weekly
Summer Spy Fun: Secret Codes, Spy Histories, and Critical Thinking Activities
Completed by 126 learners
Ages 9-13
Live Group Class
Live video meetings
1x per week
3-14 learners per class
45 min
What's included
1 live meeting
45 mins in-class hours per weekHomework
1 hour per week. Students may occasionally be asked to create and bring a coded message to class for all of us to decode together.Class Experience
US Grade 4 - 7
I'm excited to combine my love for all things puzzling and mysterious with my fascination for the world of spies and espionage in a class created for young mystery/spy enthusiasts! Part history and literature, part critical thinking and deductive reasoning, part social skills and teamwork...and ALL fun! This class has eight weeks of material. Each class can stand alone so that students can join at any point. SUMMER 2024 Day 1 Codes in History: Overview of the History of Secret Codes (Making a scytale) Codes: Simple Word Group Codes (Reverse Trail) Day 2 Codes in History: Ancient Egypt and Hieroglyphics Codes: More Group Variations (Twisted Path, Rail Fence) Day 3 Codes in History: Trojan Horse Story Codes: Substitution Ciphers (Pigpen, Grid) Day 4 Spies from History: George Washington's Culper Ring Codes: Substitution Ciphers continued Day 5 Spies From History: Limping Lady of WW2 Codes: Shift Ciphers Day 6 Spies from History: Spy with 29 Names of WW2 Codes: Using Invisible Ink Day 7 Detectives of Literature Codes: Bonus: Unusual Codes Day 8 History Spotlight: Fingerprinting Codes: Review and Sharing Each week, I will introduce students to an important spy, detective, author, or event from the history of whodunits or espionage. These history spotlights will examine real people and true events from history, with an occasional nod to famous detectives or authors from classic mystery literature. We'll look at spies and events ranging from ancient Egypt to the American Revolution to the Cold War, with a special focus on fascinating, inspiring, and heroic stories from WWII. Students will also learn and practice the craft of cryptography (secret messaging). Each week we will learn a particular type of secret code or cipher, and students will have the opportunity to create and crack these codes. Finally, we will harness our powers of deductive reasoning and logic to solve puzzles and mysteries together. Each Class will include: *History Spotlight: Examine the time period and importance of a person or event from the history of mystery or espionage (some literary, some real) *Stealthy Secrets: Learn to create and crack a particular type of code, cipher, or other type of secret messaging *Teamwork Time: Use deductive reasoning to create or solve a logic puzzle or mystery together
Learning Goals
Students will:
*learn about various people and events from the world of spies and detectives in history and literature
*learn about various codes and ciphers (their history, how to create, break, and decipher)
*practice deductive reasoning and teamwork to solve logic puzzles and mysteries
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Discussion of historical spies, literary detectives, mysteries, and spy gadgets may include mentions of war, crime, or murder. All discussion will be age appropriate, without unnecessary detail, and within a broad context of clever and heroic use of skills.
Supply List
Students should have paper and pencil for each class. Students may occasionally be asked to bring supplies for secret messages, such a methods for writing with invisible ink, etc.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Meet the teacher
Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree in Education from Bob Jones University
BS Degree in English Education, 30+ years teaching experience, former homeschool mom
Reviews
Other classes by Alison Stephens
Other classes by Alison Stephens
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