Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence
Curriculum Map | Digital Foundations
Summary
Students learn that artificial intelligence is a kind of computer tool that can suggest, sort, recognize, or generate things. The lesson focuses on careful early vocabulary, not technical depth.
Teacher Overview
Use this as a first conversation about AI before students encounter generated images, suggestions, chat tools, or smart assistants.
Core idea:
- AI tools can make suggestions or create outputs from patterns.
- AI is not a person and does not understand like a person.
- Students should ask an adult before using AI tools.
- Students should be honest about computer help.
Level 1 - Entry
Goal: Students can recognize an AI example as computer help.
Teacher prep:
- Open the teacher slides.
- Choose one or two clear examples such as a voice assistant, image suggestion, translation, or autocomplete.
Steps:
- Show a familiar example of computer help.
- Ask students what the computer is helping with.
- Introduce AI as a tool that can suggest or make things.
- Sort examples into human choice and computer help.
- Students share one safe question they could ask an adult.
Check for understanding:
- Student can name one way AI can help.
Extension:
- Ask students to draw a tool that gives suggestions.
Level 2 - Developing
Goal: Students can compare human choices with computer suggestions.
Teacher prep:
- Prepare paired examples such as a student drawing and a generated image, or a typed word and autocomplete suggestion.
Steps:
- Review that AI tools make suggestions or outputs.
- Compare a human-made choice and a computer suggestion.
- Discuss which parts still need human thinking.
- Students identify where AI might make a mistake.
- Students write or say one responsible-use rule.
Check for understanding:
- Student can explain that AI output should be checked by a person.
Extension:
- Ask students to improve an AI suggestion with their own choice.
Level 3 - Extending
Goal: Students can explain a benefit, a limit, and a safe-use choice for AI.
Teacher prep:
- Prepare an age-appropriate scenario involving AI suggestions or generated media.
Steps:
- Present the scenario.
- Students identify what the AI tool helps with.
- Students identify one thing the tool might get wrong.
- Students choose a safe or honest action.
- Students explain the action using "useful because" and "careful because."
Check for understanding:
- Student can name both a benefit and a caution.
Extension:
- Ask students to create a class AI-use reminder.