Grid References
Match Grid References (Set A)
Draw a line from each grid reference to the object found there.
Match Grid References (Set B)
Draw a line to match.
Find the Location (Set A)
Use the grid reference to identify the correct location.
What is at B2?
What is at A4?
What is at C1?
What is at D3?
Find the Location (Set B)
Circle the correct answer.
What is at A2?
What is at C3?
What is at B4?
Which Direction? (Set A)
Circle the correct answer about moving on a grid.
To go from A1 to C1, you move:
To go from B2 to B4, you move:
To go from D3 to A3, you move:
Which Direction? (Set B)
Circle the correct answer.
To go from A1 to A4, you move:
To go from C3 to A3, you move:
To go from B1 to D1, you move:
True or False? (Grid References)
Circle TRUE or FALSE.
In a grid reference, the letter comes first
A1 is in the top-right corner
Moving from A1 to B1 means moving one column to the right
Moving from A1 to A2 means moving one row up
Match Movements to Descriptions
Draw a line to match each movement to its description.
Write the Grid Reference
Write the grid reference for each described location.
Column B, Row 3: ___
Column D, Row 1: ___
Column A, Row 4: ___
Column C, Row 2: ___
Where Do You End Up? (Set A)
Start at the given position and follow the directions.
Start at A1, move right 2, up 1. You are at:
Start at B3, move left 1, down 2. You are at:
Start at D4, move left 3. You are at:
Where Do You End Up? (Set B)
Follow the directions.
Start at C2, move right 1, up 2. You are at:
Start at B4, move left 1, down 3. You are at:
Start at A3, move right 2, down 1. You are at:
Sort Grid References: Column A or Not
Sort each grid reference.
Steps Between Grid Squares
Count the steps needed. Total = column steps + row steps.
Find the Location (Set C)
Use the grid to find what is at each reference.
What is at E2?
What is at A5?
What is at D1?
What is at B4?
Find the Location (Set D)
Circle the correct answer.
What is at C5?
What is at E4?
What is at A3?
What is at D5?
Where Do You End Up? (Set C)
Follow the directions from the starting point.
Start at A1, move right 3, up 2. You are at:
Start at E5, move left 4, down 3. You are at:
Start at C3, move right 1, up 1. You are at:
Start at B2, move left 1, up 3. You are at:
Where Do You End Up? (Set D)
Follow the directions.
Start at D1, move left 2, up 4. You are at:
Start at A4, move right 3, down 1. You are at:
Start at E3, move left 1, down 2. You are at:
Match Grid References (Set C)
Draw a line from each grid reference to the place.
Match Grid References (Set D)
Draw a line to match.
Sort Grid References: Row 3 or Not
Sort each grid reference.
Sort Grid Movements
Sort each movement by whether it goes UP or DOWN.
Write the Grid Reference (Set B)
Write the grid reference for each described location.
Column E, Row 2: ___
Column C, Row 5: ___
Column A, Row 1: ___
Column D, Row 4: ___
Column B, Row 2: ___
Describe the Movement
Describe the movement between each pair of grid references.
From A1 to C3: move ___ right and ___ up
From D4 to B2: move ___ left and ___ down
From E1 to A5: move ___ left and ___ up
From C2 to C4: move ___ right/left and ___ up/down
Steps Between Grid Squares (Set B)
Total = column steps + row steps.
Steps Between Grid Squares (Set C)
Find the missing number of steps.
True or False? (Grid References – Set B)
Circle TRUE or FALSE.
B3 and C3 are in the same row
A1 and A4 are in the same column
Moving from B2 to D2 takes you 2 columns to the right
D5 is closer to A1 than C2 is
Compass Directions on a Grid (Set A)
Moving up = North, right = East, down = South, left = West.
From B2, moving North takes you to:
From C3, moving East takes you to:
From D4, moving South takes you to:
From E1, moving West takes you to:
Compass Directions on a Grid (Set B)
North = up, East = right, South = down, West = left.
From A3, move North-East (1 right, 1 up). You are at:
From C2, move South-West (1 left, 1 down). You are at:
From D5, move South 2. You are at:
Grid Reference Patterns
Continue the pattern of grid positions.
Create a Grid Map (Set A)
Draw a 4×4 grid. Place items and write their grid references.
Draw your grid. Place: a house, a tree, a pond and a school.
Write the grid reference for each item:
Create a Grid Map (Set B)
Draw a 5×5 grid map of a zoo.
Draw your zoo grid. Place at least 6 animal enclosures.
Write the grid reference for each animal:
Plan a Route (Set A)
Describe a path using grid references.
Start at A1. Describe a route to D4. List each square you pass through.
If you are at C2 and move right 1 and up 2, where do you end up?
Plan a Route (Set B)
Describe paths using grid references.
Start at B3. Move left 1, down 2. Where are you?
Describe two different routes from A1 to D4.
Write Directions Using Grid References
Write step-by-step directions.
From the school at B2, give directions to the park at D4:
From the library at A3, give directions to the shop at C1:
How Many Squares Away?
Count the number of squares between locations.
From A1 to A4:
From B2 to D2:
From A1 to D4 (shortest path):
Treasure Map Challenge
Create a treasure map with clues using grid references.
Draw a 5×5 grid with a hidden treasure. Write 3 clues using grid references.
Clue 1:
Clue 2:
Clue 3:
Challenge: Grid Reference Reasoning
Answer these questions.
Why are grid references useful for giving directions?
How are grid references similar to coordinates in maths?
Home Activity: Grid Reference Adventures
Practise using grid references at home!
- 1Draw a grid map of your backyard or a park. Label objects with grid references.
- 2Play 'Battleships' with a family member — it uses grid references!
- 3Create a treasure map on grid paper. Write clues using grid references.
- 4Look at a street directory or online map. Can you find places using grid references?
Match Grid Reference to Description
On a grid labelled A–E across and 1–5 up, match each reference to its location.
Reading Grid References
Circle the correct answer.
On a grid, you read the column first (horizontal) then the row (vertical). (D, 3) means:
Which direction do you move first when reading a grid reference?
A point is in Column B, Row 4. The grid reference is:
Grid references are always written with the column letter ___.
Read a Map Using Grid References
Use the class map to answer each question.
The library is at (C, 4) and the office is at (E, 2). How many columns apart are they?
Starting at (A, 1), move 3 columns right and 2 rows up. What grid reference are you at?
A path goes from (B, 2) to (B, 5). How many rows does it travel?
Plot Points on a Coordinate Grid
Describe or plot each set of coordinates on a coordinate grid.
Plot the points (2,3), (4,3), (4,1), (2,1) and join them. What shape do you get?
Plot (0,0), (3,0), (3,4). What type of triangle is formed?
What are the coordinates of the midpoint of the line joining (2,4) and (6,4)?
Sort Coordinates by Quadrant
Sort each coordinate by whether it is in the first quadrant (both positive) or has negative values.
Directions and Coordinates
Describe movements using compass directions.
From (2, 3), move 4 squares East and 2 squares North. New position: ___
From (5, 5), move 3 squares South and 1 square West. New position: ___
From (0, 0), how do you get to (4, 3) using only North and East movements?
Map Scale Problems
Use the scale 1 cm = 10 m to solve each problem.
A path on the map is 3.5 cm long. How long is the real path?
A building is 45 m long in real life. How long is it on the map?
Two points are 8 cm apart on the map. What is the real distance?
Create a Grid Map
Draw and describe your own grid map.
Design a 5×5 grid map of a park. Name at least 5 features and give each a grid reference.
Write directions from the entrance (A, 1) to the playground using grid references.
Visitor Locations on a Map Tally
Tally how many visitors were spotted in each section of a park grid.
| Item | Tally | Total |
|---|---|---|
Section A (columns A-B) | ||
Section B (columns C-D) | ||
Section C (column E) | ||
Paths (all columns) |
Objects Found at Each Grid Reference
Each icon = 1 object found. Read the graph and answer.
| Row 1 | |
| Row 2 | |
| Row 3 | |
| Row 4 | |
| Row 5 |
Which row had the most objects?
Which row had the fewest?
What is the total number of objects found?
How many more objects were in Row 4 than Row 3?
Grid Reference Problem Solving
Solve each grid reference problem.
On a 10×10 grid (labelled 1–10 across and 1–10 up), what is the reference for the centre of the grid?
A ship is at (4, 6). It moves 3 units right and 2 units down. Where is it now?
Write the grid references for all four corners of a rectangle with corners at (2,2), (7,2), (7,5), (2,5).
Challenge: Coordinate Geometry
Solve these coordinate challenges.
A square has two corners at (1, 2) and (5, 2). The square faces upward. What are the other two corners?
If you translate (move) the point (3, 4) by 2 right and 3 up, where does it land?
What shape is formed by joining (0,0), (4,0), (4,3), (0,3) in order?