Logo Blocks Tutorial – Beginner Mode
When you first start Logo Blocks, you will see the Beginner set of blocks. After you learn how to use blocks, you can switch to the Advanced set of blocks, which gives you many more commands.
Let’s see how block coding works!
Move and Turn the Turtle
In Beginner mode, use the blocks in the first two rows to move the turtle forward and back.
The first three blocks in each row move the turtle a specific distance: 10, 50, or 100 steps.
Drag the Forward 100 block into the command area to the right of the blocks.
Then, click the green arrow to run the code.
If you look at the Editor, you will see that Logo added the code for the block you added. This is the code that Logo will be running.
Logo adds a command to slow the turtle down in Beginner mode. That lets you watch how it moves.
The Forward and Back blocks with the number 100 are for a variable distance. You can change the number to any value you choose after you drag it to the command area.
Each time you click the Run button, Logo follows your commands.
To erase a block, drag it to the Trash can at the bottom of the
command area.
Doing that also erases your code in the Editor.
Turning the Turtle
The next two rows of blocks are for turns.
You can turn 45°, 90°, 135°, or 180° to the right or left. You can change 180 to any number you choose if you want a different angle.
Control How the Turtle Draws
The next row of blocks lets you control the drawing.
- Use the Eraser block to clear the drawing. Put it at the beginning of your code to erase any lines that are already in the Graphics panel.
- Use the Pen Down block (pen with a line) to lower the turtle’s pen so it can draw.
- Use the Pen Up block (pen only) to raise the turtle’s pen so it can’t draw.
Create Loops
The last block in the Beginner section lets you create loops.
You can change the number 1 to any number from 1 to 10 by clicking the arrow next to it.
After Do: is a place to put a block.
You can drag a Forward block after Do: to include it in the Repeat block, and then add another block to be repeated.
The turtle will move forward 100 steps and then turn right. It will do that 4 times.
Do you see the design in the Graphics area?
Now you know how to draw a square!
How could you change the square? - Make it larger or smaller - Add a block to erase the drawing before the program runs
Edit Your Code
To edit a block program, drag blocks to disconnect them.
Drag the Forward 100 command out of the Repeat block.
Then drag the Right 90 block down to separate it.
Now you can move either (or both) commands to the Trash.
Replace the Forward 100 command with a variable Forward block and set the number of steps to 200.
This code erases the screen, turns the turtle 45° to the right, and then draws a larger square.
Play around with different turns and distances.
Pay attention to the Editor. Every time you change the blocks, the code in the Editor changes to match.
Did you know that you can nest repeats? That means you can put one Repeat block inside another.
Save and Load Your Code
To save your Logo Blocks program, click the Save button at the bottom of the blocks area.
Type a name that describes what you did. When you click OK, the file is saved to your computer’s Downloads folder.
To load a saved program, click the Load button and locate the file.
Saved Logo Blocks files end with .xml.
Note: The Save button in the Editor saves only the Logo commands. You can use this code later in the full Logo programming language.
Print Your Block Code
Printing the entire screen usually does not work well because everything is too small.
A better option is to use your computer’s Print Screen tool. Select the area you want to capture, copy it to the clipboard, and paste it into another application to print.
Quit Logo Blocks
To exit Logo Blocks, click the red Quit button.
- Click Yes to log out
- Click No to stay in Logo Blocks
Don’t forget to save your work before you leave!