🔌 Ages 10 to 17 · how everyday tech works
How technology works, from passwords to chips
Password security, ciphers, logic gates and binary: the ideas inside the devices we use every day.
Every phone, bank app and website is built on a few simple ideas. A password is safe because the number of possibilities is huge. A secret code hides a message with a key. A chip decides using tiny gates that work in binary.
These lessons let you play with each idea. They also teach habits that keep you safe online, such as long, unique passwords and never sharing an OTP.
Interactive learning path
Technology: 4 lessons to do
Choose a lesson and explore the idea with diagrams, controls and guided questions.
Password Strength
Count how many passwords are possible to see why length matters.
Start the lesson →The Caesar Cipher
Shift the alphabet to hide and crack secret messages.
Start the lesson →Logic Gates
Switch inputs on and off to learn AND, OR, NOT, XOR and NAND.
Start the lesson →Binary Numbers
Flip eight switches to count in binary, the language of computers.
Start the lesson →Covered topics
What this area covers
Where to start
- Ages 10 to 12: Start with password strength and the Caesar cipher.
- Ages 12 to 15: Continue with logic gates and binary numbers.
- Ages 15 and up: Explore the computer science and AI areas next.
Practise next
Want a teacher to guide you through technology? See Coding classes by type. Teachers in our network teach every class and board, and a teacher is matched to the learner before anything is booked. We do not promise marks, grades or results.
FAQ
Technology: questions people ask
Does this teach me how to stay safe online?
It teaches the maths behind password strength and why habits like unique passwords matter. Never share passwords or OTPs with anyone.
Is the Caesar cipher secure?
No. It has only 25 keys and is easy to break. It is a first step to understand ciphers and keys.
What age is it for?
It suits ages 10 to 17, from first passwords and codes to how chips work.
Are the lessons free?
Yes. Every lesson is free, runs in your browser and needs no account.
Keep exploring
Other areas
Foundations
Number sense, fractions, percentages, shapes, counting and sets: the ideas every later topic stands on.
See the lessons →Algebra
Equations, slope, systems, quadratics and Pythagoras: algebra made visible with balances, lines and curves.
See the lessons →Probability and Statistics
Probability, averages and correlation: how to measure chance and what a pattern in data can and cannot tell you.
See the lessons →Calculus
Rate of change and area under a curve: the two big ideas of calculus, seen before they are symbolised.
See the lessons →Start a conversation
Want help with technology?
Tell us the age, topic and what feels hard. We match a teacher from our network and confirm the format before anything is booked.
- Tell us the learner’s age or grade and goals
- We’ll suggest a suitable class or learning path
- We’ll confirm format, timing and fees with a parent or guardian
Play it, don't just read it
Take a break and play
Free games that need no sign-up. Pick one and play for five minutes.
Pick a game
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- Clock GameRead an analogue clock, set the hands by dragging, and work out what…Play
- Fractions and Equivalent FractionsCut a bar into equal parts, shade it, and discover why 1/2 = 2/4.Play