Digital Forensics | Data Science Spreadsheets unit for KS3

Pupils work like a digital forensics team, sorting evidence from noise, building a timeline and writing clear conclusions. Pupils investigate a break-in at a community centre where a laptop is stolen and a donation account is tampered with.

They import evidence from CSV files into Excel, format timestamps, spot patterns across datasets and defend their timeline using evidence rather than opinions. Along the way they explore social engineering, network tracking (IP vs MAC) and how hashing helps prove evidence has not been altered.

Everything is fully planned and ready to teach. Includes fully editable PowerPoints, lesson plans and worksheets.

LESSONS INCLUDED

1. The case lands on your desk: Digital evidence, evidence vs leads vs noise, contamination and volatile data plus starting a case timeline.

2. The story hidden in files: Metadata and timestamps, importing a file list into Excel, formatting dates, filtering and sorting plus clock drift.

3. Following the trail with logs: Interpreting login, Wi-Fi and door access logs, linking actions across devices and accounts plus IP vs MAC addresses.

4. Proving nothing changed: Integrity, hashes, comparing hash values plus exhibit labels and evidence records.

5. How people get tricked: Routes into accounts, social engineering, 2FA pitfalls plus known facts vs assumptions.

6. Solving the case: Corroboration, assembling the case file and writing a clear conclusion backed by evidence.

WHO IS THIS FOR?
Ideal for KS3 computing classes and great for teachers who want a fresh, story driven unit that still hits core curriculum content through practical data analysis and cyber security.

Buy now to give pupils a real investigation to solve and skills they will use far beyond KS3.