🧮 MATH CIRCLE – ACTIVITY 20 🛡️ Cryptography Basics

 

🧮 MATH CIRCLE – ACTIVITY 20

🛡️ Cryptography Basics

📅 DATE: 19-11-2025  🗓️ DAY: Wednesday

Objective:

To introduce students to basic encryption techniques and develop logical thinking through secret message coding.

Purpose:

To explore how mathematics is used in real-life security systems through ciphers like Caesar and Atbash.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand simple encryption techniques (Caesar cipher, Atbash).
• Apply modular arithmetic in coding/decoding messages.
• Appreciate the role of mathematics in cybersecurity.

Skills Developed:

Logical reasoning, pattern recognition, encoding-decoding, number sense.

Procedure:

1. Teacher introduces Caesar cipher (shift method).
2. Students encode and decode messages.
3. Practice Atbash cipher (reverse alphabet).
4. Students exchange secret messages and decode them.

Teacher’s Observations:

Students were excited to create and crack codes. They quickly grasped patterns and enjoyed the “spy-like” experience.

Student’s Reflections:

I loved sending secret messages! It made me realize math is used in security systems.
— By ____________

Photo Caption:

📸 Students creating and decoding secret messages using mathematical ciphers.