Turtle Time
Learning Objectives:
Curriculum Mapping:
KS2:
KS3:
What you will need:
- Understand and use sequence in an algorithm
- Understand and use iteration in an algorithm (FOR and WHILE loops)
Curriculum Mapping:
KS2:
- Design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals; solve problems by breaking them into smaller parts. Select, use and combine a variety of software on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs.
- Use sequence, selection and repetition in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output
- Use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work; detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs
KS3:
- Use two or more programming languages, at least one of which is textual, to solve a variety of computational problems.
What you will need:
- Python 3 (Click here to download the latest version - FREE
Starter
Start by sharing the following code:
Start by sharing the following code:
Ask students to make a prediction about the output from the code.
Run the code and aks the students if their predictions were correct.
Go through each line of code (line-by-line) and explain what each line does.
Challenge
1. Share withe students the following basic commands:
2. Hand out the following worksheet:
Run the code and aks the students if their predictions were correct.
Go through each line of code (line-by-line) and explain what each line does.
- import turtle (Imports the turtle library)
- window = turtle.Screen() (Creates a new blank canvas to draw on)
- timmy = turtle.Turtle() (Creates a new turtle called timmy)
- timmy.forward(100) (Move the turtle forwad 100 steps)
- timmy.right(90) (Rotates the turtle right by 90 degrees)
- timmy.forward(100) (Move the turtle forwad 100 steps)
- timmy.right(90) (Rotates the turtle right by 90 degrees)
- timmy.forward(100) (Move the turtle forwad 100 steps)
- timmy.right(90) (Rotates the turtle right by 90 degrees)
- timmy.forward(100) (Move the turtle forwad 100 steps)
- timmy.right(90) (Rotates the turtle right by 90 degrees)
Challenge
1. Share withe students the following basic commands:
- forward (Move the turtle forward)
- backward (Move the turtle backwards)
- right (Right turn)
- left (Left turn)
- penup (Pen up)
- pendown (Pen down)
- pensize (Change the size of the pen)
- pencolor (Change the pen colour)
2. Hand out the following worksheet:
| challenge_cards.pdf |
| angles_worksheet.pdf |
Challenge the students to recreate each of the following shapes with code.
Bonus Challenge
If students complete all the challenges, introduce the bonus challenge!
If students complete all the challenges, introduce the bonus challenge!
Extension
Ask the students to identify the repeating pattern in the first example (shown at the start of the lesson). Answer: forward(100) + right(90) are repeated 4 times.
Ask students to suggest ways we can improve the code – draw out answers such as ‘use a loop’, ‘use a counted loop’, ‘use a repeat command’ etc.
Display the optimised solution for the first example (See below) and challenge the students to optimise their answers the previous challenge.
Ask the students to identify the repeating pattern in the first example (shown at the start of the lesson). Answer: forward(100) + right(90) are repeated 4 times.
Ask students to suggest ways we can improve the code – draw out answers such as ‘use a loop’, ‘use a counted loop’, ‘use a repeat command’ etc.
Display the optimised solution for the first example (See below) and challenge the students to optimise their answers the previous challenge.
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