Introduction
 

Process
 
Code-Talkers

Developed by: Cheryl Williams

Roles
 

The Task
 

Questions

 

Evaluation
 

Resources
 

Conclusion
 
image

Bush presents one of the Congressional Gold Medals to a former Navajo code talker.

Courtesy of CNN

Overview:

 

Philip Johnston, who was the son of a missionary to the Navajos and reared on a Navajo reservation, was a World War I veteran who knew that the military had used the Choctaw language in World War I to encode messages, and he convinced Major General Clayton B. Vogel, the commanding general of Amphibious Corps, Pacific Fleet, to use the Navajo language for a code. Navajo is an unwritten language with no alphabet or symbols. It is only spoken in the Navajo lands of the American Southwest.

 

 

Concept 1:  Research Skills for History - Grades 6-8

 

PO 1.  Construct charts, graphs, and narratives using historical data.

PO 2.  Interpret historical data displayed in graphs, tables, and charts.

PO 4.   Formulate questions that can be answered by historical study and research.

 

 

 

Introduction:

 

The people of Casa Grande and the surrounding areas were a vital part of the history of our nation. The exhibit at the Casa Grande Valley Historical Society named “A Call to Arms: Military” is a testimony of the national value of the Native American culture.

 

Navajo Code Talkers

“Navajo Code Talkers”

Courtesy of US Mint

Questions:

·         How did the people of Casa Grande and surrounding areas play a part in security during World War I and World War II?

·         How would you make a code to communicate information that you want someone else to know?

The Task:

Use historical data to formulate questions for the class, develop a code chart, and write the answers in code.

Student Roles:

Person 1 : Write 2 questions from the websites for the class to answer.

Person 2: Develop a code chart and write the answer in code.

Process:

Divide into pairs. Designate who will be student 1 and student 2. Each student will be responsible for their duties.

1.    Each pair of students will formulate 2 questions from the websites and develop a code for the answers. Person 1 will write the questions on a piece of paper. Be sure to document this information on another sheet of paper:

a)       Which website the question is taken from.

b)       What paragraph the answer is in.

2.  You will then create a code chart together which could be represented by words or pictures. The code may be taken from the Navajo dictionary, from another source, or entirely made up. Person 2 will write the code chart on paper and then write the answer to the questions you developed in code.

3.  You will then exchange questions and answers in code with another pair of students who will try to break your code. If the students cannot break the code, they may ask where the information was found, or ask to see your code chart, which you will then provide for them.

4.  Your group of four must then decide on the best question and answer from your group to display on a poster board, a white board, or an overhead projector for the rest of the class. The class will then view all of the questions and coded answers, and compare and contrast projects. Which group had the hardest code? Which had the most thoughtful questions?

Courtesy of UMTV

Presentation Options:

·         White boards

·         Overhead transparencies and projector

·         Poster board

 

Resources:

These are the documents that questions and coded answers should come from:

 

·         http://www.nativeamericans.com/CodeTalkers.htm (Native Americans)

·         http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq61-3.htm (medal of honor winners)

·         http://www.snowwowl.com/histcodetalkers.html (Native American History)

·         http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/07/26/code.talkers/index.html (Navajo Code Talkers honored after 56 years)

·         http://bingaman.senate.gov/code_talkers/ (Navajo Code Talkers)

·         http://www.umtv.org/archives/codetalkers.htm (video)

·         http://www.comanchelanguage.org/code_talkers.htm (Comanche code-talkers)

 

 

Here are some examples of codes that could be used:

·         http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq61-4.htm   (code talkers dictionary)

·         http://www.logoi.com/notes/symbols.html (Chinese symbols)

·         http://www.netaxs.com/~trance/petro.html (Petroglyphs)

 

 

Evaluation/Grading Criteria:

 

 

See evaluation rubric.

 

 

 

Conclusion:

 

Questions for further analysis…

 

 

 

Only five of the Navajo code talkers are still alive; four were at the ceremony.

Courtesy of CNN