As a part of the WeTeach_AI Initiative, the Advancing AI Literacy project brought together outstanding educators to design universally-appropriate, teacher-crafted lessons that bring Artificial Intelligence literacy into the classroom. Over the course of a year, participating teachers engaged in advanced training through our Guiding Principles for Effective Computer Science Teaching and Scaling Innovative Pedagogy course, piloted AI curricula with students, and collaborated to develop exemplar lessons rooted in belonging, creativity, and accessibility. These lessons—created by teachers, for teachers—serve as a foundation for building welcoming AI literacy across K–12 classrooms and are now available to be shared with the broader education community.
In this lesson, students investigate how artificial intelligence (AI) supports renewable energy production, grid management, and system maintenance. They analyze how AI uses data to optimize sustainability while considering ethical concerns such as responsible energy allocation, data privacy, and environmental impact. Through research, debate, and solution-building, students evaluate the role of AI in creating responsible approaches to sustainability. The lesson builds critical thinking, strengthens data literacy, and encourages students to consider both the technical and ethical dimensions of AI in society.
In this lesson, students dive into collecting, cleaning, visualizing, and interpreting data to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) systems operate and influence society. Through hands-on investigations, collaborative problem-solving, and ethical reflection, they uncover patterns, test hypotheses, and see the real-world impact of AI in action. Aligned with CSTA, ISTE, and Texas state standards for Technology Applications, the lesson emphasizes accessible, practical applications that connect technical skills with meaningful social insights.
In this astronomy lesson, students explore the properties and life cycles of stars by using artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool for data collection, analysis, and visualization. Working in groups, they prompt AI to generate Hertzsprung–Russell (HR) diagrams while also manually plotting star data such as mass, temperature, luminosity, magnitude, and color for comparison. Whole-class discussion connects these activities to real-world scientific practices, highlighting how AI supports astronomers in analyzing complex datasets. The lesson blends AI-powered tools with traditional scientific methods, strengthening both content knowledge and critical thinking about the role of AI in science.
In this environmental science lesson, students investigate how artificial intelligence (AI) and remote sensing technologies, such as satellite imagery, are used to detect and quantify deforestation. Using geographic information systems (GIS) tools—software that allows users to capture, analyze, and visualize spatial data—they examine environmental changes caused by human activity and evaluate the resulting impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem stability. Students then engage in research and discussion to propose informed strategies for sustainable land management. The lesson emphasizes the role of AI in addressing global environmental challenges while encouraging reflection on the ethical and societal implications of environmental decision-making.
In this high school mathematics lesson, students explore the fundamentals of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) through a mathematical lens. They distinguish between AI and ML, trace AI’s evolution from rule-based systems to modern data-driven technologies, and examine real-world applications such as recommendation systems, chatbots, facial recognition, and voice assistants. Through inquiry-based activities using Claims, Evidence, and Reasoning (CER), students apply concepts like logic, functions, probability, and data analysis to investigate how AI systems process information and learn from data. The lesson emphasizes mathematical reasoning, critical thinking, and ethical reflection, preparing students to evaluate AI’s role in society with both qualitative and quantitative perspectives.
In this lesson, students explore how artificial intelligence (AI)—specifically large language models (LLMs)—can influence personal storytelling. Through collaborative activities, individual writing tasks, and whole-class discussions, students examine how LLMs can enhance narratives by adding detail and structure, while also recognizing the potential for inaccuracies and bias. By comparing their original stories to AI-generated versions, students develop critical thinking skills and reflect on the role of human authorship in digital storytelling. The lesson builds foundational AI literacy, encourages thoughtful engagement with technology, and strengthens writing and communication skills through real-world application.
In this lesson, students investigate how artificial intelligence (AI) can enrich the study of personal narratives and storytelling. Working in small groups, they debate ideas, complete structured activities, and present their findings by blending real-world examples with AI tools. Along the way, students uncover how bias in AI and large language models can shape or distort perspective, prompting critical reflection on these technologies. The lesson sharpens writing and communication skills while deepening students’ awareness of AI’s influence on how stories are told and understood.
This lesson engages students in exploring the cell cycle, cell differentiation, and the consequences of disruptions such as cancer through direct instruction, collaborative learning, and AI-assisted activities. Students analyze how cells grow and specialize, and evaluate why errors in the cycle can lead to disease. By integrating digital tools, students also build skills in assessing the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated content. The lesson strengthens biological understanding while fostering digital literacy and critical thinking about AI.
This lesson engages students in examining the connections between social media, personal identity, and artificial intelligence. Students analyze how AI shapes the content presented on social platforms and consider the ethical implications of these systems. Through reflection and discussion, they develop strategies for navigating digital spaces more thoughtfully. The lesson strengthens media literacy while fostering critical awareness of AI’s influence on daily life.
This interdisciplinary lesson engages students in exploring how rocks can be understood through scientific classification, cultural narratives, and AI analysis. Through a series of investigations, students identify rock samples, train and test an AI classifier, and evaluate its performance to uncover both the strengths and limitations of machine learning. The lesson emphasizes that while AI can recognize patterns, it cannot capture context or meaning, highlighting the continuing importance of human judgment, cultural perspective, and ethical awareness. The experience strengthens scientific reasoning while fostering critical reflection on AI’s role in interpreting the world.
This lesson introduces students to the foundational concepts of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Students investigate how AI simulates human thinking, how ML uses data to improve performance, and the historical development of these technologies. They distinguish between AI as the broader goal of making computers act intelligently and ML as a primary method of achieving this by training systems with data rather than explicit rules. Real-world applications such as chatbots, recommendation systems, and image recognition anchor the concepts in everyday experiences. The lesson builds conceptual understanding while fostering critical awareness of how AI systems learn and evolve.
