Curated OER
Cookie Crisp Howl
Learners are introduced to the vowel pattern that produces the /oo/ sound in words. Through matching, listening, and spelling activities, students recognize the phoneme /oo/ and it's placement in words. They write a message using words...
Real Classroom Ideas
Bulletin Boards: License Plate Preamble
Decorate your social studies classroom with a bulletin board printable featuring the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution written on the license plates of all 50 states. Beginning with Alabama, and ending with Wyoming, the...
Student Achievement Partners
"The Glorious Whitewasher" from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain with Mini-Assessment
It's the classic scene: Tom Sawyer is whitewashing a fence. Expose your learners to Mark Twain's humor while reinforcing reading comprehension. Eighth graders are encouraged to read and reread, achieving as much exposure to the text...
Curated OER
Affix This
Wait, what am I supposed to affix? Explore the concept of roots/affixes with your class. They use discussion questions to discover the meaning and usage of specific roots and affixes. They watch a video explaining Latin and Greek roots...
Curated OER
Fall Secret Message Decoder Puzzle
In this decoding worksheet, students decode a puzzle which makes fall pictures equal a letter. Students decode 13 letters to solve the puzzle.
Curated OER
Thanksgiving Secret Message Puzzle
In this Thanksgiving secret message worksheet, students use a picture/symbol key given at the bottom of the page to decode a Thanksgiving message. A reference web site is given for additional activities.
Curated OER
Political Cartoons: Literacy
Readers decode and deconstruct political cartoons to heighten critical thinking, extra-textual literacy, and making meaning from symbolism and metaphor. A compatible activity to use in English class when your 8th or 11th graders are...
Curated OER
Decoding Nazi Secrets
Students practice decoding messages given the key. They continue to practice solving messages without a key. They must determine the best way to view the message. They examine secret messages during World War II.
Curated OER
Morning Message-Mystery Code
Students copy and figure out the Mystery Codeword each day. They copy Mystery Code into journal. They match the number with the letter to decipher the code word. They draw a picture to match code word. At the end of the week, the...
Shodor Education Foundation
Spy Game
Turn students into detectives as they decipher encrypted messages. Introduce your class to modular arithmetic and have a little fun encrypting and decoding secret messages. The activity does not hit many content standards, but...
Curated OER
The Creaky Door Says "ehhhh"
Study the long vowel sound /e/, as in a creaky door noise. Children repeat the sound and learn a chant. They use letters in letterboxes to make words with the /e/ sound before reading a book and writing a message about their favorite...
Curated OER
Decoding Machine
Students are introduced to the concept of variables and their uses. In groups, they are given a code in which they must find the value of the missing words. To end the instructional activity, they find the value of words over ten letters...
Curated OER
Halloween Decoding Puzzle
In this Halloween instructional activity, students use the pictures to decode the words about Halloween. Students decode 3 words about Halloween.
English Enhanced Scope and Sequence
Differentiate between Formal and Informal Language
The Pledge of Allegiance, the Gettysburg Address, the National Anthem, and the Preamble to the Constitution all get close attention in an exercise that asks learners to rewrite these formally-worded documents into informal language....
Curated OER
Computer Language
A thorough and engaging slideshow presentation discusses all things computer, from artificial intelligence programs to text messaging lingo. Computer science students will get a kick out of the examples for ELIZA, Otto Jesperson's...
Discovery Education
Satellite Telemetry
Satellites require rockets to launch, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand them. Future engineers learn about how satellites send data to Earth and how to interpret satellite images. They see how radio waves play a role...
Curated OER
Communications: To the Rescue!
Learners role-play as soldiers rescuing lost mountain climbers. Working in teams, they interpret maps to locate the climbers and use flashlights to send and receive coded messages about the rescue. Their goal is to complete the task in...
Curated OER
Context Clues
Students develop vocabulary using pre -reading strategies. In this language arts activity, students discuss the intended message from observing a picture. Additionally, students explore guessing the covered word within a text.
Curated OER
Shh... It's a Secret!
Fifth graders examine a series of rules for deciphering a code. They create their own secret message using a code after watching video. They access a web site to practice their decoding skills.
Curated OER
Secret Writing Devices
Elementary and middle schoolers explore the world of secret writing, otherwise known as cryptography. After an interesting introduction to the activity, learners utilize a decoder badge which uses the St. Cyr cipher - which is a cipher...
Curated OER
All Systems Go!
Secret codes are so much fun, and a great way to practice nearly any math skill. Let your class become code breakers as they investigate inverse matrices. They use TI-Nspire technology to solve systems of equations which help them crack...
Curated OER
Decoding DNA
Third graders complete their KWL charts from the first lesson of the unit as a review for the summative. Then they decode a secret message using the four basic components of DNA, adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine.
Curated OER
Code Fun
In this code fun activity learning exercise, students decode a secret message using the symbol code key provided at the bottom of the learning exercise.
Curated OER
Matrices: A Secret Weapon
Students perform operations with matrices. For this algebra lesson, students use cryptography and cryptanalysis to solve problems. They add, subtract, and multiply matrices.