Spy: Secret Lives of Spies. Cause, Effect, and Problem Solving

Students learn about the relationship between cause, effect, and problem-solving while exploring the secret lives of spies. Who knew? Spies have problems too!

Why Spy?

Pocket Litter, Bang and Burn, Chicken Feed, Cobbler, Dead drop. Could you speak like a spy? Could you live like a spy? Students love exploring the world of secret agents and the roles they play in protecting their countries. Espionage was born out of a need to solve problems. Those problems might include acquiring enemy secrets or keeping an enemy from obtaining our secrets. When a spy is tasked with a mission he is basically given a problem to solve. The Cause and Effect method for solving a problem can be used in the context of spying. Studying the secret lives of spies and the missions they partake in, is a high interest, real-world application of critical thinking, problem-solving, and cause and effect relationships.

Unit Overview

Through examining the secret and not so secret lives of spies, students will become familiar with the world of espionage, the impact of cause and effect relationships, and how these relationships exist in the lives of spies. In addition, students will be able to develop a plan of action for solving their own problems by examining cause and effect relationships in their own lives. This unit consists of the following parts:

Part 1. Talk Like a Spy: Vocabulary. Students love this introduction to the language of spies and it is a great way to pique their interest in the unit. Students will learn various words or phrases associated with espionage. A student vocabulary “quiz” is provided.

Part 2. Live Like A Spy: Motives, Types, and Agencies. What would motivate a person to become a spy? What types of spies are there? What are overt and covert operations? What is the mission of the CIA? Mossad? MI6? All these questions and more are answered in this section. Teacher and student note sheets are included.

Part 3. Cause, Effect, and Problem Solving. When faced with a problem, it is important to think about what events or circumstances might be contributing to or causing the problem. Without determining the cause(s) it will be difficult to solve the problem. This section discusses the process of analyzing and using cause and effect relationships to solve problems. Students are asked to use cause and effect strategies to develop a solution to a problem they are facing. Teacher and student note sheets are included.

Part 4: Spy Spotlight: Spies have Problems Too. In this section, students will research and create a biography of a given spy, including a summary of the activities in which the spy participated. Students will then be asked to identify and explain how problem-solving or cause and effect relationships were an integral part of the spy’s mission. Student assignment guide included. Brief biographical sketches of 25 spies are also provided.

Part 5. Investigating Espionage. As an extension of this unit, students may participate in an independent or small group study on an espionage topic. Eighteen possible topics are given or students may choose a topic of their own. Students will also identify and explain the role problem solving (cause and effect) plays/played in their topic. Student assignment guide included.

Additional Espionage Resources

Looking to extend the spying fun? Look no further than the following units. These super fun, high interest, fully engaging units all complement one another. You can choose to do one or all of them. Your students will thank you and you will find yourself enjoying it as much as your students! You can purchase these awesome resources at KJS Creative Curriculum on TpT.

*Spy: Codes and Ciphers and Critical Thinking Students LOVE communicating using secret codes and ciphers. Encoding and decoding secret messages require the use of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. In this unit of study, students encode and decode secret messages requiring them to follow multi-step directions. They will also use their problem solving and analytical skills to determine what type of code a message is encrypted in and then use their knowledge of codes to successfully decode the given message. Basic background information about cryptology and delivering secret messages is also included.

*Spy: Codes and Ciphers and Critical Thinking: A Supplemental Teaching Tool. Teaching these codes just got a whole lot easier with this animated supplemental PowerPoint presentation that is meant to be used in conjunction with Spy: Codes and Ciphers and Critical Thinking to teach the codes and ciphers. This PowerPoint presentation makes teaching the codes and ciphers as easy as a click! The explanations of the codes are animated so students can see a step by step sequence for using each code. Simply click and advance through the slides while students follow along and practice on their own note sheets.

*Spy: Going Undercover. A Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Spy Simulation. In this beyond fun simulation, students take on the identities of spies. Using critical thinking and problem solving they complete covert missions throughout the school, requiring them to crack a series of codes to find the location of an undercover agent. In addition, students learn the 4-step problem-solving process, how it relates to their daily lives as well as applying it during their missions as a spy. Note: To successfully participate in this simulation, students must know how to encode and decode the codes taught in Spy: Codes, Ciphers, and Critical Thinking.

*The Dangerously Deceitful Double Agent: A Breakout Box Adventure

Want to give your students a fun and exciting way to test their decoding skills? Do your students love breakout box adventures? Then this is the perfect resource for you. Students decode a variety of encoded secret messages and clues to determine the identity of a double agent, all while tracking an international crime ring, The Syndicate, through Europe! Note: To successfully participate in this Breakout Box Adventure, students must know how to encode and decode the codes taught in Spy: Codes, Ciphers, and Critical Thinking.

Save by bundling several Spy: products! With 5 different bundles to choose from you are sure to find one that works perfectly for you. Click here to choose your favorite combination of products.

If you have any questions concerning this product before or after you purchase it please don't hesitate to contact me at KJSCreativeCurriculum@yahoo.com.

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Go ahead, get your spy on!

Karen

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