Lesson 1
Robots and AI
A normal program follows rules someone wrote. AI learns from examples.
New words
- Rule
- AI
- Pattern
Check understanding
5 questions, pass 4
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AI Explorer
What AI is, how chatbots work, and how to use them well and safely
Learners find out what AI is and how it differs from a program that follows rules, how a chatbot (a large language model) writes by predicting the next word, what AI can and cannot do today, how to write a clear prompt, why a chatbot only knows what is in the conversation, how to check AI answers against sources, why a chatbot does not know today's news, how to keep personal information safe, how AI learns from training data, and what AI lets them do in the future. They finish with a project: an animal fact file made with an AI helper, improved, checked against a source and credited.
- Ages
- 9+
- Estimated time
- 3 to 4 hours
- Course content
- 10 lessons + 1 project + final test
THE LEARNING ORDER
One idea. Then the next.
Read the big idea, see the words they will meet and explore how it is put into practice.
- Lesson 2Guided chatbot activity
What is a chatbot?
A chatbot is an LLM: it read a huge amount of text and writes by guessing the next word.
New words- LLM
- Predict
Check understanding5 questions, pass 4
- Lesson 3Guided chatbot activity
What AI can do today
AI can write, explain, translate and make things. It can't feel, doesn't know you, and can be wrong.
New words- Trusted adult
Check understanding5 questions, pass 4
- Lesson 4Guided chatbot activity
Talking to AI
A clear prompt says what you want, gives the facts, and says how. Then you check the answer.
New words- Prompt
Check understanding5 questions, pass 4
Game mission- Invite Gran to the Robot Show
- Lesson 5Guided chatbot activity
AI's memory
A chatbot only knows what is in this chat. A new chat starts blank, and long chats can lose track. So give it the facts it needs.
New words- Context
- Memory limit
Check understanding5 questions, pass 4
- Lesson 6
AI can be wrong
AI can sound sure and still be wrong. Check important facts in a good source.
New words- Hallucination
- Source
Check understanding5 questions, pass 4
Game mission- The Volcano Report
- Lesson 7Guided chatbot activity
AI doesn't know today
A chatbot learned from writing up to a cutoff date. For news, scores, weather and times, use an up-to-date source.
New words- Cutoff date
Check understanding5 questions, pass 4
- Lesson 8Guided chatbot activity
Stay safe with AI
Never give an AI your full name, address, school, phone number or passwords.
New words- Personal information
Check understanding5 questions, pass 4
Game mission- The Party Invitation
- Lesson 9
How AI learns
AI learns from training data. Gaps in the examples cause mistakes, and can make AI unfair.
New words- Training data
- Bias
Check understanding5 questions, pass 4
Game mission- Teach Sprout to Water
- Lesson 10Guided chatbot activity
AI and your future
People decide what AI is used for. With AI as a helper, you can learn, create and build.
Check understanding5 questions, pass 4
- Lesson 11ProjectGuided chatbot activity
Project: My AI fact file
Make a fact file with an AI helper: ask clearly, improve it, check the facts, keep it safe and say AI helped.
Check understanding5 questions, pass 4
The outcomes, in plain words.
The short lines explain the goal. The fuller wording is what appears on an earned course certificate.
Tell a rule robot from an AI that learns.
Explain the difference between a program that follows written rules and an AI system that learns from examples.
Explain how a chatbot writes, one guessed word at a time.
Explain in simple terms how a chatbot (a large language model) writes by predicting the next word, and why it can sound sure and still be wrong.
Know what AI can and can't do.
Describe what AI tools can and cannot do today, and when to go to a trusted adult instead.
Write a clear prompt.
Write a clear prompt for an AI chatbot that states the task, gives the facts it needs and says how the answer should be, knowing that a chatbot only sees what is in the conversation.
Check what AI says, and fix it.
Check AI answers against trusted and up-to-date sources, and correct what is wrong.
Keep private things out of AI.
Use an AI chatbot without sharing personal information such as full names, addresses, schools, phone numbers or passwords.
Explain how AI learns, and fix gaps in its examples.
Explain how AI learns from training data, and how gaps in the data cause mistakes and unfairness.
Plan how you'll use AI to learn and create.
Describe good ways to use AI to learn and create, with people in charge, and plan a first project to build with AI.
THE FINAL CHECK
Level 1 final test
Show what you've learned and earn your AI Explorer certificate.
10 questions, pass 8AI Explorer (Level 1)
An earned certificate records learning shown in the game and the support used. It is not an accredited qualification. Opening these course pages does not complete lessons or award a certificate.
TEACH FIRST. PRACTISE WITH PURPOSE.
A rhythm they can recognise.
Each lesson starts with the explanation. A game task is included where it helps practise that idea.
- 1
Learn
Picture cards, plain words and one idea at a time.
- 2
See it
A demonstration that makes the idea concrete.
- 3
Try it
Guided practice, with feedback to help them improve.
- 4
Do it
The matching game mission, where there is one.
- 5
Quiz
A short check, marked by the game's server.
A CLEAR NEXT STEP
Start with the first idea.
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