Learn how the French Resistance operated during WWII as students read a short passage, answer comprehension questions, followed by a code breaking activity that your students will love. 

Students begin by reading about how underground resistance networks operated during World War II. The reading explains how couriers, radio operators, and cell leaders relied on coded messages to move information safely through occupied France.

Students then put those techniques into practice by decoding two intercepted messages. The first uses a Caesar cipher, where students shift letters to reveal the hidden message. The second uses a book cipher, where students use a shared text as a key to uncover a secret instruction.
 
 
What Students Will Learn
How the French Resistance operated under Nazi occupation
Why coded communication was essential for underground networks
How to decode a Caesar cipher
How book ciphers were used to send hidden messages
How resistance movements supported the Allied war effort
 
What’s Included
History Cat reading: Occupation & Resistance
Student worksheet: Secret Messages in Wartime
Caesar cipher decoding activity
Book cipher decoding activity
Comprehension and analysis questions
Answer keys
Teacher instructions
 
Grade Level: 7–10
Duration: 40–50 minutes
Format: Printable