Erving Lighthouse Grant What is MicroWorlds? First Steps Let's Dance Project Files Student Comments Massachusetts State Geometry Standards MicroWorlds Links Erving Elementary School    Using MicroWorlds and AppleWorks Spreadsheets to Explore Geometry Concepts A Massachusetts Lighthouse Grant Project for Sixth Grade Math Students January 1999   Our Turtle School of Dance project demonstrates how the creative use of MicroWorlds software can help teachers create exceptional lessons that will meet the geometry goals outlined in the frameworks. One of the guiding principles stated in the framework is: "Students explore mathematical ideas in ways that maintain their enjoyment of and curiosity about mathematics, help them develop depth of understanding, and reflect real-world applications." Our Turtle School of Dance unit students use the Logo computer language found in MicroWorlds to challenge students to develop a deep understanding of fundamental geometry concepts. Students are challenged to choreograph a series of dances for their computer "turtle" to demonstrate a solid understanding of the geometry of regular polygons. The unit is quite challenging, but it is done with a sense of humor and playfulness that the children really enjoy. The introduction to the unit illustrates this combination of fun and intellectual challenge. "On the banks of the Connecticut River, in the bucolic town of Erving, Massachusetts can be found a unique school for the intellectual challenge of dancers. Ms. Bridgewater's Turtle School of Dance is well known for its graduates who can do all the regular dance steps with classic discipline. Our school uses the method developed in the nineteenth century by the gifted Russian turtle, Terrapinsky, whose combined loves of dance and mathematics led to this remarkable art form.   Terapinsky dancers are hailed on all the best beaches of the world for their precision in sand tracing the dance figures and making it look effortless. If you work tirelessly with mind and body, you, too, will receive the priceless Terrapinsky Certificate of Merit of Ms. Bridgewater's Turtle School of Dance." Students answering the challenge of the Turtle School of Dance are required to use the Logo computer language to make their turtle do such famous routines as the Triangle Trot, the Square Dance, the Pentagon Polka and the Hexagon Hustle. Complex computer programs are developed that command the computer turtle to move about the stage drawing the required geometric shape. Every step the turtle makes is controlled by the Logo program that the student creates using a series of basic commands. In the process, students learn about degrees of a circle, turns, complimentary and supplementary angles, estimating distance, recursion, sequencing and a deep understanding of fundamental geometry concepts. Some specific objectives from the Mathematics Curriculum Frameworks addressed in this project are: Students engage in problem solving, communicating, reasoning, and connecting to: identify, describe, compare, and classify geometric figures explore and describe the properties of points, lines, and planes visualize and draw geometric figures explore and describe transformations of geometric figures represent and solve problems, using geometric models apply geometric properties and relationships develop and explain the concept of ¼. Students work on this unit for several weeks. Their final products are wonderfully creative "recitals" that feature intricately choreographed dances where the computer turtle moves about the computer screen stage, carving out precise geometric shapes programmed by the children. Our Turtle School of Dance unit includes all sixth grades students. All of our fifth and sixth grade special needs children are completely integrated into the regular education classrooms. Other teachers with reasonable access to a school computer lab or a pod of classroom computers can easily duplicate this unit and use it with their own students. Our web site will provide teachers with all of the information and activities they need to duplicate the unit in their own classrooms. Kathleen Bridgewater Erving Elementary School 28 Northfield Road Erving, Massachusetts 01344 Tel: 413.659.3326 bridgewater@erving.com