7505 /www/nrich/html/content/id/7505/ 6 2011-04-04T10:02:44 <mdoxml version="1.0"><br></br> Here are some star challenges. In each case they are created by rotating repeated shapes. You may find it useful to print off this page for reference, or perhaps so that you can trace over the lines to work out what the unit of repeat is. <br></br> <h3>Challenge number 1</h3> <p>Can you use TWILGO to draw the Star-square?</p> <p> </p> <p> <mdo:image width="387" height="314" alt="starsquare red" src="Screen%20shot%202011-03-08%20at%2011.05.14.png"></mdo:image></p> <p> </p> <h3>Challenge number 2</h3> <p>Just four different procedures were used to produce the design below.            </p> <p>How would you set about the task of deciding what to do?</p> <p>How would you replicate this design?</p> <p>How systematic were you?</p> <p>Can you use even fewer procedures? </p> <p> <mdo:image width="426" height="405" src="Small%20squares.png" alt="small squares"></mdo:image></p> <h3> </h3> <h3>Challenge number 3</h3> <p>Here's another - this time there are stars within a star. Can you work out what the unit of repeat is? </p> <p>Is there only one possible answer?</p> <p> <mdo:image width="453" height="383" src="Starstarblue.png" alt="starstar blue"></mdo:image></p> <h3> </h3> <br></br> <br></br></mdoxml> <mdoxml version="1.0"><br></br> TWILGO combines Logo with Twitter in that it places a constraint on the number of characters that can be used. This forces the user to be systematic and to think about perhaps writing procedures within procedures in order to devise a more elegant solution to the problem.<br></br>  <br></br> I've recently used TWILGO with KS2 and 3 students and watching the way that they use the interactivity is extremely insightful. Some use the TWILGO facility which allows them to try out a string of instructions, then edit it and try again, to help them to make successive improvements. Others like to have the whole set of instructions sorted before they start typing. I found quite a marked gender difference!!<br></br>  <br></br> If you would like to work on programming ideas without the constraints of Twitter, have a look at the Logo challenges already on the site. They are a little dated now ( and we have plans to sort that) but there are some worthwhile activities to encourage your students to think logically and systematically. Try <a href="http://nrich.maths.org/1533">LOGO CHALLENGE 1</a> and work along the challenges from there.<br></br>  <br></br></mdoxml> <mdoxml version="1.0"><p><mdo:image src="icon.jpg"></mdo:image></p></mdoxml> 2 3 0 1 1 1 0 Can you write a programme to draw these seasonal shapes? Don't forget there's a limit on the number of symbols you can use!