Lesson Plan

• Describe the purpose of data integrity and common verification methods.
• Explain how parity bits, checksums, CRCs, and hash functions detect errors.
• Apply an appropriate verification technique to a data‑entry form.
• Implement a simple checksum routine in pseudocode.
• Evaluate verification methods by testing with deliberately corrupted data.

• Projector or interactive whiteboard
• Slide deck covering verification methods
• Handout with parity, checksum, CRC examples
• Computers with IDE/text editor for coding demo
• Sample data files for transfer exercise
• Worksheet for Luhn algorithm practice

Begin with a quick poll: “When have you seen a typo or corrupted file cause a problem?” Connect this to prior knowledge of binary representation and error sources. Explain that today’s success criteria are to identify verification methods, choose the right one for a scenario, and demonstrate it in code.

1. Do‑now (5'): Students list recent real‑world data errors; share a few examples.
2. Mini‑lecture (10'): Define data integrity, why verification is needed, and overview of parity, checksum, CRC, and hash functions.
3. Demonstration (10'): Live coding of a parity‑bit check and an 8‑bit checksum calculation.
4. Guided practice (12'): Pairs apply the Luhn algorithm to sample credit‑card numbers and create a checksum for a short byte block.
5. Transfer simulation (10'): Run a CRC‑32 file‑transfer demo; students predict the result when a bit is flipped.
6. Reflection & check (8'): Quick Kahoot quiz matching scenarios to the best verification method.

Recap the five verification techniques and their ideal use cases. For the exit ticket, each student writes one method and a situation where it should be applied. Assign homework to research a modern hash function (e.g., SHA‑256) and prepare a short explanation of its role in data integrity.