Lesson 3

Secret words

In this lesson, students deepen their understanding of encryption by exploring how a different method of substitution can be used to transform information. Building on their prior knowledge of ciphers and access control, students first use a telephone keypad to analyze and decode a message encrypted using a polyphonic cipher. They then use the polyphonic cipher to encrypt their own secret message, and assemble a Scratch program that checks a user’s input for the correct encryption. Finally, students share their programs with their peers to receive feedback about their programming decisions.

school
Grade 7
local_library
Subject Technology, Social studies
schedule
Length of lesson 50 minutes

Learning objective

Students will design a program that checks the encryption of a secret word.

Standards

🌐 CSTA Standards

  • 2-AP-11: Create clearly named variables that represent different data types and perform operations on their values.
  • 2-NI-06: Apply multiple methods of encryption to model the secure transmission of information.

🇺🇸 Common Core Standards

  • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.OA.A.1: Interpret a multiplication equation as a comparison, e.g., interpret 35 = 5 × 7 as a statement that 35 is 5 times as many as 7 and 7 times as many as 5. Represent verbal statements of multiplicative comparisons as multiplication equations.

🇺🇸 College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework

  • D2.His.1.6-8: Analyze connections among events and developments in broader historical contexts
  • D2.His.2.6-8: Classify series of historical events and developments as examples of change and/or continuity.

Multi-lesson projects

Students will use the same project across multiple lessons.

Lesson contents

Scratch projects

Cipher quest

Student resource

Multi-lesson project

Students will use the same project across multiple lessons