Secure Network Projects

Overview

This final lesson in the unit brings together students’ understanding of how data moves through wired and wireless networks and how security protects that data. In teams, students design a small network and present a secure solution, demonstrating knowledge of network transmission, basic reliability considerations, and protection methods.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• design a small wired/wireless network for a given scenario, including expected performance and reliability
• explain how data is transmitted across network links and why delivery can fail or be delayed
• propose security measures to protect data in transit using appropriate techniques
• justify choices using simple technical reasoning and communicate the design clearly in a presentation

Success criteria

Students can:

• describe key features of a network (for example, bandwidth, latency, reliability) and compare wired versus wireless for the scenario
• explain, in clear terms, why cryptography is necessary when sending sensitive data over networks
• model or describe a simple encryption/decryption approach to show how data could be protected
• present a secure network design and respond to questions using evidence from their planning

Curriculum links

• Investigate how data is transmitted and secured in wired and wireless networks including the internet, focusing on comparing properties (bandwidth/latency/reliability), explaining why cryptography is necessary, and exploring simple encryption/decryption
• Explain how problems can occur in network communication and how they can be solved (for example, packet loss and acknowledgement behaviour) within network reasoning for the design
• Use and share content online responsibly as part of project collaboration and presentation planning ## Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–8 min · Launch & team roles. Teacher reviews success criteria and confirms team roles (designer, security lead, network engineer, presenter). Students reopen their design brief, checklist, and materials from the previous lessons, then confirm tasks for the final build/presentation.

2. 8–25 min · Design build: network + performance notes. Teacher circulates with targeted questions about where data travels (devices → links → network → destination) and prompts comparisons of wired versus wireless for bandwidth, latency, and reliability. Students complete their network diagram and add 2–3 lines explaining expected performance (for example, where Wi‑Fi might increase latency or reliability issues and where Ethernet would be more reliable).

3. 25–40 min · Security build: protect data in transit. Teacher delivers a brief reminder on cryptography: attackers can intercept data, so sensitive information should be encrypted; then demonstrates how to represent “encrypt then send then decrypt” using an example method students already practised (for example, ROT13 or XOR). Students add a security section to their project:

• what data must be protected (for example, login details, payment details, private messages)
• where encryption would occur (data leaving the sender before it travels across the network)
• a simple example showing how encryption/decryption would work (written or diagrammed)

4. 40–50 min · Communication & presentation rehearsal. Teacher provides a quick structure for pitching: scenario → network layout → how data is transmitted → performance trade-offs → security measures → justification. Students rehearse in their teams, practising a 2–3 minute pitch and preparing answers for likely questions (for example, “Why is wired more reliable here?” “What happens if packets don’t arrive?” “How does encryption help if someone intercepts traffic?”).

5. 50–58 min · Team presentations (rapid round). Teacher runs a rapid presentation rotation (about 2 minutes per team plus quick Q&A). Students present in assigned order; teammates provide constructive feedback using the success criteria language.

6. 58–60 min · Exit ticket: justify one choice. Teacher collects a short exit ticket and states that it is part of summative evidence. Students answer: “Choose one network or security decision you made—explain why it improves transmission or protection of data.”

Resources

• Network design brief (one per team) and project checklist (success criteria mapped)
• Large paper or poster boards, coloured markers, rulers
• Device cards/symbol set for common components (router, switch, access point, clients, server)
• Template for network diagram plus “performance and reliability” notes
• Security planning template including “data to protect”, “where encryption happens”, and “simple example”
• Encryption/decryption reference sheet (student-friendly: ROT13 or XOR example)
• Timer and presentation note cards
• Exit ticket slips or digital form (offline option)

Assessment

• Formative during design work: teacher checks teams’ diagrams and asks targeted questions about bandwidth/latency/reliability and where security is applied
• Formative peer feedback: students use success criteria language to provide one “strength” and one “next improvement”
• Summative evidence: the quality of the final presentation and the exit ticket justification

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters for explanations (“In this network, data travels from…”, “Cryptography is needed because…”, “Wired is more reliable because…”)
• Support: offer a partially completed diagram template for students who need structure
• Extension: for students who finish early, require an added “problem in communication” explanation (for example, packet loss) and a proposed solution using acknowledgements or retransmission logic
• EAL/SEN adjustments: allow diagrams and labelled steps as primary responses; use consistent vocabulary lists on the board; assign roles that match strengths (for example, security lead can focus on explanations and examples)