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Lesson 1: Meet the Turtle
Back to Turtle Coding
Lesson 1 of 5

1 What is a turtle?

In Python, a turtle isn’t a real animal — it’s a little arrow that starts in the middle of the screen. Wherever the turtle walks, it leaves a line behind it, like it’s holding a pen. If we tell the turtle where to go, we can draw pictures with code!

Everything you need is right here on this page — a box to type code, and a screen next to it where the turtle draws. No extra websites or logins needed.

2 How to use the code box

  • On the left of the black box below: type your code.
  • On the right: a white screen where the turtle will draw.
  • Click the orange Run button to see what your code does.
  • If you want to start again, click Reset.

3 Your very first line of code

Some code is already waiting for you below. Click Run and watch what happens.

Edit the code, then click Run

Try it:

Change the number 100 to 50.

Click Run.

Now change it to 200.

Click Run again.

What changes?

4 Teaching the turtle to turn

A turtle that only goes forward isn’t very exciting. Let’s make it turn.

Edit the code, then click Run

t.right(90) spins the turtle a quarter-turn to the right, like turning a corner. Then it walks forward again, drawing a new line.

Think about it

A full turn all the way around is 360°. If a quarter turn is 90°, how many degrees would a half turn be?

5 Now you try: draw an L-shape

Using just t.forward() and t.right(), write code that makes the turtle draw the letter L.

Write your own code, then click Run

Hint:

An L-shape is just two straight lines with one turn in the middle.

How many degrees is that turn?

Once it works:

Try drawing a Z shape.

Try drawing a staircase shape.

What you learned in this lesson

  • import turtle brings in the turtle tool
  • t.forward(steps) moves the turtle and draws a line
  • t.right(degrees) turns the turtle
  • 90° makes a right-angle turn, like the corner of a square