EPP - Move the Turtle

Move the Turtle is an app on the iPad and iPhone that allows children to learn the basics of programming, using intuitive commands. It familiarises the user with loops, procedures, variables and conditional instructions. The display above is from a computing suite in my enquiry placement school.

The video tutorial shows the app being used. The main goal is to command the turtle to go to reach the diamond. The task gets progressively more difficult as it demands more complicated instructions. The age-range for the app is 6-12 and the increasing difficulty of the tasks make it a suitable app for teaching coding throughout primary.





The app can also be used to explore patterns and create geometrical shapes as shown in the display above. It allows cross-curricular links between maths and ICT, where a coding software can be used to explore the properties of shapes.

E.g.
In a square, there are four 90 degree angles.
forward 10 steps --> 90 degree turn to the right --> forward 10 steps  --> 90 degree turn to the right   --> forward 10 steps --> 90 degree turn to the right --> forward 10 steps