Learning kitGrades 2-3

Computer science: cybersecurity

Cyber detective: the missing hamster

Crack a secret code in CryptoLab to find the missing class hamster, spot fake photos, follow digital footprints, see how a computer virus spreads, and stop a cyber attack. Ages 7 to 8 or grades 2 to 3, with a grown-up nearby for the first sitting.

Time
About 75 minutes, in two or three short sittings
Steps
5 steps, 1 of them in CryptoLab
You need
A computer or Chromebook with a keyboard. Printing is optional: every step works on screen. No account needed.
Unlock the kit, $5 I have a code

$5 for one learner: every step, the CryptoLab activities that check the work, the printable lesson, and the certificate with a page of the learner's own work.

A coded note, WKH KDPVWHU LV LQ WKH ERRN ERA, cracked with a shift cipher to read THE HAMSTER IS IN THE BOOK BOX.

The 5 steps

  1. 1Crack a code to solve a problemIn CryptoLabOh no! The class hamster is missing. Someone left a note, but it is in secret code. Learn how the code works in CryptoLab, then crack the note.
  2. 2Investigate what's real and fake in photosInvestigatePhotos can be changed on a computer. A detective looks for clues before believing a picture.
  3. 3Find out about digital footprintsRead and quizWhen you walk in snow, you leave footprints. When you go online, you leave a different kind.
  4. 4Investigate how a computer virus can spreadRead and quizA computer virus is a sneaky program. Like a cold, it spreads from one place to the next.
  5. 5Explore a cyber attackInvestigateA cyber attack is when someone tries to break into a computer or an account. Investigate this one and stop it.
CryptoLab's Caesar Cipher panel: HELLO WORLD with shift 3 becomes KHOOR ZRUOG, and a two-ring letter wheel.
Each step shows how CryptoLab works, then opens it with a checklist that ticks as the work gets done.

Work on a computer. The apps need a keyboard and a bigger screen than a phone: a laptop, desktop or Chromebook. You can pay here and open the emailed link on the computer.

One learner

Unlock the kit, $5

  • All 5 steps, worked on screen, with a lesson you can print if you like paper
  • CryptoLab activities that check the work as it is done
  • A numbered certificate with a page of the learner's own work: your secret code, the hamster clue and your notes

We email a link that opens the kit on any computer. No account needed. We keep the email only to send the kit and certificate links: privacy.

Have a discount code?
Co-ops and classes: unlock it for a group

One payment and one code. Each learner types the code to unlock the kit on their own computer, and gets their own certificate at the end. Your pack page shows who has started and finished.

See a sample certificate (PDF) · Already paid? Find your link

Questions

What does the learner do in Cyber detective: the missing hamster?

It has 5 steps: 1. Crack a code to solve a problem; 2. Investigate what's real and fake in photos; 3. Find out about digital footprints; 4. Investigate how a computer virus can spread; 5. Explore a cyber attack. Crack a secret code in CryptoLab to find the missing class hamster, spot fake photos, follow digital footprints, see how a computer virus spreads, and stop a cyber attack. Ages 7 to 8 or grades 2 to 3, with a grown-up nearby for the first sitting.

What age is it for?

Grades 2-3. About 75 minutes, in two or three short sittings.

What is needed?

A computer or Chromebook with a keyboard. Printing is optional: every step works on screen. No account needed.

Is there a certificate?

Yes. A numbered certificate with a page of the learner's own work, for your records or a portfolio. It is not course credit.

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