Unit 7.3
Cipher quest
In this unit, students will explore the history and fundamentals of information security. Students begin by examining the historical need for secure information and debugging algorithms used to decode substitution ciphers. They use conditional statements and variables to model password systems that grant access based on specific user input. Students will then use their programming skills to create polyphonic ciphers and visual puzzles to conceal data. By the end of the unit, students will demonstrate the key concepts of information security as they build, test, and share a digital escape room they have designed and programmed in Scratch.
Overview documents
Cracking the code
Students are introduced to encryption through examining the need for secret messages throughout history. They decode substitution ciphers and debug a decoding algorithm to help them reveal hidden words.
Permission to enter
Students investigate how passwords protect digital information. They explore how variables and conditionals are used to secure access, and create a Scratch program that allows access based on user input.
Secret words
Students explore the exchange of encrypted messages, and combine variables, user input, and conditionals to build a program that checks that a secret word has been correctly encoded using a substitution cipher
Puzzling symbols
Students discover how symbols can represent words or sounds. They use conditionals to build rebus puzzles with sprites from the Scratch library that can be used to represent words in a hidden message.
Make your escape
Students build on their own substitution cipher and rebus puzzle programs to design and create a digital escape room in Scratch.
The great escape
Students test and finalize their escape room projects and share their work in an interactive class gallery walk.