https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ryL8bK_LH03py7vm5HIhXoKJHjfvIxeD/view?usp=sharing
40 shapes with shape 18 altered
This comes from Barry Newell's book "Turtle Confusion: Logo Puzzles and Riddles" (1988). It can be used as a series of challenges. Depending on the class I've usually found that some scaffolding for some of the shapes is required for some students. In my recent use I've asked students to create blocks with variables for some (not all) of the shapes. eg. 1, 2 and 5 but not 3 or 4.
Hmm, that'd be a great handout were it not for shape 18.
Yes, I remember one time I deleted that one. I did write to Barry about it too, this was years ago and I can't remember his response clearly now. Probably it's pre Nazi symbolism, check wikipedia Swastika - Wikipedia
This year I didn't delete it. One student made a remark about it but there wasn't a strong reaction. If it became a discussion point I'd talk about its pre Nazi symbolism. And remove it if there was still strong feelings against.
Some time back I read on the Internet somewhere, so take this for whatever it's worth, that the ancient swastikas pointed counterclockwise, and only the Nazi ones pointed clockwise.
I dunno. With respect the The Word That Must Not Be Said, it always bothers me that modern kids can never read an unBowdlerized Huckleberry Finn, in which Twain uses The Word in the mouths of his characters to great antiracist purpose. But there's nothing like that to argue against deleting one out of 50-odd turtle graphics pictures. Or keeping it but negating all the TURNs.
I think that changing the turn direction would still lead to problems since the resemblance is too close. I've taken the sheet down for now. I'd still like to have a shape 18 which fits with the theme of building complex shapes from simpler shapes. In this case it goes shape 4, 18, 33 and 39. Best I can think of is
Everything is shut down for Easter here at the moment so it will take me a few days to put up the replacement.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ryL8bK_LH03py7vm5HIhXoKJHjfvIxeD/view?usp=sharing
40 shapes with shape 18 altered
I have developed other worksheets which either
(a) provide scaffold or tips for some of the shapes, eg. with shapes 6 & 7 it is best if the turtle starts and finishes in the centre.
(b) enrichment, eg. develop block code with variables for shapes 1, 2 and 5
I can post these extra worksheets if there is interest.
Interesting. It would never occur to me to do shape 6 from the center. I'd draw a square, then pen up, forward right forward left, then draw a smaller square. I can see more of an argument for shape 7, but my inclination would be to draw the outside 16-gon, remembering the positions of the outer four points while drawing, and then SET POSITION back to them.
Yes, there are many ways, so I shouldn't be too directive!
I should have included shape 38 in what I see as a sequence from 6 to 7 to 38. Shape 38 can be a source of annoyance (for me) because students find it relatively easy to make a shape that looks a bit like it without being it.
Thinking back, I got the centre idea from reading a book by James Clayson, "Visual Modelling with Logo: A Structural Approach to Seeing" (1988), a long time ago. I think he is arguing there that better art work arises once you get the hang of drawing shapes from the centre, starting p. 24.
Oh sure, Clayson is right for complex art, but when it's just two squares I think it's overkill.
About shape 38, maybe it'd help if you just put on the sheet how many vertices it has.
Good idea, there are 36 vertices, I'll add that later
Barry's book has a series of riddles to go with the shapes. I've always found his riddles hard to understand but I checked them out again for shapes 6 and 7. Without typing out the whole thing for puzzle 6 he says:
Have you ever thought about the way a pizza,
As you wrap yourself around each tasty wedge,
Is eaten in the manner cakes and sweets are,
We consume them from the middle to the edge
Then for Puzzle 7 the turtle chides the user for not making a connection with puzzle 6 and then provides a pointer to a harder puzzle, the pointer being a number solution to this riddle:
If they explode enough uranium devices
Our planet will become somewhat exciting
We may end up with glowing herbs and spices
And bones that give a soft internal lighting
235? 238?
Look up 38
Hexadecagon, if I'm not mistaken.
Yes, but (1) 16-gon is less typing, (2) everyone knows what it means, and (3) in particular, there's no possibility of confusion with a 60-gon. And yeah, I'm sure you can look up an official name for a 60-gon, to which the same arguments will apply a fortiori. :~P