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- !Turtle -------
-
-
- What is it?
-
- !Turtle is a subset of the computer language LOGO.
- It is mainly concerned with the part of Logo that
- has come to be known as 'turtle graphics' or
- 'turtle geometry'.
-
-
- What can you do with it?
-
- The Logo environment is mathematically rich; it
- offers opportunities for exploration and
- investigation in a truly dynamic way.
-
-
- Getting going - some starting points
-
- It is common to work from the 'empty' Logo screen.
- From here you can wander around, draw shapes or
- words, measure the screen in turtle-steps, etc
- ... lots of activities. You can do this with
- !Turtle if you wish. In fact, it is most important
- that you do work and experiment in this way.
-
- Set yourself challenges ...
- can I draw a hexagon?
- can I draw a ground floor plan of
- my house?
- can I fill the screen with squares?
- can I draw a windmill with sails
- that move?
-
- However, to help both pupils and teachers to get
- started with turtle geometry, and to demonstrate
- a range of possible activities, there are some
- files of procedures provided on the disc ready
- for you to load in. These are:
-
- TRACKS SQUGRID
- MAZES TRIGRID
- PLANETS CANYOU
- GOLF MOVE
- BUOYS TILES
-
- You will be prompted to load a file of procedures
- when you run the program. On loading a file, wait
- until the turtle-cursor (the thing that looks
- like a camel!) appears then type INFO <return>.
- You can then follow the on-screen help.
-
- Note - to load a new file of procedures it is best
- to first quit the program by typing QU <return>,
- then start up the program afresh - the on-screen
- help is saved as text files in the Text directory
- on this disc. These files can be printed out by
- dragging them onto an appropriate printer-driver.
-
- Other suggestions for activities, not included on
- this disc, are:
-
- tracing the perimeter of pre-drawn shapes
- writing branching stories/adventure games
-
-
- Books
-
- There are a number of books available which
- discuss the merits of Logo and offer suggestions
- for its use in the classroom. Generally books
- contain references to commands which are
- available in Logotron Logo. Two books are:
-
- Children Learning with Logo by Katrina Blythe
- ISBN 1 85379 097 4
- from NCET
- Sir William Lyons Road
- University of Warwick Science
- Park
- Coventry CV4 7EZ
-
- Making Logo Work by Janet Ainley and Ronnie
- Goldstein
- ISBN 0 631 15703 4
- from Basil Blackwell Ltd
- 108 Cowley Road
- Oxford OX4 1JF
-
- In addition, consider Micromath - a journal of the
- Association of Teachers of Mathematics, published
- three times a year by Basil Blackwell Ltd,
- available to non-members at £13.35 per year
- through Blackwell. This publication often contains
- classroom accounts of the use of Logo, both
- primary and secondary, as well as many other
- practical articles concerning the use of IT in
- mathematics.
-
- MC