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Lesson 2 of 8
  • Year 10
  • Foundation

Checking and securing understanding of drawing vertical and horizontal graphs

I can draw graphs of the form y = a; x = a and interpret linear graphs in context.

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Lesson 2 of 8
New
New
  • Year 10
  • Foundation

Checking and securing understanding of drawing vertical and horizontal graphs

I can draw graphs of the form y = a; x = a and interpret linear graphs in context.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Horizontal lines were drawn when finding the solutions of equations graphically.
  2. Horizontal lines were drawn because you had a fixed value for y
  3. Vertical lines are drawn when you have fixed value for x
  4. Real life problems can be solved using a linear graph.

Keywords

  • Linear - The relationship between two variables is linear if, when plotted on a pair of axes, a straight line is formed.

  • Gradient - The gradient is a measure of how steep a line is.

  • Intercept - An intercept is the coordinate where a line or curve meets a given axis.

Common misconception

Pupils draw x = a as a horizontal line because the x axis is horizontal. Pupils draw y = a as a vertical line because the y axis is vertical.

Consider the points on the line x = 5 and ask pupils to plot 2-3 points. Can they see why it must be a vertical line?


To help you plan your year 10 maths lesson on: Checking and securing understanding of drawing vertical and horizontal graphs, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

If pupils are hesitant to draw the vertical and horizontal lines when reading off a graph, consider giving them a graph where the point of interest is far from the axes. The horizontal and vertical lines are then very useful to ensure an accurate reading.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
The gradient of the line with equation $$y = 3x -4$$ is .

Correct Answer: 3, three

Q2.
What is the gradient of the line with equation $$y = 5 - 100x$$?

5
-5
100
Correct answer: -100
-20

Q3.
Which of these are coordinates of points on the $$x$$-axis?

Correct answer: (-11, 0)
(-10, 10)
Correct answer: (0, 0)
(0, 12)
(41, 1)

Q4.
Which of these are coordinates of points on the $$y$$-axis?

(-11, 0)
(-10, 10)
Correct answer: (0, 0)
Correct answer: (0, 12)
(41, 1)

Q5.
Which of these coordinates are on the line with equation $$y = 2x + 1$$?

Correct answer: (-3, -5)
(-1, -3)
Correct answer: (0, 1)
(1, 2)
(5, 10)

Q6.
Which of these coordinates are on the line with equation $$y = 7 - x$$?

(-5, 2)
Correct answer: (-3, 10)
Correct answer: (1, 6)
(13, -8)

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these are coordinates of points on the line $$y = 5$$?

(-5, -5)
Correct answer: (-5, 5)
Correct answer: (0, 5)
(5, 0)
(5, 10)

Q2.
Which of these are coordinates of points on the line $$x = -3$$?

Correct answer: (-3, -7)
Correct answer: (-3, 2)
(0, -3)
(3, -3)
(3, 3)

Q3.
What is the equation of this line?

An image in a quiz
$$y = -1$$
Correct answer: $$x = -1$$
$$y = 1$$
$$x = 1$$
$$x + y = -1$$

Q4.
Match each line to its equation.

An image in a quiz
Correct Answer:A (pink),$$y = -2.5$$

$$y = -2.5$$

Correct Answer:B (blue),$$y = 2.5$$

$$y = 2.5$$

Correct Answer:C (purple),$$x = -2.5$$

$$x = -2.5$$

Correct Answer:D (black),$$x = 2.5$$

$$x = 2.5$$

Q5.
The equations of which type of lines cannot be written in the form $$y = mx + c$$?

diagonal lines
horizontal lines
Correct answer: vertical lines
all lines can be written in the form $$y = mx + c$$

Q6.
There is a solution to the equation $$-{2\over 3}x + 6 = 8$$ when $$x =$$ . Use the graph to help you.

An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: -3, minus 3, negative 3