Advancing AI Literacy Lessons

AI Meets Medicine: A New Lens on the Cell Cycle

Biology | 9-12
Duration: 70 minutes
Author: Dr. Vashunda Warren, STEM Teacher and High School Principal

In this lesson, students will explore how artificial intelligence is transforming healthcare and scientific research. Through an interactive poll and a short video, they will uncover real-world applications of AI in diagnosing and treating diseases. Using an AI-powered simulation, learners will visualize the stages of the cell cycle and compare AI-generated explanations to traditional resources. This lesson sets the stage for critical thinking about technology’s role in biology and sparks curiosity for deeper exploration.

Lesson Plan Series

Lesson Objectives

Analyze real‐world applications of AI in medicine and infer implications for how we study cells.
Construct an evidence‐based explanation of how the cell cycle supports organism growth, citing stages and functions.
Critique an AI‐generated explanation of the cell cycle by comparing it with a textbook or simulation and deciding what to accept, revise, or reject.
Synthesize observations from an AI simulation and traditional sources into a concept map that accurately represents the cycle.

Essential Questions

In what ways is AI reshaping how scientists investigate living systems, and what should count as trustworthy evidence?
How does the structure of the cell cycle enable growth and repair, and why might different sources describe it differently?