Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan
Grade: Date: 18/01/2026
Subject: Information Technology IT
Lesson Topic: Describe encryption methods (symmetric, asymmetric)
Learning Objective/s:
  • Describe the core principles of symmetric and asymmetric encryption.
  • Compare the advantages, disadvantages, and typical use cases of each method.
  • Explain how hybrid encryption combines both techniques for secure data transfer.
  • Apply basic encryption formulas to identify encryption and decryption processes.
  • Evaluate which encryption approach is most suitable for a given scenario.
Materials Needed:
  • Projector and screen
  • Slide deck with diagrams of symmetric, asymmetric, and hybrid encryption
  • Handout summarising key algorithms and a comparison table
  • Worksheet with sample plaintext/ciphertext exercises
  • Laptop with simple encryption demo tools (e.g., online AES/RSA)
  • Whiteboard and markers
 Introduction:

Begin with a quick poll: “If you could only use one secret to protect a message, what would it be?” Connect this to students’ prior experience with passwords and highlight the need for stronger protection. Explain that today’s success criteria are to identify how symmetric and asymmetric methods work and why they are often used together.
Lesson Structure:
  1. Do‑Now (5'): Short quiz on basic terminology (plaintext, ciphertext, key).
  2. Mini‑lecture (10'): Overview of symmetric encryption – key concept, algorithms, pros/cons, and formula demonstration.
  3. Mini‑lecture (10'): Overview of asymmetric encryption – key pairs, algorithms, pros/cons, and formula demonstration.
  4. Comparison activity (8'): Students fill a Venn diagram comparing the two methods using the handout.
  5. Hybrid encryption demo (12'): Live walkthrough of generating a symmetric session key, encrypting it with a public key, and decrypting on the receiver side.
  6. Check for Understanding (5'): Exit‑ticket where learners write one real‑world example for each encryption type.
Conclusion:

Recap the key differences between symmetric and asymmetric encryption and how hybrid systems leverage both for security and performance. Collect exit‑tickets as a quick retrieval check, and assign a homework task to research a current application (e.g., HTTPS, PGP) and identify which encryption methods it uses.