Unit 5 – Lesson 2 – “Symmetric Cryptography”
4 Days
This lesson focuses on symmetric key cryptography, beginning with an overview of what cryptography is and the fundamental ideas of symmetric encryption. This sets the stage for later in the unit when students learn about asymmetric cryptography. Students will begin with learning about basic ciphers and a historical perspective providing context for the field of cryptography beyond the use of modern computers. Students will learn about modern symmetric ciphers and, by the end of the lesson, they will be comfortable encrypting and decrypting using a variety of techniques.