How to Make a Secret Code Wheel
Secret code wheels are a simple craft project that school-age children can do. Two wheels, one smaller than the other, are laid one on top of the other with a connecting brad fastener in the center. The brad fastener allows the wheels to spin. Letters are marked on the outside of each wheel. When the wheel is turned and different letters are lined up, a secret code can be created. Anytime a new code is desired, all that is needed is a spin of the code wheel.
Things You'll Need
- Poster board
- Pencil
- Compass
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Brad fastener
- Markers or pens
Instructions
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1
Use a compass or trace around a saucer or small plate to make a circle 6 inches across on the poster board. On the same poster board, make a similar circle that is 5 inches across. Cut out both circles.
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2
Use a pencil to draw a line on the front of the circle from top to bottom, dividing the circle in half. Draw another line from right to left in the same way. Do this on both circles.
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3
Use the point of the scissors to poke a hole in the center of each circle where the lines meet. Lay the smaller circle on top of the larger one and push the brad fastener through the hole. Turn over the circles and open up the two arms of the brad to fasten the circles together with the brad in the center.
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4
Lay the circles down with the smaller one on top. You will see that the circle is divided into four sections, two on the right and two on the left. Divide the right half into 13 sections, using a pencil and ruler to draw the lines. You can use a compass to make it exact.
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Draw lines from the center of the smaller circle all the way to the edge of the larger circle, which sticks out from behind the smaller. These lines will show where you have divided each circle half into 13 sections, and will go all the way around the circle, making 26 sections in total.
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6
Use a marker to start marking the letters of the alphabet on the circles. Hold the circles still against each other so that they don't spin and get out of line. On the first section, mark a letter "A" at the edge of the smaller circle, and put an "A" right above it on the larger circle edge. Continue adding letters so that each section has a pair of letters.
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Use the secret code wheel by turning the smaller wheel so that the letters are lined up with different letters. If the code that your children are using is "A-L," then line up the circles so that "A" on the outside is lined up with "L" on the inside.
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8
Write a secret message by taking each letter of the original message and matching it to the outside circle. Write down the letters from the inside circle to create the coded message.
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The decoder can decode the message by working backward, taking the inside letter and transposing it to an outside letter. Write down the letters from the outside circle to get your translated message.
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Tips & Warnings
Children can decorate these code wheels with markers and stickers.
