Math Mystery Picture Generator

About this tool

Mystery pictures turn plotting practice into a puzzle. Students plot ordered pairs, connect the dots in order, and watch a picture appear. If one point is plotted in the wrong place, the picture goes wrong, so students notice and fix their own mistakes without being told.

This generator includes nine original pictures: a house, sailboat, rocket, fish, star, tree, heart, kite and castle. You can print them on a grid from 0 to 20 in the first quadrant, or on a four-quadrant grid from −10 to 10.

The solve version adds arithmetic practice. Each coordinate is written as a small problem, such as (6 + 4, 24 ÷ 3), and students work out the answer before they plot it. Easier sheets use addition and subtraction. Harder sheets add multiplication, division and negative numbers. Every expression is checked to make sure it equals the coordinate it hides.

How to use it

1. Choose a picture, or let the generator surprise you.
2. Choose between plotting ordered pairs and solving each coordinate first. For solve sheets, pick how hard the arithmetic should be.
3. Choose the grid. Quadrant I is best for grade 5 and early grade 6. Four quadrants is best once negatives are introduced.
4. Print the worksheet. Students plot each stroke in order and lift their pencils between strokes.
5. Use the answer key to see the finished picture and the answer to each coordinate problem.

Plotting tips for students

Always start at the origin. Move along the x-axis first, then up or down. Mark each point lightly with a small dot, check it against the list, and only then connect it. When a stroke ends, lift the pencil. The next stroke begins at a new point.