Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan
Grade: Date: 25/02/2026
Subject: Information Communication Technology ICT
Lesson Topic: Know and understand encryption including its purpose for the protection of data on hard discs, email, cloud, HTTPS websites
Learning Objective/s:
  • Describe the basic concepts of encryption, including plaintext, ciphertext and keys.
  • Explain why encryption is needed for confidentiality, integrity, authentication and compliance.
  • Compare symmetric and asymmetric encryption and give an example of each.
  • Demonstrate how encryption protects data on hard‑discs, email, cloud storage and HTTPS websites.
  • Apply key‑management best practices such as key rotation, secure storage and backup.
Materials Needed:
  • Projector and screen
  • Student handout with summary checklist
  • Sample encrypted files (AES)
  • GPG/PGP software for email encryption demo
  • Cloud storage demo account (e.g., OneDrive)
  • TLS handshake diagram slides
  • Key‑management worksheet
 Introduction:

Begin with a brief news clip about a recent data breach to highlight the real‑world impact of unsecured data. Ask students what they already know about passwords and why they might not be enough. Explain that today they will discover how encryption adds a stronger layer of protection and outline the success criteria: they will be able to describe encryption types, illustrate how it protects different ICT contexts, and list key‑management rules.
Lesson Structure:
  1. Do‑Now (5') – Quick Kahoot quiz on confidentiality vs. integrity.
  2. Mini‑lecture (10') – Core concepts of encryption, types (symmetric, asymmetric, hash) and key basics.
  3. Demonstration (15') – Show full‑disk encryption and a TLS handshake using slides and a live demo.
  4. Hands‑on activity (20') – Students encrypt a text file with AES, then decrypt it; simulate email encryption with GPG (generate keys, encrypt, decrypt).
  5. Group discussion (10') – Compare encryption use in hard‑discs, email, cloud storage and HTTPS; complete the key‑management checklist.
  6. Formative check (5') – Exit ticket: list three key‑management best practices.
Conclusion:

Recap the main points: what encryption is, why it matters, and how it is applied across different ICT environments. Collect the exit tickets and highlight common correct answers. For homework, ask students to research a recent cyber‑attack and write a brief paragraph proposing how encryption could have mitigated the breach.