Students use math to solve encrypted messages.

Scholars learn how to crack secret codes as they continue reading from the Blown to Bits and try to crack the random substitution cipher. They also begin learning about the Vigenere cipher. 

Beans are for more than just counting! Introduce public key cryptography with cups and beans and ask scholars to use the beans to send secret numbers. Participants learn how this activity relates to public key cryptography and...

Banks are responsible for keeping our financial information safe. Mathematics is what allows them to do just that! Pupils learn the math behind the cryptography that banks rely on. Using polynomial identities, learners reproduce the...

Young computer scientists create a visual artifact that represents their research into a computing innovation in the world of cybersecurity. They then work individually to write an essay on the impact of technology on cybersecurity.

Pupils attempt to solve the Wireless Hotspot Problem and learn why it is considered a computationally hard problem in the ninth lesson of the series on 12. They also learn about one-way functions and how the Wireless Hotspot Problem is...

Investigate how public key cryptography works. Scholars continue their study of one-way functions and asymmetric keys and apply this information to public key cryptography. They use an app to explore public key cryptography and its...

Even computers find this to be a hard problem. In the eighth installment of a 12-part unit, young computer scientists learn about the traveling salesperson problem. They formulate algorithms to solve the problem and find out why it is...

Scholars explore the relationship between cipher keys and passwords and as they learn more about the Vigenere cipher and continue to read from the book Blown to Bits in the seventh lesson of the series. They conduct an activity where...

Use paint to teach about cryptography. Scholars explore public key cryptography by attempting to mix a secret color using paint. After the activity, they investigate the Diffie-Hellman method using prime numbers, exponents, and modular...

Here is your must-have resource for celebrating Australia Day with youngsters! It includes research activities, popular Australian songs, tracing and coloring worksheets, and other several other great printables.

This assessment pair goes way beyond simple graphing, factoring and solving polynomial equations, really forcing learners to investigate the math ideas behind the calculations. Short and to-the-point questions build on one another,...

The I-STOP law was designed to regulate the distribution and tracking of prescription drugs. After reading an article about its signing and implementation, middle and high schoolers work together to come up with their own ideas for an...

Pupils use matrices and linear equations to decrypt a secret message. They receive a part of the encoded message to decode by means of inverse matrices. Pupils write critiques about the activity.

Young scholars solve matrices by multiplication. In this algebra instructional activity, students create coded messages and relate it to solving matrices. They multiply and find the inverse of matrices.

Students explain that a code is a system of symbols, letters, words, or signals that are used instead of ordinary words and numbers to send messages or to store information. They practice deciphering a variety of secret codes used in...

In this Algebra II instructional activity, 11th graders find the determinant of 2x2 or 3x3 matrix and use the determinant to find the inverse of the matrix.  The two page instructional activity contains explanation of topic, a...

Students rewrite word problems using expressions and equations. For this algebra lesson, students use the correct variable to solve and write equations. They use the TI to graph their solution.

Students examine digital images and how satellites orbiting Earth send information and pictures to Earth over the Internet. They use a digital camera to put pictures on a computer and decode a satellite image from space.

Fourth graders investigate the fundamentals of using Microsoft Word. They practice using the common word processing techniques. Students practice composing a document and experiment with changing font sizes, editing tools, saving, and...

In this food pyramid activity, students fill in the 5 boxes at the bottom of the food pyramid and draw or color foods within the 5 food pyramid areas.

Learners try to solve codes mathematically. The use of a code needs a key. Students try to decipher a code with a mathematical key. This requires focus and higher order thinking skills like analysis.

Ninth graders discuss the Enigma machine used during World War II. They explore the substitution cipher and variations of it. Students examine the advantages and disadvantages of this cipher. Students write a message using the code...

Students use the National Archives to research the memorandum regarding the enlistment of Navajo Indians during World War II.