Can You Crack the Code?

A Language Arts/ Social Studies Web Quest for Grade 5 and up.

ARIZONA  STATE STANDARDS 

Have you ever wondered why we make our manuscript or cursive letters the way we do?  This Web Quest will help you find out. Solve a secret code. Learn some new ways to write. 

Process:

Go to the following link to find information about the history of handwriting.  You will find information about different cultures.  Try out the different methods of writing. Try to read some documents from history. Take some notes.  You will need them later. Prepare a presentation to show your class. When you are finished, play some handwriting games. Remember to use your computer "Back" button to return from these links.

Writing History
http://www.historian.net/hxwrite.htm

History of Pencil
http://www.pencils.com/history.html

History of Pen
http://inventors.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.rickconner.net/penoply/history.html

 

What did you learn?    You may return to these links later.

TASKS:

You are now ready to become a handwriting expert. To make it easier, form a group of five student investigators. Each person is to select a handwriting culture to investigate. The next links, under Cracking Codes,  show how archaeologists and anthropologists were able to interpret ancient writing.

Cracking Codes:
Rosetta Stone: http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/writing/rosetta.html
Story of the Writing:  http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/writing/home.html

Enlarged graphics of Rosetta Stone: http://cs.oberlin.edu/htx/examples/slide/exsliden00.html
     (This link shows enlarged Hieroglyphics, Demotic, and Greek writing on the stone.)

Text of Rosetta Stone: http://pw1.netcom.com/~qkstart/rosetta.html

 
Graphic from Crystal Cloud Graphics

Alphabet Makers: http://www.jaars.org/museum/alphabet/people/begin.htm

EGYPT  -  hieroglyphics: http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0210200/ancient_egypt/hieroglyphs.htm
Egyptian Alphabet: http://www.donf.com/egypt/medu/alpha.htm
Write Your Name: http://www.virtual-egypt.com/newhtml/glyph/glyph.html
Rosetta Stone Coloring Book: http://www.clemusart.com/archive/pharaoh/rosetta/coloring/color99.htm
English to Egyptian: http://www.donf.com/egypt/medu/vocab1.htm 

Egyptian Names: http://www.donf.com/egypt/medu/names.htm 
Tutor:  http://emuseum.mankato.msus.edu/prehistory/egypt/egypttutor/
Ancient Egypt Webquest http://www.iwebquest.com/egypt/mission5.htm (go to Mission 5)
Little Egyptian Book:  http://home.prcn.org/~sfryer/Egyptian/intro.html

Coptic Alphabet: http://www.stshenouda.com/coptlang/coalfa1.htm#
History of the Coptic Language: http://www.stshenouda.com/coptlang/copthist.htm

SAMARIA - cuneiform

Proverbs in cuneiform: http://www.sumerian.org/proverbs.htm

Cuneiform Gold Tablet: http://oznet.net/iran/cuneifor.htm
Cuneiform Character Set http://www.wam.umd.edu/~rfradkin/cuneiform-evol-animate.html

ROMAN  

Phoenician Character Set  http://www.wam.umd.edu/~rfradkin/sin2phoen-animate.html 

Phoenician/Roman alphabet: http://www.phoenicia.org/tblalpha.html

Roman Numeral Conversion: http://www.novaroma.org/via_romana/numbers.html

Phoenician to Latin Character Set: http://www.wam.umd.edu/~rfradkin/latin.html 
                         (watch letters change over time)
Table of Roman Numeral Dates: http://www2.inetdirect.net/~charta/Table.html

Documents in Latin Script in Egypt: http://www.lib.umich.edu/pap/introduction/languages.html 
Book of Kells in Latin: http://www.snake.net/people/paul/kells/

Latin Character Set: http://www.wam.umd.edu/~rfradkin/latin.html


GREEK  

Phoenician/Greek alphabet: http://www.phoenicia.org/alphabet.html 
Greek Character Set: http://www.wam.umd.edu/~rfradkin/phon-greek.html
 
Greek Alphabet: http://www.cs.utk.edu/~mclennan/BA/LAO-GA.gif

Evolution of Alphabet: http://www.wam.umd.edu/~rfradkin/alphapage.html
Greek Alphabet Table: http://www.msoe.edu/~tritt/greek.html
Modern Cylliric Character Set: http://www.wam.umd.edu/~rfradkin/greek2cyrillic-animate.html

ARABIC
Arabic Character Set: http://www.wam.umd.edu/~rfradkin/phon-arb.html
Aramaic/Hebrew Character Set:  http://wam.umd.edu/~rfradkin/phon-heb.html

Arabic Alphabet Song http://www.funwitharabic.com/song.htm
Arabic Calligraphy http://www.al-bab.com/arab/visual/calligraphy.htm

CELTS, VIKINGS, EUROPEAN - minuscules to roundhand 


Medieval Spanish: http://www.spanisharts.com/books/literature/imagenes/glosemi1.jpg
http://www.spanisharts.com/books/literature/imagenes/fueroreal.jpg

LATIN AND CASTILIAN http://www.textmanuscripts.com/home/archives/archivesdescription.php?m=195#
Columbus Letter: http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/guide/hs050001.jpg
1492 Columbus Letter: http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/1492.exhibit/full-images/b_o_p.gif

Medieval English: 
National Archives of UK http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/imagelibrary/manuscripts/default.htm

Viking Runes: http://www.cdli.ca/CITE/vikings_runes.pdf

Medieval Writing: http://medievalwriting.50megs.com/writing.htm

Anglo Saxon Runes: http://www.combase.com/~westilson/runes.gif

Anglo-Saxon England: http://www.georgetown.edu/cball/oe/oe-map.html

Oxford University samples: (Descriptions of plants) http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwmss/wmss/medieval/mss/ashmole/1431.htm
Print off sample 17th century:   http://www.amberskyline.com/treasuremaps/oldhand.html
Examples of Letter of the 17th Century:  http://www.rootsweb.com/~genepool/oldalpha.htm

Letter from George Washington to Oliver Pollock June 8, 1788: 
http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/frontiers/GWtoOPollock.html

Famous documents and people: http://www.handwriting.org/main/hwasamps.htm 
Magna Carta: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/magna_carta/images/magna_carta.jpg
Gothic: http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/rg/guide/German_Gothic99-36316.ASP
Italic: http://www.english.cam.ac.uk/ceres/ehoc/
German http://www.handwriting.org/images/copybook/Germany/1938deu1.gif
German: http://www.suetterlinschrift.de/Englisch/Sutterlin.htm
Russian Cyrillic: http://www.friends-partners.org/newfriends/cyrillic/russian.alphabet.html 

Russian Cyrillic History of 1812: http://www.museum.ru/museum/1812/Library/Rs1/index.html

ASIAN -  calligraphy

Chinese Handwriting Gallery:  
Chinese Calligraphy: http://library.thinkquest.org/3614/funfacts.htm

Original Story of "Mulan":  http://www.chinapage.com/mulan.html
Calligraphy styles: http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/towers/3171/styles.htm 

Japanese Kanji: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2046.html 
Japanese Characters: http://markun.cs.shinshu-u.ac.jp/japan/shodou/index-e.html
Japanese Writing Tutor: http://members.aol.com/writejapan/

MESOAMERICAN - picturegraphs:
Olmec http://obelix.ee.duth.gr/~apostolo/Epi-Olmec/
Write your name:  

Ancient Mesoamerican Writing: http://pages.prodigy.com/GBonline/ancwrite.html
Aztec Folktales Webquest: http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/aztec/aztecsg4.html
Mayan Numbers: http://saxakali.com/historymam2.htm
CHEROKEE ALPHABET: http://www.atypical.net/CherTabl.html

UNITED STATES

Reading Old Handwriting http://www.moonzstuff.com/handwriting.html
Handwriting in America http://paperpenalia.com/history.html

MORE LINKS 

 Ryan-Ancient Languages   http://www.plu.edu/~ryandp/texts.html
Philippine Discovery  http://www.bibingka.com/dahon/lci/lci.htm  Translation http://www.mts.net/~pmorrow/lcieng.htm
Digital Scriptorium http://www.scriptorium.columbia.edu/highlights/

Prepare a group newspaper display using your new information about your handwriting culture.  Show its history with samples of the style from the internet and write a letter about the culture you studied. Try to write your name in that style. Include a map of the cultural area you studied. As a group make a timeline showing the development of the writing style you studied. Review your assessment to make sure you have completed your task. Play some games. Hand in a folder with your notes and practice sheets to your teacher when due. Extra credit if you find more Internet sites about handwriting. Your presentation may be in the form of a Word file, PowerPoint, FrontPage document, or prepare a display board. To learn how to use a Microsoft product, go to ACTDEN.

Maps: Historical Maps - University of Texas at Austin:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/historical/history_main.html

Downloadable maps to print: Owl and Mouse Software (free)
http://www.yourchildlearns.com/owlmouse.htm 
Search Engine Sites Link

FUN WITH THE ALPHABET  http://homeschooling.miningco.com/education/homeschooling/library/weekly/aa101600a.htm 

SPANISH ALPHABET: http://wsfcs.k12.nc.us/Sgarden/alfabeto.html

SIGN THE ALPHABET: http://www.funbrain.com/signs/


FAKE OUT  http://www.eduplace.com/dictionary/index.html

HOW A BIC IS MADE http://www.bicworldusa.com/inter%5Fus/stationery/how%5Fis%5Fmade/index.asp

Hounds and Jackals: http://www.clevelandart.org/kids/egypt/houndjacks.html

Handwriting Samples of Famous People: http://www.handwriting.org/main/hwasamps.htm

Arizona Standards
Language Arts: 
Standard 1
(Originally created based on the following standards in use 2001.For current standards refer to ARIZONA  STATE STANDARDS )

Handwriting worksheet maker
http://www.handwritingworksheets.com/

Help for Left Handed
http://www.peterson-handwriting.com/Early%20Childhood/Lefthandedchild.html

Alphabet Worksheets
http://www.learningpage.com/free_pages/menu_basics/alpha_dnealian.html

Learn Calligraphy Online
http://www.studioarts.net/calligraphy/lesson.htm

12 Rules for Good Cursive Handwriting
http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/quilljar/rules.html

Sources of graphics:
  Crystal Cloud Graphics 
Barley Sheaf School  Library Media Center
Teacher Files.Com

Return to Top

PROCESS

TASKS

PRESENTATION

ASSESSMENT

GAMES

 

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