Mastery Coding 5E Lesson Plan
Grade Band: Foundations License
(Elementary School)
LESSON TITLE
COURSE
How to Make a Safe
and Secure Password
Cyber Safety:
How to Make a
Password
UNIT
ESTIMATED TIME
1
25-35 minutes
Materials Needed
One ​Exit Card​ handout per
student
●
One ​Take Home​ handout per
student
●
Computer Keyboard
(optional)
ISTE Standards
DIGITAL CITIZEN:
Students recognize the rights,
responsibilities and opportunities of
living, learning and working in an
interconnected digital world, and
they act and model in ways that are
safe​,​ legal and ethical.
●
ESSENTIAL
QUESTION
Why is it ​extremely​ important to create a safe​ ​and secure
password?
LEARNING
OBJECTIVE
Students will be able to:
●
Create a safe and secure password
●
Understand the value of having a strong password
protecting their password
●
See the difference between a weak and a strong password
●
●
●
ACADEMIC
VOCABULARY
●
●
●
Password-​a secret word, phrase, or group of numbers that
a person must know to be allowed to enter a place or use a
computer system
Password reset​-the action of invalidating the old
password in order to create a new one
Online safety-​trying to to be safe on the internet and
maximizing a user’s awareness with the risks of using the
internet
Hacked-​when data is accessed without permission using a
computer
Intruder-​someone who enters a place or situation despite
not being invited
Sequence - ​a particular order in which related movements
or things follow each other
1
●
●
CAREER
CONNECTIONS
Symbol-​on computers, a character that is not a letter or a
number
Letter (capital/lowercase)-​a character representing one or
more sounds used in speech
Creating strong and secure passwords is a skill that ALL people
will need regardless of their career. From bankers to policemen
to teachers and doctors, passwords are used by almost all
professions.
Stage 1
ENGAGE
TEACHER DOES
STUDENT DOES
WHOLE CLASS ACTIVITY:
Estimated
Time
5 minutes
●
Teacher asks the class about a real-world
problem: ​“Who knows what it means to be
HACKED​”?
●
Teacher defines the word ​HACKED
●
HACKED: ​When an unwanted ​intruder
breaks into your private online space
●
Teacher explains, ​“This is why people
need a strong and secure p
​ assword.​”
● Students raise
their hands, share
their ideas,
insights and prior
knowledge.
● Students listen to
the definition of
the word ​hacked
and ask questions
if they don’t
understand any of
the ideas or
vocabulary.
2
Stage 2
EXPLORE
TEACHER DOES
STUDENT DOES
COLLABORATIVE SMALL GROUP
ACTIVITY:
Estimated
Time
10 minutes
[SLIDE 1]
● Teacher divides class into small groups of 3-4
● Teacher explains that e​ach group assigns will
need to create a WEAK ​password
[SLIDE 2]
● A WEAK ​password​ is something can be
easily
● Teacher defines a weak password
○ A weak​ password​ is one which is
easily discovered by people who are
not supposed to know it.
○ If the p
​ assword​ is too simple, an
intruder can “break in like a criminal”
● Teacher provides an example of a weak
password
○ Since my first name is Alan a weak
password w
​ ould be Alan… or Alan
123
○ Another weak password would be
DOGGY or KITTEN
● Teacher gives 2 minutes to create 3-5 weak
passwords per group
● Teacher makes a column on the board with
the title “weak ​passwords​”
● Teacher calls on students to provide weak
passwords
● Students listen
to the definition
and examples of
a WEAK
password and
ask questions if
they don’t
understand any
of the ideas or
vocabulary.
● Students have 2
minutes to make
a list of 3-5
WEAK
passwords
● Students share
weak passwords
to be added to
the list
Teaching Tip: if students are not answering this movement activity
correctly, stop and re-teach.
3
Stage 3
EXPLAIN
TEACHER DOES
STUDENT DOES
WHOLE CLASS ACTIVITY:
Estimated Time
[SLIDE 3]
●
Teacher explains the value of a strong
and secure ​password
●
5-10 minutes
●
● Students listen
to the definition
of strong and
A strong and secure ​password ​means it
secure password
is very difficult for anyone to figure out.
and ask
questions if they
Some characteristics of a strong and
don’t understand
secure ​password ​are that the
any of the ideas
passwords have a sequence of random
or vocabulary.
letters, (both capital and lowercase) as
well numbers and symbols.
“The path of least resistance is the path of the loser.” ​― ​H.G. Wells
4
Stage 4
ELABORATE
TEACHER DOES
STUDENT DOES
INDIVIDUAL STUDENT
ACTIVITY:
Estimated Time
[SLIDE 4]
●
Teacher explains to students that
t​hey will be creating a ​password
that is very hard to guess or hack
●
Teacher demonstrates how to
create a ​password​ that that is
very hard to guess or hack
●
Give each student a copy of the
Password Exit Card​ to complete
and turn in after the next activity.
15 minutes
HOW TO CREATE A SAFE &
SECURE PASSWORD:
●
Students will follow
along on the
Password Exit Card
as the teacher
creates a password
that is very hard to
guess or hack
[SLIDE 5]
STEP 1: Write down your favorite
animal
EXAMPLE: TIGER
[SLIDE 6]
STEP 2: Write down 5 different
numbers (That are not 12345)
[SLIDE 7]
STEP 3: Write down the name of your
favorite holiday.
EXAMPLE: THANKSGIVING
[SLIDE 8]
STEP 4: Choose a ​symbol​ on the
keyboard
Ex: %
5
[SLIDE 9]
STEP 5: Use the following formula to
make your strong ​password:
a) Choose the first three letters
of your favorite animal and
capitalize the first letter
Ex: Tig
[SLIDE 10]
b) Write the numbers again (that
are not 12345)
Ex: 75921
[SLIDE 11]
c) Choose the first three letters
of your favorite holiday and
capitalize the first letter
Ex:Tha
[SLIDE 12]
d) End with your ​symbol​ (i.e. add
an exclamation point)
Ex: !
[SLIDE 13]
STEP 6: Put it all together and you
have your new safe and secure
password
Ex: ​%Tig75921tha!
●
Student will now create 3
strong and secure ​passwords
on their own using the exit
card.
● Each student creates 3
strong and secure
passwords using the
formula provided by the
teacher on their own
Password Exit Card​.
6
Stage 5
EVALUATE
TEACHER DOES
STUDENT DOES
WHOLE CLASS ACTIVITY:
Estimated Time
5 minutes
[SLIDE 14]
CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING
●
Do not share your p
​ asswords
●
Do not use the word password in
your p
​ assword
●
Write your p
​ assword​ down and
keep it in a private, safe space so if
you forget it, you can find it again.
●
The longer your ​password,​ the
more secure
●
Mix Capital Letters with Lowercase
letters and include at least 1
number and one symbol
[SLIDE 15]
● Ask the class
“A strong password is?”
a)
Uses your birthday or home
address
b) Never shared with other
people
c) Includes only letters
Correct answer: b
[SLIDE 16]
● Ask the class
“Why are passwords important?”
d) They protect your online
information
e) They are linked to your
account only
f) Prevents you from being
hacked
Correct answers: a, b, c
7
[SLIDE 17]
● Have the students fill out the ​Take
Home Password​ activity with their
favorite password from the three
they wrote and bring it home to
give to their parents
● Students complete
the ​Take Home
Password​ activity and
deliver it to their
parents.
Cross-Disciplinary Learning Connections (optional)
ELA
●
Students write a letter to their parents explaining why it is
important to create a safe and secure password
Math
●
Science
●
Students analyze and create sequences and patterns with
numbers (odd numbers, even numbers, every other odd
number, and so on)
What animals use a “password system” for safety. (i.e. mother
lions calling their cubs, whale using sounds waves to
communicate, antelopes on the safari, and so on)
Extended Learning Opportunities (OPTIONAL)
Additional
Activities &
Outside
Resources
● Teach students that if they ever forget their password,
websites have a PASSWORD RESET feature… walk them
through the process.
Self Reflection
What went well?
What might need to be
re-taught or re-imagined?
Do any students still need
more help?
8