Ciphers and Scientific Discoveries - Decoding Discoveries Activity - an engaging and educational resource designed for middle and high school students. This unique classroom activity combines the intrigue of cipher decryption with the thrill of scientific discovery.

Objective

In this activity, students are presented with a list of key scientific discoveries that have been encoded using three different ciphers: Caesar, Atbash, and Keyword. Each cipher presents its own level of complexity. I've included my 'Ciphers and Code Breaking - Reading' so your students will understand the process. Full answer keys are included.

The difficulty level of this activity is up to you. You can provide the cipher key to your students or have them figure it out using the information from the reading. You can also change up which cipher they use.

Once the discoveries are decoded, students embark on a research mission. They are tasked with investigating the decoded discoveries, learning about the scientists involved, the historical context, and the impact of these discoveries on the scientific community and the world at large.

This research phase culminates in a presentation, where students share their findings with the class, enhancing their public speaking skills and deepening their understanding through peer learning.

This resource includes:

• A comprehensive guide to ciphers used in the activity.
• Encoded list of scientific discoveries.
• A research outline to guide students in their exploration.
• Rubrics for assessing presentations.

Materials Needed

• Ciphers and Code Breaking - Reading Article so your students will know how to use the ciphers.
• Pre-prepared encoded message.
• Cipher decryption tables if you decide to provide them for your students.
• Pens or pencils
• Reference materials (books, articles, or access to the internet for research on decoded terms)

Steps:

1) Have your students complete my ‘Ciphers and Code Breaking’ reading as it will give them the background knowledge they need to understand ciphers and how to decode them. It’s included in your resource bundle.

2) Either provide the alphabet cipher decryption tables or have students create their own alphabet cipher for your chosen cipher.

3) Students are to decode a specific scientific discovery using the method assigned by you.

4) Once they have decoded the discovery, they need to research the discovery and make notes by answering a series of set-out questions.

5) Once they’ve completed their research, they need to present their material in one of the following ways. They can create a(n)

• short presentation – either on Google Slides or another program.
• video explainer – usually with drawings and audio.
• infographic – on paper or online using Canva.
• poster – using poster paper.

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