ESD Cryptology

ESD Cryptology
-(Nature Game, Math Game, More ESD Activities)-

We did a Treasure Hunting Game a couple days ago in Bogor Botanical Garden. This is what we do in first stop for the groups that compete each other: to solve secret information (related with environment-history issues) with mathematic equation.

In another modification, we also can relate topics such as social, biology, history, language to this game. It was fun and I bet that your kids will pay serious attention to mathematic

This is an example: we ask when the Bogor Botanical Garden officially recognized as Botanical Garden. The answer included the exact date-month-year; but for this case I present only mathematic equation to solve date only:

Needs
Paper and pen

In the paper there are some questions to be solved:

No	TASK :
1	Summarize all this number to the right, then you get A
	27	14	31	64	18
2	For B, multiply A with 312
3	B - 51678 = C
4	Reverse all C number from the right to the left, then you get D
5	Divide D with 15, then you get E
6	Asume that all the digit in D are independent from each other
	Summarize all this number to the right, then you get F
7	(F - 18) X 6 = G (final answer)

Correct Answer
A	246
B	76752
C	25074
D	47052
E	3,136.8
F	21
G	18

The final answer is 18 (date number from 18 May 1817).

We make 3 task to the groups because the group is large (10 kids) so everybody get busy. 1 task for date, 1 task for month, 1 task to guess year.

This game is good to get attention from kids about small issues but you must be prepared to expand the issues by do more activity.

We play this game as a part of Treasure Hunting activity, under the tree, but in the school maybe you can do this activity as a kind of homework, after the class finish, to relate it with another subject tomorrow.

Don't stick only with this writing. I know you can modify it to open discussion in language, biology, social issues.

Special example (for expert level): how to convert answer into alphabet
In alphabetical order asume that 23 is (d), G answer is (i)
(I reverse the alphabet from behind, so 1 = z, 26 = a)
Then translate this number into alphabet
4	26	7	22	9
ANSWER : WATER