. Written by the Plotpicture team. ### The 3 versions - **Version A, integers in the first quadrant.** Whole numbers, both positive. The level of the first quadrant standards: grade 5 in the US, year 4 in England. - **Version B, integers in four quadrants.** The same picture moved so it sits across the axes, so about half the pairs have a negative x, a negative y or both. Grade 6 in the US, year 6 in England. - **Version C, decimals or fractions.** The same picture with each square worth 0.5, 0.25, a half, a quarter or an eighth, in one quadrant or four. Good practice in placing rational numbers for grades 6 to 8. ### Worked example: one point of the house The house starter has 44 points. Its second point reads: - Version A: (20, 2) - Version B: (8, −10) - Version C at 0.25 a square, first quadrant: (5, 0.5) - Version C in halves, four quadrants: (4, −5) All four land on the same spot of the picture. In version B the picture is moved 12 squares left and 12 squares down so it sits across the axes, x from −12 to 12 and y from −12 to 12. Each square is 1. ### Running a mixed lesson 1. Print all 3 versions from one drawing; a single PDF can hold them in order. 2. Hand out the versions by need, or let students pick and move up if they find it easy. 3. Give one shared instruction about order and Lift pen; the lists have the same Lift pen marks in the same places. 4. Check the first 3 points of every sheet against the answer key for its version. 5. Reveal together: every student has the same picture, whatever the numbers were. The next time you use a picture, move each student up one version if their first sheet was clean. Over a term, the same handful of pictures can carry a class from first quadrant integers to fractions in four quadrants, and students who finish early always have a next step that uses the picture they already know. ### Common mistakes - Checking a version B sheet against the version A key. Each version has its own key; the grids are labelled differently. - Moving a student to decimals before four quadrants are secure. Two new things at once is twice the confusion. - Drawing on half squares and expecting integers. Points between grid lines are flagged in A and B; snap them or keep them for C. - Forgetting the label spacing. Fractions take room, so a large grid may need labels every 2 lines; the maker says when. ### Sources - [Grade 5, Geometry: graph points on the coordinate plane](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/5/G/), Common Core State Standards Initiative. Last reviewed 19 October 2026. - [Grade 6, The Number System: points in all four quadrants](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/6/NS/), Common Core State Standards Initiative. Last reviewed 19 October 2026. - [National curriculum in England: mathematics programmes of study](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-mathematics-programmes-of-study), Department for Education. Last reviewed 19 October 2026. ### Frequently asked questions **Do students notice they have different sheets?** Some do. The version letter is printed small at the top of each page. Many teachers let students choose, or move a student up a version partway through the term. **Is the picture really the same in every version?** Yes. Every version is made from the same drawing, point for point, so the pictures match line for line. Version B is the same picture moved; version C is the same picture with each square worth less. **Which version should I give a student who finishes early?** The next one up. They already know the picture, so the new challenge is only the numbers. ### Make the worksheet The [mystery picture maker](https://plotpicture.com/) draws, traces and prints all 3 versions; the rules it follows are on [how it works](https://plotpicture.com/how-it-works/), and the other [guides](https://plotpicture.com/guides/) cover the rest of the lesson. --- # Coordinate mystery picture questions, Plotpicture URL: https://plotpicture.com/faq/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-19 > Answers about Plotpicture: drawing and tracing, the 3 versions, flagged points, point counts, keyboard drawing, the PDFs and where pictures are saved. ## Questions about the mystery picture maker Short answers on drawing, tracing, the 3 versions and printing. Every rule the worksheets follow is on [how it works](https://plotpicture.com/how-it-works/), and the [mystery picture maker](https://plotpicture.com/) is where you try them. ### Frequently asked questions **What is a coordinate graphing mystery picture?** A list of coordinate pairs that students plot on a grid in order, joining each point to the one before. At Lift pen they stop and start the next line without joining. When every point is plotted a picture appears, which is the reward and the self check. **How do I make one here?** Draw on the grid with the pen, the line tool or the shape tool, or start from one of the 24 starter pictures and change it. Each shape is one line the student draws without lifting the pen; press Lift pen to start the next shape. The worksheets below the grid update as you draw. **Can I trace a picture I already have?** Yes. Load a PNG or JPG of up to 5 MB under Trace a picture and draw over it with the snap grid. The image is shown faintly under the grid, stays in this tab, is never saved or uploaded, and never appears on any worksheet. It is your job to use an image you are allowed to use. **What are the 3 versions?** Version A is the picture as drawn, in integers in the first quadrant. Version B moves the picture by whole squares so the middle of it sits on the origin, so students plot in all four quadrants. Version C labels each square 0.5, 0.25, a half, a quarter or an eighth, so the coordinates are decimals or fractions. All three make the same picture. **Why is a point flagged instead of rounded?** A flagged point would not sit on a grid line in that version, for example a point on a half square in an integer version. Rounding it would quietly change the picture, so the page names the point by its number and holds that version back. Move the point, or use Snap every point to whole squares, which says exactly how many points it moved. **How many points should a picture have?** A worksheet needs at least 2 shapes or 10 points and holds at most 400. As a rough guide, 150 points fill a 45 minute lesson for a class that plots confidently, and the page warns past that. Younger students often manage 30 to 60; the guide on point counts by grade has more detail. **How does the pen decide how many points to keep?** The pen keeps every grid point it crosses, then drops the points that sit within a set distance of a straight line between their neighbours. The Simplify pen lines slider sets that distance, from corners only up to 3 squares, and shows the point count as you move it. **Can I draw without a mouse or a touch screen?** Yes. Tab to the grid, then the arrow keys move a cursor one snap step (with Shift, 5 squares), Enter or Space adds a point, Escape lifts the pen and C closes a shape. Undo and redo work with Control or Command and Z. **What do the PDFs contain?** Each version gives a student page with the title, name and date lines (each optional), the instructions and the point list in columns with Lift pen marks; a blank grid, one or two to a page; the answer key with the picture drawn on the grid, numbered if you choose; and a points only page. The grid lines are vector lines, so they print crisp on A4 or US Letter. **Does the student page give the picture away?** No. The student page prints the title you choose, Mystery picture unless you change it. The picture's own name prints only on the answer key. **Where are my pictures saved?** In this browser only, up to 3 pictures free or 50 with Premium. Nothing is uploaded and there is no account. Save a backup file from Pictures to move them to another browser or keep a copy. **Can I send a picture to another teacher?** Yes. Share this, above the grid, makes a link that carries the drawing and its grid and worksheet settings inside the link itself, so nothing is uploaded. It opens as Shared with you and is saved on the other device only if they keep a copy. You can leave the picture's name and the sheet title out of the link. **Does it work offline, and can I install it?** Yes. After one visit the maker opens and draws with no connection, and PDFs work offline once you have made one while connected. Where the browser offers it, Install Plotpicture is in the menu and at the foot of the page. On an iPhone or iPad, open the site in Safari, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen. **How big can the grid be?** The drawing grid can be 5 to 40 squares each way. A printed grid never has more than 40 squares a side, and its squares are never smaller than 3 mm, so a student can plot on it. If labels would overlap, the page says which spacing fits. **Can I sell or share the worksheets I make?** The worksheets you make from your own drawings are yours to use in class and to share. The starter pictures were drawn for this site; use them in your teaching freely. Do not trace images you do not have the right to use. **Is it connected to a curriculum or a marketplace?** Plotpicture is not affiliated with any publisher, curriculum body or teacher marketplace. --- # About the coordinate mystery picture maker, Plotpicture URL: https://plotpicture.com/about/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-19 > What Plotpicture is: a free browser tool that turns a teacher's own drawing into coordinate graphing worksheets in 3 versions, and what it is not. ## About Plotpicture A free tool for maths teachers, tutors and parents who want coordinate graphing mystery pictures of their own: draw a picture once and get the point list, the grid, the answer key and 3 difficulty versions, every point checked. ### Why we made it Mystery pictures are one of the few plotting tasks students ask to do again. The picture is the reward, and it is also the check: a wrong point shows up as a wrong line. The trouble is supply. Ready made sets run out, the free ones repeat the same few characters, and building a list by hand means clicking every grid point and copying coordinates into a document, then checking them again for the version with negative numbers. Plotpicture does that part. You draw, or trace over an image of your own, or start from one of our 24 starter pictures. The site keeps the points on the grid, writes them out in plotting order with Lift pen between shapes, and makes 3 versions from the same drawing: whole numbers in the first quadrant, whole numbers in all four, and decimals or fractions. The worksheets print on A4 or US Letter with grid lines drawn as vectors, so they stay sharp. ### How we build it Every rule the worksheets follow is written out on [how it works](https://plotpicture.com/how-it-works/), with a worked example. Nothing is rounded: a point that does not fit a version is named, and you decide what to do about it. The same drawing and settings always give the same worksheet. The site runs entirely in your browser; there is no account and no server that sees your drawings. ### What it is not - Not a marketplace. There are no licensed characters, and the starter pictures were drawn for this site. - Not an automatic tracer. An image you load is a faint guide; you draw over it, and it never prints. - Not a course. The [guides](https://plotpicture.com/guides/) share what works in a lesson; your judgement about your class comes first. - Not an account. Your pictures stay in this browser, with a backup file when you want one. ### On a phone or offline After one visit the maker works with no connection. On an iPhone or iPad, open the site in Safari, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen. It then opens from the home screen like an app, with your pictures where you left them. ### Contact Questions, ideas and reports of a worksheet that breaks one of the stated rules go to socialreminderinfo@gmail.com. A backup file of the picture helps us see exactly what you see. Start on the [mystery picture maker](https://plotpicture.com/). Plotpicture is not affiliated with any publisher, curriculum body or teacher marketplace. --- # Premium for the mystery picture maker, Plotpicture URL: https://plotpicture.com/premium/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-19 > Premium adds versions B and C, one PDF with all 3 versions, numbered keys, no credit line and more than 3 saved pictures. Drawing stays free. ## Plotpicture Premium Drawing, tracing, the starters and version A's worksheets are free for everyone. Premium adds versions B and C, one PDF with all 3 versions, numbered answer keys, no credit line and more than 3 saved pictures. ### What Premium adds - Versions B (four quadrants) and C (decimals or fractions) as PDF, PNG and print - One PDF with all three versions - The answer key with numbered points - No credit line on the PDF, the PNG or the printed pages - Up to 50 saved pictures (free keeps 3) Weekly, yearly and lifetime plans are available. #### Free forever - Drawing and tracing, with every tool, and all 24 starter pictures - Version A as a PDF: the student page, the blank grid, the answer key and the points only page - Every version shown on screen, with its point list and any flagged points - Up to 3 saved pictures, with backup export and import ### Choose a plan Loading plans. Subscriptions renew automatically and can be cancelled anytime from the link in your receipt email. Access is tied to this browser; keep your receipt email for account recovery. Already subscribed elsewhere? [Restore access](https://plotpicture.com/restore/). ### Frequently asked questions **What stays free?** Drawing and tracing with every tool, all 24 starter pictures, every version on screen with its point list, version A as a PDF (student page, blank grid, answer key and points only) with a small credit line, its answer key as a picture, printing it, up to 3 saved pictures, and backup export and import. No account is needed and nothing you draw leaves your browser. **What does Premium add?** Versions B (four quadrants) and C (decimals or fractions) as PDFs, pictures and prints, one PDF with all 3 versions, numbered points on the answer key, no credit line, and up to 50 saved pictures. **What happens to a backup with more pictures than the free limit?** Everything in the file is kept. The first 3 pictures stay editable, and the others open read-only: you can still see them and download version A. --- # Privacy: your pictures stay in your browser, Plotpicture URL: https://plotpicture.com/privacy/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-19 > How Plotpicture handles your drawings and the images you trace: they are drawn, saved and printed in your browser, and nothing is ever uploaded. ## Privacy: your pictures stay in your browser How Plotpicture handles your drawings and the images you trace: they are drawn, saved and printed in your browser, and nothing is ever uploaded. Last updated 19 October 2026 ### What you give it Plotpicture needs only what a worksheet needs: the points you draw, the settings you choose, a worksheet title and a name for each saved picture. It never asks who you are or who your students are, and it has no field for a student's name; the name line on the student page is left blank for the student to write on paper. ### Images you trace An image you load to trace is read by your browser, shrunk for display, and shown under the grid in that tab only. It is never uploaded, never saved with your pictures and never part of any worksheet. Closing or reloading the tab drops it. ### What stays on your device Every worksheet is worked out in your browser, and the PDFs, the answer key picture and the printouts are made in your browser too. There is no server side to this site: it is a set of static files. Nothing you draw, save, download or print is sent anywhere. Your saved pictures are written to your browser's own local storage, under keys beginning with `gridpicture` and nowhere else (one of them is a short test that storage works, removed straight away). They belong to one browser on one device: they do not follow you to another computer, they are not backed up by us, and nobody else can read them. Clearing site data for this site removes them permanently. Use Save a backup file to keep a copy; that file is saved wherever you choose. ### No accounts There is no sign up, no sign in, no email capture and no password. Every page works without identifying yourself in any way. ### What is collected No account, no advertising identifiers, and nothing you draw. Standard web server logs kept by the static host may record the request for a page, its time and a network address, in the ordinary way any web server records a request. ### Page counts If page visit counting is switched on for this site, visits are counted through Cloudflare. The count sets no cookie, cannot follow you to another site, and records that a page was opened, never what you drew. ### Purchases If paid plans are offered, a purchase is handled by RevenueCat and Stripe, who receive what a payment needs, such as your email address and card, and never your pictures. An anonymous purchase id is stored in this browser so your access is recognised here. ### Typeface Text is set in Space Grotesk by Florian Karsten, and coordinates in IBM Plex Mono by IBM, both under the SIL Open Font License 1.1. The font files are served from this site, so no font service sees your visit. The licence sits beside them at [/fonts/OFL.txt](https://plotpicture.com/fonts/OFL.txt). The PDFs embed a cut of Noto Sans, also under the SIL Open Font License 1.1, which is part of the site's own files and loads only when you make a PDF. ### Cookies Plotpicture sets no cookies of its own and carries no advertising or cross site tracking scripts. ### Changes If this policy changes in a way that affects what is collected, the change will appear on this page. ### Contact Questions about privacy go to socialreminderinfo@gmail.com. Since nothing is stored on a server, most requests are answered by telling you which local storage keys to clear. --- # Terms of use for the mystery picture maker, Plotpicture URL: https://plotpicture.com/terms/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-19 > The terms that apply when you use Plotpicture: what the worksheets can be relied on for, your data, refunds and what stays free for everyone. ## Terms of use The terms that apply when you use Plotpicture: what the worksheets can be relied on for, your data, refunds and what stays free for everyone. Last updated 19 October 2026 ### What this is Plotpicture is a teaching aid. It turns the points you draw into coordinate lists, grids and answer keys by fixed rules, and makes printouts of the result. Every point is checked against the grid of its version, so the list and the key agree by construction. Look over the answer key before the lesson all the same: it is your picture, and only you know what it should look like. ### Images you trace and pictures you make Only load images you have the right to use. A traced image never leaves your device and never prints, but the picture you draw from it is yours to answer for. Worksheets made from your own drawings are yours to use with your students and to share. The 24 starter pictures were drawn for this site; use them in your teaching freely. ### Names used Curriculum documents and standards are named descriptively. Plotpicture is not affiliated with any publisher, curriculum body or teacher marketplace. ### What is free Drawing, tracing, all the starter pictures, every version on screen, version A as a PDF with a small credit line, its answer key as a picture, printing it from the page, 3 saved pictures, and backup export and import are free with no account, and stay that way. When billing is enabled, a paid tier adds versions B and C, one PDF with all 3 versions, numbered answer keys, no credit line and up to 50 saved pictures. Nothing free is moved behind a gate to make room for it. ### Your data Anything the site remembers is stored by your own browser on your own device. You can clear it at any time, we cannot recover it, and it does not follow you to another device. Save a backup file if your pictures matter to you. ### Refunds Not happy with a purchase? Email [socialreminderinfo@gmail.com](mailto:socialreminderinfo@gmail.com) within 14 days of a first purchase, or within 7 days of a renewal, and we will refund it. Send the message from the email address you used at checkout, and include: - the email address used at checkout (if you are writing from a different address) - your access code, shown on the [Premium](https://plotpicture.com/premium/) page while you have Premium on the browser you purchased from - roughly when you purchased, and which plan (weekly, yearly or lifetime) - the last 4 digits of the card, if you have the receipt handy That is everything needed to find the purchase and process the refund. This policy does not limit any statutory rights you may have. ### Acceptable use Use the site to make worksheets for your own students, your own children or the groups you teach. Do not resell the starter pictures as a collection, or scrape the site at a rate that degrades it for other people. ### Warranty and liability The site is provided as it is, without warranty of any kind. To the extent the law allows, Plotpicture is not liable for any loss arising from its use or from reliance on a worksheet it makes. ### Contact Questions, and reports of a worksheet that breaks one of the stated rules, go to socialreminderinfo@gmail.com. Attach the backup file of the picture if you can. A worksheet that breaks a stated rule is a defect and gets fixed.