Tools and Toolboxes
Please note:
Many of these 'tools and toolboxes' are in a transition state of conversion to MSWLogo and are
either incompletely tested or lack full and complete documentation. There are others in the
pipeline. They should not take me too long to complete. In the meantime I shall be pleased
to respond to specific enquiries.
- Index
- Turtle Graphics
- Language Arts
- Mathematics
- Music
- Robotics
Turtle Graphics
- Student Manual for 'Turtle Graphics'
- The 'Turtle Graphics' section of this site provides the 'mentor' with
guidance for implementing this fifteen-page student work manual.
Download a copy of the manual in
Word 97 or
Acrobat pdf format.
Download a copy of the Screen Map too in Word 97 or
Acrobat pdf format.
Note: print the map in landscape mode.
- 'Extra Shapes'
- These 'extra' irregular polygons complement the regular polygons that students
develop for themself. They include left and right parellograms, a trapezium, and
four common non-regular triangles: most of which would be beyond the trigonometry
skills of the younger student.
- 'Graphics Control' tool
- This graphics control tool is adapted from Frank Caggiano's 'String Art'.
It enables the user to save and restore selected parts of the graphics screen.
- 'One-key Logo'
- This microworld is designed for kindergarten to Year 3 students.
It is the same as the mathematics 'patterns' below. In its default mode the
microworld provides the following Logo procedures: F for 'forward', B for 'back',
R, L, U, D, E, H, C, and G for 'gap' and N for 'new start'. The mentor will
still need to choose the step size, the angle of turn, and the speed of drawing.
Language Arts
-
A 'poetry' toolbox.
- This toolbox provides tools to construct 'lexicon' lists and
asociated 'pick' procedures and includes a few management tools to smooth
the way for young Logo novices inexperienced in the use of the Editor.
Look at 'Learning Activities' in the 'List Handling' chapter.
This is accompanied by some general advice on implementation as follows:
Simple Poetry and
Nonsense Poetry.
-
A 'grammar' toolbox.
- This toolbox enables students to create quite complex random prose and poetry
with virtually no knowledge of Logo. Students with more advanced list-handling skills
are able to amplify these tools to be even more creative.
Download 80% complete explanation and ideas
for the use of this toolbox.
Mathematics
- 'Patterns'
- This 'patterns' microworld is designed for kindergarten to Year 3 students.
It allows the Mentor to set up the environment for students to investigate code-driven
repetitive patterns. Each key on the keyboard emulates a Logo procedure, e.g. F is
for 'forward', S is for 'square', P is for 'petal', etc.
- 'Spirolaterals'
- This microworld allows upper primary and lower secondary students to extend the
usual scope of investigation of spirolaterals. An extensive guide to its use is in
preparation.
Music
- The 'Music Box' tool
- Some procedures to facilitate the generation of simple tunes using tones.
Expect further development in the future.
Robotics
- Simple 'output' control
- For those who find the 'output' primitives a little too technical for younger
students, this tool provides an interface panel and several 'higher order'
procedures to simplify the control of robotics.
- A 'Lego Dacta' emulation
- This tool emulates the 'Lego Dacta' control panel and a basic group of 'Lego
Dacta' primitives. It offers whole-class participation in code generation
and testing where a school cannot afford more than one or two 'official' interfaces.
Successful code can then be ported across to the 'Lego Dacta' software to be tested on
the students' Lego models.