Secret Communications

“How do spies communicate secretly,” I asked my spies?  We were learning about Undercover Communications in another exciting Spy University Class. 

How can spies communicate without being seen or followed?  Telephone conversations can be tapped and personal meetings are risky due to being seen or followed.  Many times spies need to avoid meeting people altogether.  Thus a system was designed to leave information in a secretly hidden location called a “dead drop.”  An example of a dead drop could be dead tree stump, an old log, a space between bricks in a wall, a spot under a footbridge, etc…

“Let’s set up a dead drop for next time we gather.  Where will that be?” the class brainstormed.  I, the teacher, was to place the information in an envelope and in the drop box location of my choosing and I was to chose one spy student to pick the information nonchalantly and without being seen by the other spy students.  I would be contacting this spy student via email.  If you were a spy not contacted, then you were to be keeping your eye on a fellow spy who would be picking something up at a drop box at some location in the gymnasium before Shared Learning Classes began.

I emailed Jonathon to pick up information at the drop location.  The location was the information table at shared learning.  I chose this because it was hidden, but somewhat in the open with people around.

During class Jonathon shared, “It was quite challenging to get the envelope because all the homeschool moms kept getting in my way at the information table.  I thought one of them would tell me to move!”  We all laughed.

“There are all kinds of secret messages on the table!”  The spy students look at the messy table of rubber bands, balloons, and scrape paper haphazardly scattered.  “What?” they ask.  “A rubber band has a secret message?” one spy student asks.  “Pick up one of the rubber bands and stretch it out.  What does it say?” I ask.   “It says Chris cannot be trusted.”  Another student picks up a balloon and stretches it out.  “Look this says meet at Wendy’s after our meeting at headquarters.”  “Does this have a message?” asked another spy student holding up a box of stale donuts?”  Laughing, I shook my head.  Still another picked up some narrow strips of paper with writing.  “I think this is a clue.  I cannot decipher it.”  I gave them a hint.  “Wrap it around one of the pencils.”  There were different pencils, markers, and pens of various widths.  One had to have the correct width in order to figure out the clue.  “I have the clue,” said the spy student excitedly.  “Meet at my house after shared learning.  Don’t tell anyone!” 

The spy students learned several ways of keeping messages undercover.  “What do you do with the message after you read it?” I ask.  Throw it in the trash?  No, because someone could retrieve it.  Keep it?  No, you would risk getting caught.”  “Eat it!” suggested a spy student laughing.  I, then, pull out an envelope with edible paper.  “Write a message with this edible ink pen and eat your message.”  “Eww!  Really?”  “Really!”  “It doesn’t taste bad!” observed a spy student.

The class ended with learning about John Walker who was an American who spied for the Soviet Union from 1967-1985.  He used an elaborate system of dead drops to transfer secret information using a 7 up can.  He was finally caught, tried, and sentenced to a life in prison.  We all thought it was a disgrace to deceive our beloved country