WINLOGO � lesson 1

Winlogo is a programming language. You can create paths and shapes by typing in a set of instructions. When you open Winlogo there are three windows as shown below.  

(Note: you must leave a gap between the direction instruction and the number, e.g. FD 50. It does not matter if you use lower or upper case letters)

Open Winlogo � your teacher will explain how.

In the Work window, type the following exactly as it is shown below:

Watch the demonstration.

When you are asked if you wish to view another demonstration, type:

y (return)

Are you ready to have a go at programming the turtle?

If not, watch the demonstrations again or ask your teacher for help.

You now have a choice of activities. To access an activity, you only need to type its name e.g. home1 � note there is no space between the name and the number.

The activity choices are:

What use could you make of Winlogo in your school work?

How might Winlogo be used outside of school, say, in industry?

List as many possible uses as you can think of.

Imagine a simple pattern made up of 5 or 6 straight lines. Try to make your pattern interesting by using different sizes of turns (i.e. not just turns of 90�).

Use a ruler and protractor to make a scale drawing of your pattern. Use a scale of 1cm to 10 units.

Now list the Winlogo instructions you would need to create your pattern on the computer.

WINLOGO � lesson 2

A procedure is a set of instructions that have been given a name. The turtle recognises the name of the procedure and follows the instructions contained within the procedure.

fd 50 rt 90

fd 50 rt 90

fd 50 rt 90

fd 50 rt 90

Here is a set of instructions that can be used to teach Winlogo to draw a rectangle:

Use a procedure to help you to generate instructions for this shape. Start your procedure like this:

To tee

fd 100

rt 90

� �

� �

end

Use procedures to help you to draw the required shapes in task1 � task10.

Imagine the outline of a simple house. Which shapes would you need to create a picture of the house? How could you use procedures to make it easier for you to programme Winlogo to create the picture?

Super procedures allow you to break pictures down into smaller parts and then put these parts back together to create the overall design.

Did you notice that in some designs you needed to repeat certain instructions?

Design a picture or pattern that can be broken down into smaller parts. List the procedures you would need to create the picture. Write out instructions for your procedures making them as short and efficient as possible.

WINLOGO � lesson 3

(Look back at the notes in lesson 2 as a reminder on writing, using and editing procedures)

Here is a procedure for a shape:

repeat 4 [fd 50 rt 90]

end

Explain what the instructions on the second line mean.

What shape will be drawn when you use this procedure?

Type the procedure into Winlogo.

Now edit the procedure to produce:

• a larger square
• a hexagon

Using procedures, work through task1 to task8. Whilst tackling these tasks, try to identify when you could use the REPEAT command to make your procedures more efficient.

This procedure produces a rectangle:

To quad

• What do we need to alter in this procedure to make a parallelogram?
• Can you change it again to make a rhombus?
• What do you these 3 procedures and the 3 quadrilaterals have in common?
• How can you use the symmetries of other quadrilaterals, such as kites and isosceles trapeziums, to help you to write procedures for the shapes?

Consider some rectangular tiles that are twice as long as they are wide.

How many different tessellations can you make with these tiles? How can Winlogo be used to produce these tessellations using the computer?

WINLOGO � lesson 4

Imagine you are trying to describe this pattern to someone over the telephone:

How would you describe it as simply as possible?

You might have mentioned that the pattern basically involves 5 squares of different sizes. If you were to use a �square� procedure to generate this pattern using a computer you would need five different procedures, one for each size of square.

Alternatively, you could introduce a variable into your procedure.

Type the following into Winlogo:

Now type:

squ 20

Observe what happens to the size of the squares.

Here is another procedure with a variable:

repeat :n [fd 50 bk 50 rt 360/ :n]

end

Type in the procedure and try to discover what the variable is this time.

Load "8tasks

Do task9 and task10.

Load "polygons

Choose poly1 if you feel you need further practise with basic procedures.

Choose poly2 for an exercise with procedures involving simple variables.

Choose poly3 for an exercise involving harder procedures.

Load "debugs (Be patient whilst it loads!)

Can you find errors in the procedures? Try debug1, debug3, then debug2.

(You can maximise the Work window to see all of the instructions for each procedure.)

How does using procedures help you to create an accurate and efficient set of instructions?

This tiling pattern can be found in the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain.

How would you describe the pattern over the telephone to someone who has never seen it?

The pattern can be made using these two tiles.

Suggest how to construct them using Winlogo.

What other patterns can you make with these two tiles?

WINLOGO � lesson 5 & 6

You are going to use Winlogo to investigate the link between a sequence of numbers and the �spirolateral� they produce.

In carrying out your investigation, you will have to decide what use you can make of Winlogo. You should aim to use Winlogo as effectively and efficiently as possible. You will have up to two lessons using the computer to carry out your investigation. Following the computer lessons, you will be asked to evaluate your work.

In the evaluation you will be asked to explain what use you have made of Winlogo and how successful, effective and efficient your programming was. You will find it helpful to note down any problems you experience during the activity and how you overcome these.

A spirolateral is a pattern that is generated by drawing round and round using steps that are identified by a sequence of numbers. For example, this spirolateral is based on the sequence (2, 3, 1).

The first 7 steps are shown below (starting at the red dot).

What happens when you use a different sequence of numbers, eg (3, 2, 4), (3, 6, 2)�? What if you used longer sequences of numbers, e.g. (3, 4, 1, 2)� (4, 5, 1, 3, 1)�? How many different patterns can you make? Which sequences lead to closed patterns? Which lead to open patterns? Can you predict the pattern given a sequence of numbers?

What happens if you change the rules? For example, how will the pattern be changed if you alter the angle of the turns?

Continue your investigation. For example, you could decide which sequences of numbers you will use and write sets of instructions based on these numbers. Alternatively, you could write up what you have discovered about sequences of numbers and the patterns they generate.

(Remember - use your homework time sensibly as you will have to write an evaluation of your investigation and how you have used Winlogo in carrying it out.)

WINLOGO � lesson 7

Here is a procedure for a shape:

What do you think this procedure draws? How can you make it more efficient?

Type your efficient procedure into Winlogo.

Now try this:

What is the order of rotational symmetry of the pattern? How can you edit this procedure to produce a shape with rotational symmetry of order: 4, 6, 10�

Here is another procedure:

repeat 6 [fd :s rt 60]

end

(If you need more reminders about variables, look back at lesson 4.)

Load "9tasks or "starters - your teacher will tell you which file you need.

Use procedures and, where appropriate, variables to produce the shapes in task1-task8 (or starter1-starter10).

The procedure on the right will produce squares of

differing sizes and colours.

Who might use this procedure? When?

Why would it be better to use a Winlogo procedure

rather than another drawing application?

How could you add another variable so that your procedure can be used to draw other regular polygons? Is there more than one way to do this? What type of variable would you add to give the most efficient procedure?

Here is a sketch of a different solid.

Name the solid.

Draw a diagram to show a suitable net for this solid.

Now write a list of instructions to produce your net using Winlogo.

WINLOGO � lesson 8

Imagine you wanted to create an

abstract pattern such as this

using Winlogo.

You will notice that the pattern

is made up of equilateral triangles

of different sizes and colours.

This procedure can be used to

draw a triangle of any size and any colour:

setpc :c

repeat 3 [fd :s rt 120]

end

A user-interface sets up a series of questions for the user to answer in order to perform the same task in different ways.

Often, especially when you are working with several procedures, you will forget how many variables to enter and what they are for. The interface will remind you.

to tri

print [How big do you want the triangle?]

make "s rw

print [What colour would you like the triangle?]

setpc rw

repeat 3 [fd :s rt 120]

end

Now edit the procedure so that it produces solid (filled in) triangles.

• Design a procedure with a user-interface to draw any regular polygon. The user should be able to select the number of sides, size and colour of the polygon.

Load "9tasks and do task9 and task10.

to star

repeat 8 [fd 60 bk 60 rt 45]

end

to spiral

repeat 90 [star rt 4 fd 5]

end

spiral

These sets of instructions produce the spiral shown above.

Suggest ways that we could adapt these instructions so that they produce a greater variety of spirals, such as those shown below.