Logotron Visual Fractions

How to Add Your Own Visual Resources

There are a number of FREE resources with Logotron Visual Fractions, namely:

• Picture Families
• Picture Fractions
• True/false Indicators
• Backgrounds

If you have either Logomotion or Revelation Natural Art software (both published by Logotron) then you will be able to create visual resources like this yourself.

1. Picture Families

Logotron Visual Fractions has a large number of picture family graphics for you to use when you build your own activities. Here is a selection of them:

Each picture family graphic is a two-frame animation that has been saved as an .LGF ( Logotron Graphic format).

All picture families can be found on your hard drive here:
C:\Program Files\Logotron Visual Fractions\Picture Family.

Run either Logomotion or Revelation Natural Art and then browse to the picture family folder. Open the first listed graphic, which should be aeroplane.lgf.

In Frame 1 the aeroplane is purple, and in Frame 2 the same image is yellow.

NB: If you want to view the graphic in Revelation Natural Art, then you will need to be in the Advanced viewing mode and also have your Organizer window open.

Click here to view an animated step by step that will show you how this picture family graphic was created.

2. Picture Fractions

Picture fractions allow you to visually describe a fraction in a colourful and fun way.

Logotron Visual Fractions has over a hundred different picture fractions, and all of them can be found on your hard drive here:

C:\Program Files\Logotron Visual Fractions\Picture Fraction

If you look in this folder, you will find that the picture fractions have been grouped according to the fraction value they can represent i.e. halves, thirds, fourths, fifths, right up to (and including) tenths.

Run either Logomotion or Revelation Natural Art and then browse to the picture fraction folder. Open the first listed graphic in the 1-2 Fractions group, which should be butterfly.lgf.

Each picture fraction is an animation saved in the .LGF format.

There are three frames for every picture fraction demonstrating halves. The second frame illustrates one half, and the third frame shows one whole. The first frame is the 'neutral' start of the animation.

If this picture fraction were to demonstrate fourths, then there would be five frames to the .LGF:

• Frame 1 - neutral
• Frame 2 - one fourth
• Frame 3 - two fourths
• Frame 4 - three fourths
• Frame 5 - one whole

3. True/false Indicators

There are 12 FREE true/false indicators, which tell pupils whether they have correctly solved a fraction problem. They can be found on your hard drive here:

C:\Program Files\Logotron Visual Fractions\Picture Yes-No

Each indicator is a three frame animation saved in the .LGF format. The first frame is the 'neutral' start of the animation. The second frame is played by Logotron Visual Fractions when a problem has been solved correctly, and the third frame plays when an answer is wrong.

If you go to the Picture Yes-No folder and open the second file, clown.lgf, using Logomotion or Revelation Natural Art, you will see these three frames:

Click here to view an animated step by step that will show you how this true/false indicator was created.

4. Background screens

There are fifty backgrounds available with Logotron Visual Fractions, and five different 'tiles' which can be used to create a background with a repeated design.

If you want to add your own backgrounds to the software, then you will have to save your graphic files as JPEGs, and ensure that they are 800 pixels by 600 pixels in size. Any art package can be used to create a background, and the images don't have to be drawn - you could use photographic images as well!

Save your backgrounds to any location on your hard drive, or into the backgrounds folder, which you will find here:

C:\Program Files\Logotron Visual Fractions\Background

Below is a list of all the backgrounds, and suggested ways in which you could use them:

	Beach Use the Starfish or fish family to make a simple visual screen.
	Blackboard Make some fraction statements to complete with this dark background.
	Caterpillar 1, 2 and 3 Simple sequencing screens can be made with a Caterpillar as a background. The caterpillars have 5, 6 or 8 circles respectively.
	Children Share a fraction (e.g. pocket money) among three children. Use the Prefix or Suffix feature to include pound and pence symbols.
	Dinnertime Use the food fractions or families to make simple fraction screens.
	Fete Stand 1 and 2 and Table Arrange or share food familes on a choice of tabletop backgrounds.
	Fish Order fractions in the bubbles on this screen.
	Golf Sequence fractions within the golf flags using this background screen.
	Hillside Use flower families or fractions to make simple activities on this background screen.
	Mice Share a fraction among three mice or use regions and true/false indicators to make a sorting screen.
	Pond Order fractions within the lily-pads on this background screen.
	Snake Make a simple matching game with this screen. E.g. Match the correct decimal fraction to the fraction on the top snake.
	Space Order fractions within the satelites on this background screen.

Flowers1 + Flowers2 Split a number into equal fractions for the flower petals: Flowers 1 has 4, 5, 6 petalled flowers. Flowers 2 has 6, 7, 8.

Grids Grid 1 is a blank outline for Number Trails or similar. Grid 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are a choice of different coloured grids to try.

Houses1 + Houses2 Build fences, which can be painted, in front of the houses using box fractions.

Square + Triangle Investigate Square and Triangle numbers. Start with 1 in the centre and fill in a few outer circles then move over to larger whole numbers in the centre.

Stairs left and right, + Stair Pyramid 1 and 2 Order fractions up and/or down steps in these background screens.

String Puzzle1 + String Puzzle2 Match equal fractions using these screens. Use regions or true/false indicators to check your answers.

Table1, Table2 + Table3 Save time with the drawing tools if you need a simple table to hold your numbers.

Target 1 + Target 2 Break a whole number down. Try 1 in the centre, ring 1 halves it, ring 2 divides by 3 etc. Target 1 has 2 rings. Target 2 has 4 rings.

Train 1 + Train 2 These backgrounds can be used for a simple sequencing activity. Train 1 has 5 wagons and Train 2 has 7 wagons.

Tree1 + Tree2 These backgrounds can be used for quite complicated fraction division. Tree 1 splits into two then into 3. Tree 2 splits into 1, 2 and 3.

Venn1 + Venn2 Use these backgrounds for a sorting activity for whole numbers or fractions.

Washing Line1, 2, 3 + 4 Use these simple background screens for ordering fractions in a line. Can be used as an early introduction to numberlines.