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Public Key Encryption
Public key encryption is an extraordinary recent development that has made internet commerce possible. It allows people to encrypt and decrpyt messages without having to share a password to unlock them. It is hard to believe that such a system could exist, yet this mode of encryption is widely used because it is so easy to set up.
This activity works with two people, but it's most exciting with a whole class, with everybody else trying to intercept a message sent between two students
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Auburn Robo Camp student Taylor Macowksky has implemented this activity in Alice programming language. See the Video: Unplugged Public Key Encryption Implemented in Alice by Taylor Mackowsky
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Misha Leder, a Software Engineer at Google has an activity called Privacy and Encryption which can be a nice extension activity. You need to send a secret message to your friend via Internet. But there are very curious guys who want to read your message. How can you deliver the message safely? How can you confuse the very curious guys?
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The Royal Institution UK and Microsoft Research together have produced activities in encryption, cryptography, and zero knowledge protocols for the classroom at the locations below:
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Frank Tapson - Centre for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching has an informative booklet on Public Key Cryptography developed as a resource for Modulo Arithmetic Maths Curriculum.
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Centre for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching has the following teaching package in Modern Encryption developed to teach Codes and Ciphers in their Maths Curriculum: Modern Encryption: Teacher Guide, Student Guide, OHP Slides, Lesson Plans.
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Try Engineering has an activity called Hand Biometrics Technology which explores how engineers incorporate biometrics technologies into products, but also explores the challenges of engineers who must weigh privacy, security and other issues when designing a system. Students explore different biometrics techniques, find their own hand geometry biometrics, then work in teams of "engineers" to design a high-tech security system for a museum. Download Full Lesson Plan and Student Worsksheets.
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CS4FN has the following online activities/articles that demonstrates concepts in Binary and Gray code :
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Dr. Lisa N. Michaud has the following introductory handouts in Private Key Encryption and Public Key Encryption. See also Making Huffman Codes Handout to go with Making Huffman Codes Activity, and a Cryptography Lab Session
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nrich Maths has the following activities with notes and solutions provided: