Navajo Code Talkers (NewsELA)

Based on the article, which of the following MOST influenced the US marines' view of the Navajo code talkers? 

• The slow speed of communication allowed all marines to understand the language. 

• Past conflicts with Native Americans caused the marines to disapprove of Navajo code talkers at first. 

• The difficulty of understanding Navajo made it perfect for keeping messages secret during war. 

• Government law required the use of Navajo code talkers during the second world war.

The American army defeated the Navajo through years of conflict in the 1800s. In what is today called "the Long Walk," the United States forced the Navajo to travel by foot over a long distance to a reservation in 1864.

Based on information in the article, how did past battles affect the perspective of the Navajo code talkers? 

• The Navajo did not view the United States as their country. 

• The Navajo viewed the Japanese as potential allies or a source of future help. 

• The Navajo demonstrated loyalty to the United States despite past differences. 

• The Navajo had personal feelings about the past that prevented them from serving in the military.

Based on the article, which of the following is true about the Navajo code? 

• The Navajo code talkers told the public about the code after the war. 

• The Japanese cracked the code by capturing a Navajo code talker. 

• The Navajo made the code easy for English speakers to understand. 

• No one ever cracked the code, which remained secret after the war

Why was it difficult for Navajo speakers to understand the Navajo code talkers? 

• The Navajo code talkers used the Navajo alphabet and Navajo words. 

• The Navajo code talkers spoke a language unknown to the Navajo. 

• The Navajo created a special code within Navajo to identify weapons, ships, and other details.

• The Navajo have a language where words have multiple meanings depending on the speaker.

Which statement would be MOST important to include in a summary of the article? 

• The Choctaw Indians gave Johnston the idea to use Navajo because their language was used in World War II. 

• The Navajo code talkers used their complex language to send important messages quickly and safely. 

• The code talkers had no words for military terms so they used names of birds and fish for planes and ships. 

• The code used by the Navajo was so secret that they told people they had been radiomen when they returned.

How do second and third paragraph of the section "The Code" develop the CENTRAL idea of the article? 

• by indicating how military codes often use words to stand in for letters 

• by illustrating that the Japanese were getting close to breaking the code 

• by emphasizing the beauty of the Navajo language 

• by elaborating on the reasons the Japanese were never able to break the code