Did you know that you can find the average age of a group of people without anyone having to real their age? This resource provides directions for way to do just that. After the activity, class members read a short passage that provides an explanation of why it may be important to keep some information hidden. The activity is the first in a three-part series about encryption.

Concepts

cryptography, cryptology, computer science, technology resources

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Instructional Ideas

• Use at the beginning of a unit on cryptography
• Because most classmates are close to the same age, use a different number that pupils would not normally share

Classroom Considerations

• Locate the David Chaum article for the class to read

Pros

• A quick example of showing how to gather information while keeping it private at the same time
• Provides a way to use the same system to determine the number of votes cast

Cons

• The class may not understand the need to hide information in this manner