Zodiac Killer

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/zodiac-killer

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the period of known attacks?December 1968 to October 1969
2. What is the number of solved ciphers?Two ciphers have been successfully decrypted
3. Who was the Zodiac Killer?The Zodiac Killer was an unknown serial murderer who lived in the San Francisco Bay Area during the late 1960s. He is famous for sending scary letters and secret codes to newspapers and police.
4. Why did the Zodiac Killer send letters to the media?He wanted to taunt the police and the public, demanding that his letters be published. The letters also included threats and complex puzzles to make the case more mysterious.

Serial Homicide: A series of killings committed by one offender, often with a psychological motive.
Forensic Linguistics: The study of language as used in legal contexts, including authorship analysis of texts.
Criminal Profiling: An investigative technique used to identify likely suspects and their behavioral characteristics.