Teaching with The Codebreaker
The Codebreaker is a resource that kids can use to play games, solve mysteries and look up words. It is available wherever you are in the Web site. Codebreaker opens in a separate window and can remain open as you navigate through the site or opened and closed as needed. The Codebreaker is best used as a helper. Below are some ways you may use the Codebreaker in the classroom:

• Create a Super Sleuth topic for your class to investigate. Have them use the Golden Super Sleuthing Rules to solve the problem. This can also be accomplished with the Super Sleuth Detective Notebook in the Detective Kit. Some topic examples are:
• Identify an item. Bring in an item for your students to investigate. The assignment may be to date the item or identify its purpose. Be sure to choose an item that your students can easily investigate and find clues for. For an easier assignment, have a group of items that students can identify as belonging to a particular time period or purpose.
• Identify a picture. Find a picture of a historical event. The assignment may be to date the picture or identify the event. Be sure to choose a picture that your students can easily find clues in.
• Create your own Date This House. Bring in a picture of a house or locate an online virtual tour of a historical home. You time period may be the same as one of the houses in the game or a time period that you are studying. If you are not using a time period from the game be sure to give your students information on the architecture of the time period. 
• Students should always be encouraged to use the Lingo button in the Codebreaker to look up words that they do not know the meaning of.
• Assign a group of Lingo words from the Codebreaker each week as vocabulary. The students should familiarize themselves with the meanings of the words and their relevance to history.
• Have students create their own Codebreaker using a small notebook or notepad. Add history vocabulary to the notebook as you study different units.
• Create a classroom Codebreaker to use as a resource. Have your students make suggestions to add information as you study different units.

[Historical Thinking Standard 4A: Historical Research Capabilities, Formulate historical questions]