Logo in the Classroom - Introductory Activities
Logo is a graphical programming environment. Logo allows students to transfer concrete actions such as moving around and drawing shapes to the more abstract world of computer programming. The best approach for introducing Logo to young children is to engage them in activities that reflect a 'concrete to abstract' transfer.
There are a number of strategies that should be adopted in developing introductory activities:
1. Students should work in groups (or at least in pairs).
2. Students should plan on paper BEFORE carrying out any activities.
3. Activities should promote transfer from concrete to abstract. ie real-world actions that will ultimately be represented on the computer screen, such as movement based on commands and creating geometrical shapes.
4. The activities should gently lead students into Logo procedures and correct syntax. The aim should be to have student using procedures and correct syntax as soon as possible.
Suggested Activities ...
Set up the classroom desks and chairs in a 'maze' arrangement and have students write a series of "forward", "back", "left" and "right" commands to be followed by another student in traversing the maze. (Perhaps blind fold the first student and have the second student call out the commands while the rest of the class watches.)
Do the same sort of activity as above outside the classroom with students attempting to navigate around the school based on the written 'commands' of other students. (Start with 90 and 45 degree turns - progress to other angles and the use of protractors.)
Set up a 'teasure hunt' based on logo commands with a real 'treasure' to be found and shared by the creator of the commands and the follower (lollies, food vouchers, etc).
Go outside the classroom to an area where students can draw on the ground (in the sand, or with chalk) and have one set of students follow the written commands of another group to draw a picture.
Have students walk around with a bucket of water with a small hole in it, or a container of flour with a hole, so that a trail is left as they move. (This would be a good opportunity to introduce the concepts of 'pen up' and 'pen down'.)
Have students draw (on graph paper) shapes based on the commands of others in the class. Encourage them to use Logo syntax by starting each set of command with "to" and ending with "end". When finished, have students colour them in and pin them up for display (including the Logo commands).
Have students use scissors to cut out shapes based on 'Logo' commands. (To make it difficult, ask students to cut it out directly, without drawing the shape first.) When they have finished, discuss the benefits of drawing first as a lead-in to planning. (Try the opposite - give them a shape and ask them to develop the Logo commands required to re-create the shape.)
Have each student ceate a procedure to write their own name based on individual 'letters' created with Logo commands.
Have students 'construct' shapes out of pipe cleaners, plasticine, matches, wood, spaghetti, rice, etc, etc based on Logo commands written by a fellow student. Glue them to paper and pin them up for display.
After all this ... introduce students to MSW Logo on the computer.