[plt-scheme] Dr scheme for grade school kids?

Corey Sweeney <corey.sweeney at gmail.com> writes:

> we could have
>
> (define {picture of a box} 7)
> (define {picture of a sack} 6)
> (+ {picture of a box} {picture of a sack})

That's going to be pretty hard for little kids to understand.

You might want to start with something like Cuisinaire rods.  Since
each rod length has an associated color, the notion of adding `white'
and `red' can be seen at first as relating to a set of rods.  Then you
could introduce a `non-standard' set with different colors.  Then they
may be able to grasp that the actual rods don't even have to exist for
you to assign a color to a number.

> It might be more illistrative to little kids.  And while were at it,
> we could make a macro language that converted it to:
>
> (insert-in {picture of a box} 7)
> (insert-in {picture of a sack} 6)
> (+ {picture of a box} {picture of a sack})
>
> I remember that there used to be a functional language called LOGO
> that they used to teach to kids (not me though).

Well, LOGO isn't functional and neither is `insert-in'.