INTRODUCTION: VALIANT TURTLE MICROWORLDS

Each Valiant Turtle Microworld has been designed as an embodiment of the LOGO philosophy in that it offers a miniature learning environment for exploration. The Valiant Turtle, driven by LOGO, plays a central role in this exploration as a tool for investigating a particular field of knowledge and as a powerful catalyst for learning. However, other approaches and materials are suggested, and links explicitly made with already familiar classroom activities.

The Microworld packages are not intended to be at all prescriptive. Moreover, the activities suggested need not be attempted in any particular order. Any or all may be attempted according to need or interest. Any Microworld theme should be extended and elaborated, by teachers or children, to create a rich learning environment reaching across many areas of the curriculum.

The materials provided for each Microworld consist of:

1) A CHILDREN'S STORY
The Children's Story is an episode in the adventures of Myrtle the Turtle (a character introduced in the Valiant Turtle's documentation - PENUP). The story, which provides a 'backdrop' to the Microworld theme, can be read to the children or be read independently by them. It can be read as a whole at the beginning, or in installments. At appropriate points in the story activities are proposed which provide starting points for the exploration of the theme.

2) TEACHER'S NOTES
The Teacher's Notes are divided into sections, each relating to a specific aspect of the general Microworld theme and identified with one of the activities suggested in the Children's Story.

Each section consists of:

a) An overview of the topic, with background information.
b) A description of a range of basic activities. with practical hints on implementing them in the classroom. and more technical information on the use of the materials. The activities may serve different purposes. They may be starting points to be developed by teachers or by children, or activities and games intended to reinforce the ideas that have been introduced.

c) A wide variety of other suggestions and ideas is also provided. They include both extensions of the basic activities and also related work across the curriculum.