Book Club for Boys: Navajo Code Talkers and Secret Code Scavenger Hunt

Book Club for Boys: Navajo Code Talkers and Secret Code Scavenger Hunt

My seven-year-old son is in first grade but his closest friends are in second and third grades. It just worked out that way because he missed the cutoff so he’s among the older kids in his class. He can read but he needs help with chapter books and when this book club was formed, I was concerned about bridging the different reading levels.

The solution? Advanced picture books for kids. To prepare for this, I even blogged on it. I love advanced picture books — and my older kids do too! — as a means of visiting new cultures around the world and even back in time.


Unbreakable Code by Sara Hoagland Hunter, illustrated by Julia Miner

The Unbreakable Code is close to my heart because it’s the story of the heroic Navajo Code Talkers of WWII, unsung heroes who created a code that the Japanese could not break. Apparently, the war in the Pacific prior to this had gone poorly as the Japanese were ace code breakers and intercepted and read every message from the United States military. And yet the United States had begun a systematic purging of the Navajo culture, forcing young Navajo children to boarding schools where they were punished for speaking their own language. The irony!

Sara Hoagland Hunter depicts this story in a way that small boys can relate to and Julia Miner’s gorgeous illustrations make the book come alive.

I am hosting the first book club so I thought I would have the boys read the book at home. It’s too long to read aloud during the book club. The activity would be to create their own code. Next, they would have to work together to crack a message of code that I create. When they follow the clues (all coded of course!), they will come to a hidden prize.

I think I will also have them make their own messages using invisible ink made from baking soda.

1. 
   Mix equal parts water and baking soda.
   
2. 
   Use a cotton swab, toothpick, or paintbrush to write a message onto white paper, using the baking soda solution as ‘ink’.
   
3. 
   Allow the ink to dry.
   
4. 
   One way to read the message is to hold the paper up to a heat source, such as a light bulb. The baking soda will cause the writing in the paper to turn brown.
   
5. 
   A second method to read the message is to paint over the paper with purple grape juice. The message will appear in a different color.
   

1. This is the official site of the Navajo Code Talkers. You can also donate to them. I might show them the website and see if they want to come up ways to raise money to donate to them.

2. Here’s a great site to make your own Secret Code Wheel. You can print this out on heavy paper.  Be sure not to cut off the black triangle. Have the child choose where the black triangle lines up, and then match up the letters in each circle to create the code. The key is to know where the black triangle line up!

3. For very advanced decoders who can’t get enough AFTER the book club, I’d steer them here to a Cryptography site where there are all kinds of different kinds of secret code strategies.

4. Finally, here’s a link to the Navajo language.

Easy Magic Tricks for Kids, Sawing - Intro

DISAPPEARING TOOTHPICK TRICK

http://allfortheboys.com/home/2014/5/20/disappearing-toothpick-trick.html

WOLF

Wolf Adventure: Running With the Pack

1. 
   Play catch with someone in your den or family who is standing 10 steps away from you. Play until you can throw and catch successfully at this distance. Take a step back, and see if you can improve your throwing and catching ability.
   
2. 
   Practice balancing as you walk forward, backward, and sideways.
   
3. 
   Practice flexibility and balance by doing a front roll, a back roll, and a frog stand.
   
4. 
   Play a sport or game with your den or family, and show good sportsmanship.
   
5. 
   Do at least two of the following: frog leap, inchworm walk, kangaroo hop, or crab walk.
   
6. 
   Demonstrate what it means to eat a balanced diet by helping to plan a healthy menu for a meal for your family. Make a shopping list of the food used to prepare the meal.
   

Workbook for use with these requirements: PDF Format DOCX Format

https://cubscouts.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Running-with-the-Pack.pdf

Balance Relay Game

http://www.boyscouttrail.com/content/game/balance_relay-1963.asp

 

This Game is meant for Cub Scouts.

Required:

paper bag for each team filled with miscellaneous things to balance on your hand

Instructions:

Place one of each item into each paper bag.

Give one bag to each team.
Patrols line up at start line with cone or marker about 40 feet away.
First person of each patrol reaches into his bag and pulls out an item.
He balances this on the back of one hand and races to the end of the play area and back to tag the next scout.
Repeat until all items in the bag are gone.

A player can not touch the item with his other hand.

If the item is dropped, the scout either starts over at the beginning or picks it up where it dropped - you decide beforehand.

Sample items to include:

• 
  feather
  
• 
  dollar bill
  
• 
  marble
  
• 
  egg
  
• 
  coin
  
• 
  cotton ball
  
• 
  balloon
  
• 
  fist-sized rock
  
• 
  book
  
• 
  potato
  
• 
  dixie cup of water
  
• 
  playing card
  

Each patrol could also have a ruler. A scout can choose to balance the item on the ruler rather than his hand for double points.

Directory: bbugle
bbugle -> Perseverance head west young man
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bbugle -> Baloo's bugle volume 21, Number 9

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