Terrapin Resources
Volume 5, Number 3
Holiday 2009

Welcome to the holiday issue of Turtle Talk,
the Logo newsletter from Terrapin Software.

Holiday Bundles Make Great Gifts
The Logo Starter Kit is one of Terrapin's holday bundles.

Terrapin has created product bundles for gift-giving during this holiday season. Each of the four bundles contains carefully matched Terrapin products for students at different levels of the learning process.

Bundles include Terrapin Logo , Crystal Rain Forest , Bee-Bot and Pro-Bot robots, and curriculum and accessories in different combinations for those just starting out to those who want to enhance and expand their skills. The youngest learners can get started with the Bee-Bot Early Learner Package while those new to Logo can get going with the Logo Starter Kit . Explore the exciting world of robotics with Pro-Bot Robotics or refine programming skills with the Programming Pro Package .

Terrapin holiday bundles offer a substantial discount to purchasing the products separately and are available for a limited time, so be sure to order soon!

Check out the Terrapin Holiday Bundles...

Bee-Bots Boost Food Drive in Ohio
Bee-Bots navigate a food maze at Liberty-Benton Elementary School

Bee-Bots are used in weekly computer classes for grades 2-5 at Liberty-Benton Elementary School near Findlay, Ohio. According to computer teacher Nancy Cramer , Bee-Bots work well for teaching problem-solving and are applicable in a variety of activities.

Students were especially enthusiastic about a recent activity, the annual Salvation Army Food Drive, in which Bee-Bots played a starring role. Students constructed a "Food Drive Obstacle Course" from the items they brought in to donate to the Food Drive through which they could navigate Bee-Bot. Students "earned" the opportunity to direct Bee-Bot through the course by bringing in goods to add to it as they are pictured doing in the photo above. Bee-Bot helped make this year's food drive at Liberty-Benton Elementary one of the most successful ever.


Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow...
Fractal Snowflakes drawn in Logo

Logo is a great way to illustrate mathematical concepts by using the Logo turtle to follow a formula or graph data. Logo is especially adept at illustrating fractals by combining recursion with the turtle's drawing capability.

Simple Logo programs can create seemingly complex, intricate designs as these Logo snowflakes illustrate. Each is drawn with the same fractal formula, with slight alterations in one of the variables. The snowflakes were inspired by the fractal section of Logo Models and Methods for Problem Solving by Bill Spezeski. The program is posted on the Logo Projects section of Terrapin's web site where it may be downloaded to run and modify.


In this issue
  • Holiday Bundles Make Great Gifts
  • Bee-Bots Boost Food Drive in Ohio
  • Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow...
  • Quick Links...

    Turtle Talk Archive

    Upgrade to Terrapin Logo v. 3

    FAQs

    Contact Terrapin


    Computer Science Education Week Honors Grace Hopper
    December 6-12 is designated Computer Science Education Week by Congressional Resolution which lists the vital contributions computer science and information technology make to the national economy. The Association of Computing Machinery press release applauding the designation notes that the date chosen honors Admiral Grace Hopper , the computer pioneer pictured above, whose birthday is December 9.


    Terrapin will exhibit at the NHSTE math workshop on January 20.
    Terrapin will participate in the Technology Tools for K-8 Math workshop sponsored by the Technology Teachers Special Interest Group of the New Hampshire Society for Technology in Education. The workshop will be held on January 20 at the SERESC conference center in Bedford, NH.




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