Math Micro Teach Lesson Plan:

Hannah Perry & Elizabeth Mei

Lesson Title: The Enigma Machine
Lesson #:1
Date: October 19, 2017
Subject: History of Mathematics
Grade: 11

Rationale: Teach students the history of the enigma machine and how to crack the enigma
code. Students are able to used problem solving and decoding skills in this lesson.
Curriculum Connections: Social Studies. Mathematics
Curriculum Competencies: Curriculum Document
Big Idea: Historical mathematicians nurtured a sense of play and curiosity that led to the
development of many areas in mathematics.
Reasoning and analyzing
Explore, make connections, predict, analyze, generalize, and make conclusions
Use historically appropriate tools and technology to explore problems from the
past
Understanding and solving
Explore multiple strategies used to solve problems throughout history
Develop, construct, and apply mathematical understanding through play, inquiry,
and problem solving
Engage in problem-solving experiences that are connected to place, story, and
cultural practices relevant to the historical context
Communicating and representing
Communicate in a variety of ways, including written and oral language from a
variety of cultures
Understanding historical mathematical understanding through concrete, pictorial,
and symbolic representations of the past
Content:
Cryptography: use of cyphers, encryption, and decryption throughout history; modern
uses of cryptography in war; digital applications
Number and Number Systems: including written and oral numbers, zero, rational
numbers, pi, irrational numbers, prime numbers

Learning Intentions Activity Assessment

Problem Solving Solving the Enigma Code Worksheet and working as a

via Simulator group

How the Enigma Machine Worksheet Worksheet completeness

Worked?
Prerequisite Concepts and Skill:
Critical Thinking
Problem Solving

Materials and Resources with References/Sources:

For Teacher For Students

Imitation Game Clip: Decoding the Message

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C25Cw
NlVjA

Google Doc Worksheet Chromebooks/Laptops/Google Docs

Enigma Machine Simulator Enigma Machine Simulator

http://enigmaco.de/enigma/enigma.html http://enigmaco.de/enigma/enigma.html

Lesson Powerpoint
Projector

Differentiated Instruction (DI) (Accommodations):

Harder: Ability to change the Router Settings on the Enigma Simulator and create own
Code
Harder: Make longer more complicated messages with the same router settings as the
whole class
Easier: More simple Message
Pair and Share allows students that may be struggling to get help from a partner

Possible Aboriginal Connections/First Peoples Principles of Learning:

Learning is embedded in memory, history, and story.
Learning involves patience and time.

Lesson Activities:

Teacher Activities Student Activities Pacing

In the year 1939, a man Listening 5 Min

named Alan Turing, built a
machine (The Bombe) that
was capable of solving a
cipher that has 158 million
million possibilities!

Today we're going to learn

about the Enigma machine
and the people who broke the
code! Were also going to
learn how to use the machine
and crack some of our own
codes.

Video: Imitation Game Clip Watching the Clip 5 Min

Decoding the Message
https://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=_C25CwNlVjA

Online Enigma simulator Listen and watch the Enigma Simulator on the
shows how complex the code Projector
seems, also shows the
simplicity of the wiring inside.
http://enigmaco.de/enigma/en
igma.html

Begin by working together as

a class and showing how it
works (HI = _ _) Remind
students the astronomical
number of possibilities and
show how you can continue
pressing the same letter with
no pattern repetition at all.
Router Settings:1,2,3
Letter Settings: A, B, C
Message Answer:Helloclass

Students will engage with the
simulator playing around and
making codes. The entire
class will start on the same
settings and write a message
to be decoded.
Start rotors at the same place, so everyone is
on the same settings all the time
Pair and Share - They have to solve the
codes on the worksheet.
Then students will work on
decoding messages. As a
class, with a known starting
point, students will try to
decode each other's
messages.
Google Doc Worksheet w/Codes to break
Scaffolding/ Can I Do It? exercises that start
simple and gradually have less given
information and force students to do more
critical thinking on their own

Differentiated Learning: Make clues to router settings and a message

If this is too complex- use the on separate sheet, this will be given to
pocket enigma (only one another group for them to decypher.
rotor, easier to use).
Use worksheet, Easy to Hard
and students may choose
which codes they want to
break.

Possible relation to past Paper ticket out the door:

WW2 lessons, discuss the Groups Deciphered Message from another
historical importance of Alan group.
Turings creation (modern
computing) and the cracking
of the enigma code. Discuss
how cyphers continue to be
used, give examples.

Lesson Notes:

Answer Key:

1. Hello

2. Howareyou

3. Wowthisisneat

4. Whereareyoufrom

5. Alanturingcreatedthemachine

6. MathMathMathMathMath

7. Wesatinstarbucksandcreatedthisworksheet
8. Myfavouritefoodissteak

9. Lizisawesome

10. welovehistoricalconnections