Using Logo Pseudoprimitives for Geometric Investigations

The computer screen in which the Logo turtle moves represents a small portion of a mathematical plane. A great deal of the geometry taught in junior and senior high school is essentially the study of such a plane and the objects that exist within it. Thus, creating and investigating shapes with the turtle clearly involves geometric thought. However, because many geometric ideas encountered in Logo are not covered in the standard curriculum, integrating them with textbook topics can be difficult. To allow traditional geometric topics to be used within the context of the exciting environment of Logo, a set of special procedures, called pseudoprimitives, has been created (Battista 1987). This article will describe how these procedures can be extended and used in junior and senior high school geometry.