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seen, and use distractions when guards or guard dogs are present. The mission should not include any physical altercation; stealth is the operative word, and imagination is the tool! Provide the children with an A3 version of the map. How do they think they might reach the Enigma machine without being discovered? Guide them to work in pairs to plan a route through the base to the machine. Consider how this will be navigated safely, the kinds of distractions that could be used, and how different surfaces (carpet, floorboards, stone, gravel) may provide a safer, or alternatively, more dangerous passage. Scaffold fact-file to support this introduction to the historical context, but an online search will provide the necessary background knowledge. 2 | MAP WORK Reintroduce the map from the starter activity. Explain that the map and mission are fictional, but the importance of decoding the machine is heavily based on truth. Within the base shown on the map is an Enigma machine that the team at Bletchley has been unable to decipher. Tell pupils that they will take on the role of spies, who have been sent to infiltrate the base (via a pre-dug tunnel that provides entry into a storeroom), journey through the rooms and spaces without being • The English language is ripe with synonyms; can the children describe their journey using new words that have the same – or a similar – effect? • Encourage those who finish quickly or show a particular interest to try and provide an alternative route in response to intelligence updates (e.g. that a certain room has lost light, or a light is now turned on, or a guard has moved to a different position or room. There may be a change of guards, which opens up seconds of time to move). This intelligence could be received in Morse code or in a handwritten code for the children to decipher. EXTENDING THE LESSON with questions such as, How would you move? How could you distract, considering items in the rooms you are moving through? 3 | MISSION: POSSIBLE Ask pupils to write down the sequence they’ve selected for movement through the base. This sequence will eventually, with further review and discussion, provide their paragraph structure for their full narrative piece. Next, use the Detail Detectives strategy ‘Jig- Saw’ (see a full explanation at mrdht.wordpress.com ) , to develop the vocabulary the children will need for their narrative writing. Create a 4 x 2 grid on the classroom floor with masking tape, and label each square with a room name from the base. Provide the children with the words walk, hide, crawl, slide . Consider synonyms for the words, to place into the appropriate square on the floor relating to each room. Passage through the base could be repetitive, and we need a wide range of vocabulary relating to movement, so this is the opportunity to collect a variety of words. Guide the children to combine this vocabulary with their sequence of movement and knowledge of sentence- building, to write a narrative explanation of their journey through the base. Can they create a suspenseful piece of writing without it becoming repetitive? Karl Duke is headteacher of a school in Lincolnshire. He is passionate about the power of picture books to inspire learning across the curriculum. “Alliedmonitoring stations picked up every message but until the codes were broken, there was no way of knowing what they said” • How did countries find out about what their enemies were planning? • Why do we learn about coding in school today? • What challenges would we face when infiltrating the base? • Can you think of synonyms for quiet? Careful? Distraction? Slow? USEFUL QUESTIONS Download your free printable map at tinyurl.com/ tp-EnigmaLesson www.teachwire.net | 79