Morse Code Lesson
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Morse Code Lesson NYS Standards: SS1 ELA Common Core Standards W 2, SL 1, 2, 3, 6 Goal—The goal of this lesson is to learn how to decode Morse Code Objectives • Students will learn about the history of balloon & telegraphy use during the Civil War for military purposes • Students will demonstrate the ability to decode messages written in code Materials • Decoding Civil War Telegraph Messages Worksheet • Pencils I. Brief history of ballooning: A. The first hot air and hydrogen balloons were built and flown in France in 1783. Ballooning was a popular entertainment in Europe and in America starting in 1793 with Jean Pierre Blanchard. B. The French army used balloons starting in the 1790s. France and other European countries used them for war throughout the early 19th century. C. Ask: what do you think were balloons used? What purpose could they serve in battle? Make a list of answers (either mentally/verbally or on a whiteboard) D. Discuss the uses of balloons: map-making, drawing enemy positions and fortifications, watching troop movements, counting troop numbers (using tents/fires), directing artillery fire; compare to the use of surveillance planes and drones in modern warfare. E. Balloons were considered for use during the 1830s Seminole Wars and the 1846 Mexican War in the United States, but nothing came of it. John Wise was the most well-known American aeronaut, but other “young upstarts” like John LaMountain, James Allen, and Thaddeus Lowe started making and flying balloons in the 1850s. II. Thaddeus Lowe: A. From NH and interested in science from a young age. Went to a one-room schoolhouse a few months out of the year but had no more than the equivalent of a 6th Grade education. B. He read about science and conducted experiments on his own. One involved placing the family cat in a cage beneath a huge kite and attached a lantern beneath it when he was 16 years old. He fastened kite to a hitching post and left it flying there all night. The kite supposedly rose 1,000 ft. into the air. The next day local newspapers reported seeing strange lights floating about in the evening. The cat fled once he brought the kite down and released it. He decided then and there not to put another animal in harms way again. His thoughts of using a kite to life himself off the ground were stopped, and he started reading everything he could find on aeronautics. C. Lowe became an assistant to a traveling science lecturer (Professor Reginald Dinkelhoff), and by age 18 began touring and doing scientific lectures all over the country. D. He made enough money to start making and flying balloons. Science in the Civil War Focused Field Study Online, Spring 2020, www.gcv.org E. When the Civil War started, he demonstrated his balloons in Washington, D.C. He was the first person to use a telegraph machine from a balloon. This impressed President Lincoln who introduced him to the commander of the army. Lowe eventually was put in charge of the balloon corps. III. Balloon Use in Civil War A. Although the Civil War wasn’t the first war balloons were used to gather information on opposing forces, it was the first time that military balloon reconnaissance was paired with telegraph technology. B. This combination enabling fast communication between balloonists and those stationed on the ground regarding what they saw from the sky. C. In June 1861, balloonist Professor Thaddeus S.C. Lowe brought his hydrogen balloon to Washington, DC to do experiments to see if balloon reconnaissance could really work. The experiments included outfitting the balloon with a telegraph and telegrapher so Lowe might communicate his observations to the ground below. The experiments were so successful that Lowe was asked to design balloons for the government and was picked to be chief aeronaut of the newly form Union Army Balloon Corps. D. Military unit served at Yorktown, Seven Pines, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and other major battles of the Potomac River and Virginia Peninsula. E. Following Lowe’s resignation from the army in 1863, the Balloon Corps disbanded. IV. The Telegraph A. Electric telegraph is a long-distance communication system which works by transmitting electrical signals over a wire laid between two or more locations. B. By using a series of electrical pulses, short bursts of electric energy, the telegraph could make marks on a piece of paper to convey a message. Those marks would not mean anything without a code to decipher them, thus Morse code was created. Although originally the telegraph made marks on paper tape, which then had to be translated, telegraph operators became so good at just listening and understanding the code that the paper was quickly replaced with a receiver for listening was added. C. Morse code is a method used to encode messages sent over a telegraph. In Morse code, letters and numbers are each assigned a code, represented by a series of dots, dashes or a combination of both, based on the frequency of the letter’s use. Letters which were often used, like an “e” got a simple code, while letters used less frequently, like “q” got a longer code. The dots are the short sounds and are also known as dits. The dashes are the long sounds and are also known as dahs. D. The Western Union Telegraphy Company, founded by New Yorker Ezra Cornell, was one of many companies developed around this new technology. By 1861, Western Union had laid the first transcontinental telegraph, making it the first nationwide telegraph company. By 1866, a telegraph line was placed from Europe to the United States in order to be able to send Morse code messages across the Atlantic Ocean. E. Morse code became a key form of communication in the military. It was a vital tool used during the Civil War. President Lincoln used it to communicate with his generals in the field to find out the most up to date information on battles. It could also be used to send secret messages. Officers on both sides of the war developed secret codes they could use when sending messages over telegraphs. V. Lesson—give students the Decoding Civil War Telegraph Messages Worksheet and have them decode the messages, which are portions of real messages sent by balloonists during the Civil War. The answers to the worksheet are below. Science in the Civil War Focused Field Study Online, Spring 2020, www.gcv.org Balloon Messages Decoded Message 1 Heard report of three guns toward Chain Bridge ascended and remained up until 12 oclock no more guns fired Vocabulary Ascended—to go or move up Message 2 After descending heard two more guns in direction of Chain Bridge but wind has arisen and prevents me from taking any observations Vocabulary Descending—to go or move down Observations—seeing or noticing something Messages 1 & 2 were actually part of one message sent by Professor Thaddeus Lowe on September 25, 1861 to Brigadier-General Porter. For the purposes of this activity the message was abbreviated and divided into the two messages to make it easier for students to figure out. The full message read: Brigadier-General Porter, Commanding Division, Fort Corcoran: Sir: Soon after you departed I heard the report of three guns toward Chain Bridge. I ascended and remained up until 12 o'clock, during which time no more guns were fired. About three miles in advance of Chain Bridge I could distinguish the glistening of bayonets and quite a large body of men in motion, but as they were going from the bridge I concluded they were General Smith's forces. The parade at the Seminary made a grand display, while on Munson's Hill quite a large crowd were gathered. After descending I heard two more guns in the direction of the Chain Bridge, but the wind has arisen and prevents me from taking any observations at present. I am confident that there is no great movement on the part of the enemy, or I should have seen something of it, although the distance and heavy smoke are great obstacles today in that direction. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, T.S.C. Lowe Science in the Civil War Focused Field Study Online, Spring 2020, www.gcv.org Message 3 Enemy remains quiet in same position as reported large numbers at work throwing up earth opposite General Smith headquarters Vocabulary Throwing up earth—piling up earth in protection from enemy fire Message 4 Lt Col Palmer could not stand ascension owing to vertigo Vocabulary Lt Col—Lieutenant Colonel, army rank above a major and below a colonel Ascension—to go or move up Vertigo—feeling of dizziness sometimes occurring due to being up high Messages 3 & 4 were also part of one message sent by Professor Thaddeus Lowe wrote to Brigadier-General Humphreys, or General Marcy. For the purposes of this activity the message was abbreviated and divided into the two messages to make it easier for students to figure out. The full message read: Brigadier-General Humphreys, or General Marcy, Chief of Staff: The enemy remain quiet and in the same position as reported at 8:15. Large numbers are at work throwing up earth, as before, oppostite General Smith's headquarters. Lieutenant-Colonel Palmer could not stand an ascension, owing to vertigo. T.S.C. Lowe Science in the Civil War Focused Field Study Online, Spring 2020, www.gcv.org Message 5 4 miles from Richmond 3 batteries opened upon me firing many shots some falling short some passing beyond the balloon and one over it Vocabulary Batteries—a set of guns or heavy artillery Message 6 A battle is going on about 4 miles distant, heavy cannonading and musketry will go up again and report Vocabulary Cannonading—attacking with a lot of cannon fire Musketry—use of small firearms Messages 5 & 6 were also part of one message sent by Professor Thaddeus Lowe on May 27, 1862 to General A.A.