Spytastic Secret Codes

45 minutes

Intended for 25 guests, grades 4-6

Supplies

"Making Secret Codes" by Jillian Gregory
25 pencils with erasers
25 pens
25 big pie charts printed on card stock*
25 small pie charts printed on card stock*
25 brass fasteners
25 foam sheet circles
25 Spytastic Secret Codes worksheets**

Program

This program was completely developed by me through the use of the book "Making Secret Codes" by Jillian Gregory.

Read aloud pages 6-7 in the book which introduce codes in general.  Why they came about, how they are used...

Then, read aloud pages 10-11 about creating a Ceasar Shift Code.  On the Worksheet, have them create their own Ceaser Shift Code using the number 10.  This means that the second alphabet would begin under the letter K. 

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

q

r

s

t

u

v

w

x

y

z

a

b

c

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

d

e

f

g

h

i

j

k

l

m

n

o

p

Then have them decode this message. 

Dro wkx gry nyoc xyd bokn lyyuc rkc xy knfkxdkqo yfob dro wkx drkd mkxxyd bokn drow. – Wkbu Dgksx

(The man who does not read books has no advantage over the man that cannot read them. – Mark Twain)

The children can then make their own secret message using the Ceaser Shift Code. 

Then read aloud pages 26-27 about the Alberti Disk and have the children create their own. 

*To make the pie chart for the Alberti Disk:
1. Open Microsoft word
2. Click into the INSERT tab
3. Click on CHART
4. Scroll down to PIE CHART and select the "Pie" chart (not the "Pie in 3D" or "Pie in Pie")
5. When the excel sheet opens so that you can adjust  the values, drag the corner down to expand the total amount of "slices" to 26.  (One for every letter in the alphabet)
6. Make each "slice" the same value so that each slice will be the same size (assign a value of one to each cell in the excel sheet)
7.  Close the excel sheet and the pie chart will appear in the word window.
8.  Repeat steps 1-7 a second time.
9.  Make one of the pie charts bigger by right clicking on the image in word and expanding corner. 
10.  Print out 25 copies of each and cut out the circles. 

Each child should be given a small pie chart and a large pie chart.  Tell the children to write the alphabet around both disks, putting one letter in each slice.  Then fasten the two disks and the foam circle together by putting the brass fastener through the center of each circle.  As you spin the disk around, have the slices match up, with a different letter.  Have the children practice writing words in code using the disk as a codex. 

Spytastic Secret Codes Worksheet**