Cyber Defenders: Passwords, Phishing and Careers

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Technology and Computer Science · Computer Science
SP-CS-009 · Free to print and use in your classroom · substituteplans.com
Page 2
Cyber Defenders: Passwords, Phishing and
Careers
Technology and Computer Science · Computer Science · Grades 9-12 · 50 minutes
Time needed
50 minutes (one class period)
Prep
Copy the 2-page worksheet (one per student). No board work is needed.
Technology
None. Calculators are optional for the password math.
Student
independence
High. Students read and answer on their own, then discuss the career question.
Copies to make
One 2-page worksheet per student
Materials
Pencils, Worksheet, Calculators (optional)
Goal for today: Students will explain basic account-protection practices, calculate how length changes the number of
possible passwords, identify warning signs in sample messages, and match computing careers to their tasks.
Before the bell
☐ Copy the worksheet, one per student (2 pages).
☐ Tell students at the start: do NOT write any real password, PIN or account name on this worksheet. All
examples are made up.
☐ Have calculators ready if students want them for Part B. They are optional.
☐ Keep the answer key on your desk. You do not need to know any computer science.
Say this to start
Today you will learn how people protect accounts and information online. This is the defensive side of computing,
which is a big field with many jobs. You will read a short passage, do some math about how many possible passwords
there are, look at sample messages for warning signs, and match careers to what those workers do. Please do not
write any of your real passwords on the paper. Everything we use is made up.

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Run of show
Minutes
What you do
What students do
0–5
Take attendance. Hand out the worksheet. Say clearly: “Do
not write any real password, PIN or account name on this
paper.”
Settle in and look at the title and the
passage.
5–15
Tell students to read the passage silently, or ask volunteers
to read paragraphs aloud.
Read and underline the bold terms.
15–22
Tell students to do Part A (questions 1 and 2).
Answer from the passage.
22–33
Tell students to do Part B (questions 3 through 5), the
password math. Calculators are optional. If students are
stuck, remind them that 10 × 10 × 10 × 10 is 10,000.
Calculate the number of possible
passwords.
33–41
Tell students to do Part C (questions 6 through 8) on
warning signs in sample messages.
Decide whether each message looks
suspicious and name a clue.
41–48
Tell students to do Part D (questions 9 through 13,
matching) and question 14, a short answer. Partners may
share answers on question 14.
Match each career to its job and write a
short answer.
48–50
Collect all worksheets.
Hand in the paper.
If things go wrong
• If students ask how to hack an account, say today’s lesson is about defending accounts. They can write about
protections only.
• If a student starts writing a real password, tell them to cross it out and use a made-up example instead.
• If a student shares something that worries you, follow your school’s reporting procedure and tell the office
right away.
• If students argue about whether a sample message is real, tell them to look for the warning signs in the
passage.
Early finishers
• Write three tips for a family member to protect an online account.
• Describe a computing career you would like to learn more about and write one question you would ask
someone in that job.
Support and challenge
• Support: Let students skip question 5 and use a calculator for questions 3 and 4. Have them do questions 1,
2, 6, 9 to 13.
• Challenge: Ask students to explain why a long passphrase of four random words can be easy to remember
and hard to guess.

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Technology and Computer Science · Computer Science
SP-CS-009 · Free to print and use in your classroom · substituteplans.com
Page 4
Notes for the teacher (you fill this in)
Jot a few lines before you leave. A full Daily Sub Report is in the free Sub Survival Kit at SubstitutePlans.com.
How far the class got / what to pick up next:
Students who were especially helpful:
Anything the teacher should know: