Crack the Magic Code Web Quest

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Crack the Magic CodeWeb Quest

• Jill Maslowski
• 12/08/2005

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INTRODUCTION

• Cold and afraid.  This is how you feel after
  being banished to the top of an extremely tall
  mountain, without any clue as to your location! 
  An evil sorcerer, Merlot, has sent you and three
  of your classmates there so you cannot tell your
  sorcerer mentor, Prof. Chastin, about Merlots
  evil plan towell you arent sureb/c the evil
  plot is written in some sort of codebut you
  think it is a plan to destroy your magic school,
  Spectomagon. Even though you have learned many
  spells in your four years at magic school, your
  powers do not work at this high altitude for some
  reason.  All you have with you is your notebook
  and feather pen, and your messenger owl-who was
  banished with you.  You need to write to Prof.
  Chastin to warn him of Merlots evil plot, but
  you have to make sure that if the message is
  intercepted, it will not be able to read by
  anyone other than Prof. Chastin.  You decide to
  come up with your own code, because Prof. Chastin
  has always been very good at figuring out
  patterns.

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Task

• Your groups task is to first try to decipher
  Merlots code by studying code as group, and then
  each individual will study a specific code and
  become an expert in that specific code, answering
  questions and taking notes on the code they have
  chosen, learning all you can about how the code
  works and who uses the code.  After you have
  researched your code thoroughly, you will work
  with your group and share your information about
  your code.  Together you will mind map/create a
  chart of the similarities and differences of each
  code.  Then you will decide which code Merlot has
  used and decode his message.  After decoding,
  your group will work together to create your very
  own group code.  You can use information from the
  codes you learned about and even use parts of
  these codes in your own self made secret code. 
  You will then use your code to write a message to
  Prof. Chastin, telling him of Merlots evil plot
  and asking him to rescue your group from the
  mountain.

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Process

• Your first task is to explore the world of codes
  as a group.  Be sure to take notes and answer the
  questions for each site.
• Figure out these two messages using
  transpositions ciphers
• ENOYREVEROFNUFSICIGAM
• IOEY ADLV MWNQ
• What is cryptology?
• In the section Calling all Cryptologists!
  follow the directions using the information from
  the site.
• Who first used secret messages and when?

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• Spend 2 minutes scrambling 3 phrases and write
  both the original and the scrambled form.
• Did you like this site or the last scrambling
  site better? Why?
• Now it is time to divide up and each become
  experts in a specific code.  The four codes you
  need expert status in are Morse Code, Alpha Code,
  Braille, and Binary Code.  Take 5 minutes to
  decide which team member will become an expert in
  which code, and then hurry to it!  Remember, the
  fate of your school hangs in the balance!!!

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• Morse Code
• What was Samuel Morse a professor of?
• For what invention, that he also created himself,
  did Morse invent the Morse Code?
• How much did the government pay Morse for his
  invention?
• Print out the page this site takes you to with
  the Morse Code chart.
• Go to the Morse Code Translator and type in this
  message Is this the code Merlot used? Write
  the translation.
• Alpha Code
• Spell out your name using this new code!
• What is another name for this alphabet (both
  names, full names and abbrev.)?
• What organization is the IACO a part of?
• Print this page.
• On the page, write the words for each letter in
  each word in the section that asks you to say
  them aloud.  Then in the second section, match
  the words with their flag spelling. Write all
  answers on the page.

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• Braille 
• In one paragraph, summarize this story.
• Write two messages and then write their Braille
  translation.
• -Look for a book written in Braille.  Cite the
  book and cite where you found it.
• Binary Code
• Write one of your parents names in binary code
• What is binary code used for?
• See if you can find more information on binary
  code and record the site you found the
  information on.

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Resources

• -Take a look into a book about deciphering
  codes.  Using the arrows on the side of the
  pages, turn to page 11 and 12 and read about
  transposition ciphers. http//www.amazon.com/gp/re
  ader/0486247619/refsib_dp_pt/103-7710011-2815067
  reader-page
• -Learn about the art of cryptology that has been
  used by governments and miliarty for centuries at
  http//www.cerias.purdue.edu/education/k-12/teachi
  ng_resources/lessons_presentations/cryptology.html
  
• -Learn about codes and secret messages on this
  site http//www.thunk.com/learn.html
• Create your own secret messages and decode them
  with your friends http//www.thunk.com/index.cgi
• Create and translate secret codes.  Email them to
  your friends and decode eachothers messages
  here.  http//hbz.masslive.com/friends/code/

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• -Learn about Samuel Finley Breese Morse, the
  Inventor of the Morse Code http//www.worldalmanac
  forkids.com/explore/inventions/morse_samuel.html
• -Take a look at what Morse code looks like
  http//battleshipnc.com/kids/games/morse/index.php
  
• -Take a look at the code the military uses to
  prevent problems with communication Print out
  this page http//www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/V
  illage/1367/military_alphabet_code.html
• -Check out how the military alphabet came about
  http//www.dearanswerlady.com/html/MilitaryAlphabe
  t.html
• -The military also uses flags to identify their
  code. Check out how they use both alpha code and
  the flags to communicate with each other.
  http//www.history.navy.mil/branches/teach/alpha/a
  lpha1.htm
• -Read the story of Louis Braille
  http//www.his.com/pshapiro/braille.html
• -Write your own message and see how it can be
  translated into Braille http//pbskids.org/arthur/
  print/braille/
• Take a look at what letters look like in binary
  code http//www.micron.com/k12/lessonplans/binary/
  code.html
• -Look at this site http//www.howard.k12.md.us/re
  s/gaming/work.html
• -Look at how binary code truly looks
  http//www.trap17.com/forums/crack-the-binary-code
  -t7053.html

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Evaluation

•  
• Overall Performance of Group (Attitude, Task
  Completion, Etc.) Did not work well together did
  not complete project. At least completed project,
  but had a lot of problems within the group
  (getting along, etc). Worked well together,
  completed tasks well, no major problems.
  Completed excellent work together and showed that
  they have superior teamwork ability.  Completion
  of Group Tasks   Did not complete all the tasks
  required. Completed most or all of the tasks
  required, but not to a suficient level. Completed
  all taks to at least an appropriate level for the
  assignment. Went above and beyond what was
  required for the assignment.  Individual
  Contribution to Group   Was not a helpful group
  member at all, did not complete their share of
  tasks, their role. Showed some effort in
  individual tasks, but not enough to fully
  contribute to group's success. Put forth the
  appropriate amount of effort and contribution to
  the group. Did more than was needed for the group
  (perhaps carried the group).  Overall Performance
  of Individual  Behaved poorly, did not seem to
  care about their own grade of their group's
  grade. Overall Ok performance, perhaps some
  attitude problems or lack of interest in
  activity, helping group. Performed well,
  completed task as it needed to be done, good
  attitude. Went above and beyond what was expected
  of them, motivated group members.

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Conclusion

• Hurray!  You successfully created a code that was
  not intercepted and reached Prof. Chastin in
  time.  Terrific job!  Your school is safe.until
  the next evil sorcerer, or even Merlot again,
  attempts to prevent the education of more
  brilliant magicians like yourselves. As a last
  activity, write a journal entry home to mom and
  dad, explaining the importance and some of the
  history of code.