I love finding extra worksheets and freebies to help my older students understand math more. I also like to find free printables to help save us money. You can download some free graphing papers and grids for upper grades and teach your kids how to use them.
The Origins of Graph Paper
What is the origin of graph paper? I bet that is a question you never thought to ask yourself.
The graphing/grid paper was developed between 1890 and 1910. E. H. Moore, a renowned mathematician at the University of Chicago, wrote about the advantages of teaching students to graph curves using paper with “squared lines.” (Referenced from “Use of Squared Paper” – John Bibby (1986) “History of Teaching Statistics”).
The first documented commercially published coordinate paper was attributed to Dr. Buxton of England in 1795. However, traces of using actual grids was found way before we could even imagine.
Grids – Not Just for Math
There are many ways to use graphing paper. We think of grids when learning decimals, plotting coordinates and even navigating through trigonometry. For other subjects, students can use graphing paper to draw maps in geography or create charts in science. In France, I learned that grid paper is used to perfect a student’s cursive handwriting.
Yet, it is worthwhile to teach our children that grid lines are used for things all around us. Grids are used to find locations with latitude and longitude coordinates. They make up the design of bathroom walls or prison cells.
Early Use of Grids
It may be interesting to note that the idea of grids has been even traced back to 1479-1458 BC when Egyptians used gridlines to sketch their art.
Grids have also been traced as far back as the Roman Empire where urban planners used gridlines to create city and county layouts to mark their area for regulations and navigation.
Even today, grids are still used by architects and artists as an invisible useful tool to accurately visualize the space needed for building or drawing. Thomas Jefferson’s own architectural drawings are mostly on squared paper (The Origins of Graph Paper as an Influence on Architectural Design by Peter Collins).
Grids in Technology
Your kids will be excited to find that their televisions, computers, and smart devices use grid lines as well. In fact, the pictures and images that we see on the screen of our devices are made up of thousands of teeny tiny, gridded pixels.
Students can understand that even the beauty we see on screen is really made up of the confines and parameters of a grid. Another aspect is the images being made up of thousands of pixels even though we can’t see them. Like we are made of cells, yet we cannot actually see them.
There is importance in learning where things come from, appreciating the idea of creation and human ability to use tools in knowledge and creating. Now let’s move on before I go into another rabbit hole. Grid paper.
Grid Paper for Math
For mathematics, graphing paper is an essential tool for teaching all types of math topics. One of the supplies that my daughter needed for a math class this year was graphing paper. I couldn’t believe how pricey a teeny, tiny packet of graph paper was.
Graphing paper can be very expensive, especially if you go through a lot of it. If you have a laser printer or you are able to get cheap prints with a teacher discount card, you will definitely save money by printing your own graph paper.
Ways to Use Graphing Paper in Your Homeschool
For more ideas on ways you can use graphing paper in your homeschool, check out this post.
Free Graphing Papers and Grids for Upper Grades
Grid Paper Pages – Grab these free printable graph paper templates. Print them on different colors of paper to shake things up a bit. The grid size varies in these graph paper templates.
Printable Graph Paper – From polar coordinates, single quadrant, and four quadrant graphing papers, select which grid paper suits your homeschool needs best. You will also find your plain standard graph paper and others like 1/10 inch grid paper to half an inch graph paper or 1-centimeter scales.
Printable Graph Paper in Various Sizes – From elementary to high school, these free printable graph paper options are perfect for math projects, craft projects, and more. There is a graph paper in this resource for all your homeschooling grid needs.
Math Bits Graphing Papers – Check out the different printable graph paper and grids for high school students. They include rectangular graph papers, trigonometric graph papers, polar graph papers, and dot paper graph free printables in pdf format and require free Adobe Reader.
Graph Worksheet Printable Form – These graph paper generators are perfect for making your own graph paper. You can input your own data to customize graphing worksheets just like you want them.
Printable Graph Paper Blank or Labelled, One and Four Quadrant – Need a different type of graph paper? Grab these 7 different styles of graph paper. The free bundle includes Four Quadrant Labelled (Full Page), Single Quadrant Blank (Full Page), Single Quadrant Labelled (Half Page x2), and more.
Printable Coordinate Plane Graph Paper
Coordinate Grids for Algebra – Do your students need coordinate grids for algebra lessons? This resource for free graph paper has a wide range of grid sizes to choose from with the x and y marked on the grid that can be saved to pdf files.
Coordinate Graphing Printables – This pdf file includes 9 different versions of coordinate graph paper sheets. The quadrille paper graphs include labeled axis, varying increments, and more.
Graph Quad Paper, Coordinate Grid Template – Not one, not two but 9 different versions of multiple coordinate planes are included in this free resource. These will be enough to late you throughout your graphing lessons.
Digital Graphing Paper and Printable Graphing Practice
Graphing Graphic Organizer Foldables – If your family uses graphic organizers, this foldable graphing solution will be a hit. There is a space on the back for your student’s name and extra notes they may want to write for studying purposes on inequalities, linear equations, graphing slope, and more.
Parts of a Graph Printable Poster – Looking to teach your algebra students the parts of a graph? This Parts of a Graph Poster is equipped with O point, y-axis/x-axis label, and more.
Graphing Coordinate Plane Mystery Pictures – You can easily introduce your students to coordinate with this interactive Introduction to Coordinates Video. Math students will understand how coordinates are used in the real world.
Graph Paper Printables with Digital Grids and Different Colors – These 8 digital grid papers are great for math, science or even to practice handwriting or drawing with precision. Your kids will enjoy the different colors available on these digital grids.
Graphing Grid Games
Battleship Coordinate Graphing Game – This graphing game is a fun way for middle schoolers to graph coordinates while playing a favorite game for math class.
Coordinate Graphing Games – Your students will enjoy these blank template games to put a little fun into your math class at home. Some of the games include Clean Up the Money, Grab the Candy, High Five, Shape Capture, and more.
Free Printable Graphing Worksheets for Elementary Students
If you have a younger student too, here are some free graphing worksheets for elementary students.
In Conclusion
Now that you know that there are many ways you can use graphing paper, you have lots of options to print it for free! Whether you use it for math, art, or handwriting, it can be very beneficial for people of all ages.
We value your privacy and promise never to send you spam; you can unsubscribe at anytime. View our Privacy Policy for more information on how we process your data.
Sarah is a wife, daughter of the King and Mama to 4 children (one who is a homeschool graduate)! She is a an eclectic, Charlotte Mason style homeschooler that has been homeschooling for almost 20 years.. She is still trying to find the balance between work and keeping a home and says she can only do it by the Grace of God, and Coffee!
