IMSA FAMILY NIGHT-- May 12th, 2014 from 5-6:30 pm

You are Invited

To The

IMSA FUSION Family NIGHT!!

WHO:  IMSA FUSION Students and their Families

WHAT:  IMSA FUSION Family Night

WHEN:   May 12^th, 2014 from  5 pm til 6:30 pm

        *Students will have a normal IMSA meeting from

                   3-5 pm and you are welcome to join us at 5 pm.

WHERE:  Churchill Junior High, Cafeteria

WHY:  The IMSA Students will ask for your assistance in a Scavenger Hunt throughout Churchill.  The Scavenger Hunt will use the various codes we have worked with this semester.

**Prizes will be awarded!

***Drinks will be provided, however we are asking students to donate a dozen cookies by noon on May 12^th for the nights events.*** 

Digitized Messages-- 4/28/14

This week we worked more with Morse Code.  First we had them experience a Morse Code message in a slowed down version.  We then discussed it and played it again at normal speed.  Again, we discussed the differences and talked about other ways we could transmit the same message.  The students suggested using light would be a good way.  So we gave it a try, we turned off the lights and sent a message to decode with a flashlight.  Again we discussed similarities/differences between the messages up to this point.

 We then engineered our own Morse Code Transmitters and practiced sending messages.  After we became more comfortable with the transmitting we had the students send messages to one another and try to decipher it!  Students quickly learned that it requires a lot of concentration and focus to try to decipher this type of message.  Fun was had by all!!




Lastly, we had the students rub flower petals over their invisible ink message/drawing so that it would be revealed.  Although it was quite messy (don't try at home) it was very fun also!






 Please be checking back on this blog and checking with your student(s) for the invitation to The Spring Family Night!!  I will be posting the information and getting it to the students very soon.  Keep May 12th, 2014 from 5-6:30 pm open to attend IMSA's Spring Family Night!!!

Easter Egg Hunt--4-21-14

 Happy Easter!!! This week Mrs. Blust and I created an Easter Egg Hunt in Churchill Jr. High!!  The students started off with a code in an egg and some materials needed throughout the hunt.  The code then gave them a clue as to where to find the next bucket of eggs!  The students had a great time deciphering the clues in order to know where to find the next egg.

They reviewed solving most of the code types that we have worked with thus far in the Secret Communications unit.  Some of the codes proved to be more difficult than anticipated!  All of the teams worked extremely hard and each team had acquired all of their eggs.  There were two teams whom had only on code left to decipher.  We did have one team who completed the hunt and got the prize of a chocolate bar!!!

CONGRATS TO ALL PARTICIPANTS!!
YOU ALL DID A GREAT JOB!

April 14,2014-- Seeing Is Believing

Seeing is Believing-- The codes this week were invisible to the naked eye.  The students had to use clues given in the form of previously learned codes to figure our what to do and where to look.  It was great to see them critically thinking and working together in teams to solve the clues!!!  We used an invisible ink code that needed a decoder ink to be used on it so that it was revealed and one that required UV light to be viewed.  We also made our own invisible ink.  Next week we are going to do an Easter Egg Hunt using all of the codes that we have used up to this point in the unit.  See you next week!

March 24th and April 7th

 On March 24th, we played a game called Mafia.  This was introduced last year by Mr. Bates.  The kids loved it and have been asking us to play.  Since we have been working hard this semester to crack codes we decided this would be a great break from the code cracking grind!                                               The students had a blast and it was a fun group activity.

April 7th, the students went back to the code cracking.  During this week we decoded what is termed a Pig Pen Cipher.  We simulated this with toothpicks and beads.  The students developed yet another way to code and decode messages.  I apologize for the lack of pictures for this activity but I was not in attendance due to my nephew being born!  

See you all on the 14th for more code cracking!

**The cellphone issue has been much better and again we appreciate your support in that matter!