Spy+Camp

//Our most recent camp was to introduce the 20th century. Since we’ll be studying world history, and the world was fraught with conflict during this time period, we decided that studying about spying would be a fun topic. I wanted to include lots of physical fun for this camp besides some mental exercises in solving mysteries. I was also lucky enough to get a handheld GPS so we could do a geocaching exercise (and this was cool enough to be considered a “spy gadget”).//
 * YEAR 5: S.M.A.R.T. International Spy Training Camp**

The first thing I wanted to find was a good mystery game. I searched the Internet and found several sites that sell games like this (nowadays you buy them and then just download PDFs rather than get printed materials). I thought I had found a really nice one, about spies solving the mystery of who stole the Hope Diamond, but it turned out to be a complete dud. There just was no mystery to solve. The kids were given information to give to each other, but there was very little speculation and brain exertion that had to happen. So I won’t recommend that game to anyone but suggest that you find your own. I think I might write my own should I ever do anything similar—I certainly can’t do any worse!
 * Preparation:**

//General Espionage:// Wikipedia’s article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espionage Fact Monsterp’s article: http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/society/A0858032.html History of Espionage, 1917-1918 http://ncnc.essortment.com/espionagehistor_rago.htm LookSmart’s article: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EPF/is_22_100/ai_72607594 A Century of Spies article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/a_centur.htm The Lady Was a Spy (NPR article): http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2002/apr/spies/index.html BBC News: Spy Secrets Revealed: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/special_report/1999/01/99/wartime_spies/263468.stm Idaho PTV: Spy Technology: http://www.idahoptv.org/dialogue4kids/season4/spy/ Interview with Antonio Mendez: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0006/13/i_ins.00.html Security Posters: [|http://members.impulse.net/~sate/posters.html] CI Centre: http://cicentre.com/

//Glossary:// http://www.themasterofdisguise.com/glossary.html

//Fingerprint Forensics:// http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/takingfps.html http://www.cyberbee.com/whodunnit/fp.html http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Atrium/5924/forensicscienceactivites.htm http://www.kidsnet.org/sfkc/sfkc20051209-2.html

//Disguises:// http://nv.essortment.com/makeuptheatric_rllw.htm http://www.northern.edu/wild/DanY/dmkup.htm http://www.wikihow.com/Create-Disguises-As-a-Kid-Spy http://www.wikihow.com/See-in-the-Dark http://www.amazon.com/Disguise-Techniques-Fool-People-Some/dp/0873643070 http://costumeideazone.com/A4MakeUp.htm

//GPS and geocaching:// http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/290888/beginners_guide_to_finding_a_geocache.html http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/outreach/gps.html http://y2u.co.uk/Knowledge_Information/Technology/RN_Device_Global_Positioning_System_GPS.htm (video clip) http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gps.htm (video clip) http://gpsprimer.net/ http://www.geocaching.com/

· The letter went out to the kids as a Memo from the International Spy Training Camp ([|Memorandum.doc]). I asked them to create a code name (really a number) to use for the camp and let me know. I also created the name of the organization they were a part of: Shrewd Master Agents Resisting THREAT (S.M.A.R.T.) and our enemies were The Heartless Renegade Extreme Agents Team (T.H.R.E.A.T.).

· I made some spy belts out of belting and Velcro and some trim I got on clearance somewhere that had little hooks sewn in. I had to get the hip measurements of the kids in order to make each one work.

· I picked up some spy “gadgets” to go on their belts—little grabber toys, some Velcro strips (regularly used for tying up cords), and some cording. I also made a little “spy kit” container out of tic-tac style boxes, put a little tiny mirror and a connector in them. All these had lariat hooks on them so they could be attached to the belts.

· I rewrote the mystery script to re-name the teams and make it seem like they were getting “messages” from “sources” rather than just stating the information. Obviously, it wasn’t enough re-writing! But I also planned and created different ways they could get their messages, including a “message dart gun” and dirty, smudgy envelopes (from informants).

· We needed lots of guns for target shooting! I checked to make sure the moms were all okay with this before deciding to include this. But it is awfully hard to be a spy without at least some sort of shooting! I got a Nerf talking target game and several other “guns” from dollar stores. One of the moms had a collection of squirt guns and I added some so that we would have plenty.

· I set up the obstacle course—walk on a narrow plank over the pit (our original pit from our first archaeology dig—that sure has come in handy!); run and crawl under a triangle wooden form; run and do a forward role on a mat; come up and grab a “super-soaker;” shoot into a target (hole cut into a sheet hanging from a canopy set up in the yard—one of the other sides held another sheet that gave background to a target for target practice); then run and ring a bell (to let the timer know you were done).

· Setting up a “laser trap” was kind of fun. We got a couple of large rolls of bright neon orange weed-eater line and used one of our rooms to set up a web of lines that the kids had to crawl under and through to a table on which there was a “treasure” (surrounded by extra lines).

· I used the GPS to set up three cache sites in the general area. This is not the best way to do geocaching because the sites were so close together, but it did give everyone a taste of it. I then hid boxes with the spy gadgets I’d pulled together in each of the spots and worked out all of the directions so the kids could use it without too much instruction ([|directions for gps.pdf]).

· I gathered strategy games, like chess and Battleship, for the kids who needed less physical activity.

· I gathered directions on how to create disguises, created and printed a guide ([|Disguises.doc]), then created various scenarios for different types of disguises ([|Disguise scenarios.doc]). We had a lot of stuff we could use for disguises (we’re a family that has always played dress-up and I don’t often get rid of old clothes that can be used as any sort of costume!), but I did have to go to the local Goodwill to get a trench coat. How can you do disguises without a trench coat? I also got some eyeliner so those who wanted to try to look old could give it a go. Burnt cork for “five-o’clock” shadow as the last thing I pulled into the disguise boxes.

· I put together a little booklet on the history of spying to give the kids some background info for the camp and for this coming year ([|Spy History.doc], [|spies.pdf]).

· One of the forensics websites had a great visual presentation on reading and taking fingerprints. I had a spy kit, my husband picked up a spy kit at the local Target, and one of the other moms had another spy kit. Between them all, I was able to get plenty of “fingerprint powder” (seems to be just plain old talcum powder, though) and a great brush for brushing it on. I also have some inkpads that are supposed to be washable, but aren’t as easy to get off as they should be.

· I found several great posters on the CI Centre web site (see above link) that I could print, relating to National Security. Some were historical (“loose lips sink ships”) and others were modern (“don’t talk about important information on an un-secured cell phone”). These were hung around the two main rooms were used.

· I previewed tons of old tv shows to find some fun “instructional videos” on spying. I knew I’d use an old //Mission Impossible//, and one of my favorite cartoons from Britain, //DangerMouse//. I looked at episodes from //The Avengers, The Man from UNCLE, The Girl from UNCLE// and //Wild Wild West//. I finally settled on one from the //Wild Wild West//.

· When everyone first arrived, they had to tell me their “code phrase.” I had posted up our schedule in a couple of places ([|SCHEDULEa.doc]), so I pointed those out and told them essentially how our camp would go. I gave them their spy belts.
 * Schedule:**

· I gave them an overview of the use of the handheld GPS and then we looked at a couple of the sites (see above links) that had videos to explain how the GPS technology works.

· We pretty much jumped right into the physical stuff. Team 1 was scheduled for the GPS geocaching, but everyone else could try the laser trap, the target shooting, the games, or the obstacle course.

· We watched our first “training video”—an episode of //Mission Impossible//. They had fun with that! Lunch, which each had brought, was next and then it was time for the second round of geocaching, et.al.

· When it was time to work on disguises, I let them play with all the clothes for a while, then we read about disguises and how they should work. I passed out the scenarios for disguising themselves, with specific times of the years, places they would be, and task they would be trying to do, so they had to figure out which disguise would best fit their scenario. They all showed off their handiwork to each other and I took pix of them.

· A third round of geocaching, et.al. came next.

· After they came in and dried off (the squirt guns and water balloons hard been popular for this last round of activities), we did our second training video—an episode of //Wild Wild West//, about which they all chuckled.

· “Scuba Diving” was next—just playing in the pool. The could also do any of the activities they wanted to do—and could use the squirt guns to chase each other around.

· We had an “international” dinner of spaghetti with various sauces. The it was time for another round of geocaching, et.al. By this time, the allure of the other activities was wearing off and most of the kids just sat around and talked.

· The “mystery solving practice” was next—we used the upstairs room as their “spy plane headquarters.” However, it was kind of boring and we got through it relatively quickly. At the end we had a celebration party with chips, rice krispie treats and some plastic champagne glasses filled with various sodas. I had them toast so that I made sure each one handled one of the glasses. Then I carefully put the glasses away to be used the next day in our fingerprinting exercise. The kids dressed in their dark spy clothes and went out for flashlight tag.

· The next morning, after breakfast, we had our fifth round of geocaching, and then our last video training session--//DangerMouse,// which is pretty funny. These are very short episodes so we watched a couple of them. After these were over, I did a history of spying overview using their booklets, we did our seventh geocaching round and then had a taco lunch. By this time, few of the physical activities were interesting and most kids were playing strategy games.

· After lunch, we did our fingerprinting activity. I had them read about fingerprints on the handout ([|Fingerprints.doc]), then we talked about the difficulty of actually getting a useable print. I had them practice making fingerprints of their dominant hand on index cards (which we labeled with their names). Once they’d all been able to get fairly good prints (which is not easy!), I showed them how to try to get prints off the glasses from the night before. This activity was quite tough and I knew most would not be successful, because I did not set it up so everyone COULD get a really strong print. I wanted it to reflect real-life situations. However, a couple of kids actually did identify the print off their glass.

· The last geocaching time period let the kids have one last time at the obstacle course to beat their own time, and then I let them just have fun in the pool. When it was getting close to time to go, I pulled them out and handed out certificates (I’d written them up which they were swimming) based on their activities and mainly just joke awards. I’d picked up some cute little spinning globes that I gave out as part of their awards. Then it was time to go.