What you will learn
How this course keeps it safe
Safe, age-appropriate AI learning for primary classrooms
Children never use public AI tools themselves. Teachers introduce AI awareness, patterns, data and ethics through stories, unplugged games and safe demonstrations — even in classrooms with limited technology.
Child safety first: teacher-controlled demonstrations, no fear-based messaging, and only fictional data — never a child's name, photo or details.
Separate explanations for Classes 1–2 and Classes 3–5, taught through stories, play and concrete objects — accurate without anthropomorphizing AI.
Most activities need no device at all. Every major activity includes a no-device and a one-device option, for real classrooms with limited technology.
Children never use public AI accounts. The teacher runs any demonstration, reviews every output, and stays responsible for what reaches the class.
What you'll build
You graduate with a reviewed Classes 1–5 Implementation Portfolio — ten classroom-ready components, including a four-week plan — scored on a ten-criterion rubric.
Course Syllabus
Explain what AI is, what it is not, and where children meet it — without anthropomorphizing AI or overstating what it can do, with separate explanations for Classes 1–2 and Classes 3–5.
Learning Outcomes
- Give a simple, accurate definition of AI and distinguish it from automation, fixed rules and human judgement (LO1, LO2).
- Plan separate, age-appropriate explanations of AI for Classes 1–2 and Classes 3–5 (LO1, LO8).
- Correct common child misconceptions about AI with a calm, accurate teacher response (LO1, LO6).
Lessons
AI Around Us
Objective: Define AI simply and accurately, and distinguish AI from ordinary software, fixed rules and human thinking.
Explaining AI to Classes 1–2
Objective: Explain a simple AI idea to Classes 1–2 using a story, concrete examples and play, without technical jargon.
Explaining AI to Classes 3–5
Objective: Explain AI to Classes 3–5 using inputs, patterns, outputs and a human check, including limitations and human responsibility.
Misconceptions and Teacher Decisions
Objective: Identify common child misconceptions about AI and choose an accurate, calm teacher response for each.
Module Assessment
Misconception-response set + awareness story · 8 Questions
Visual Concepts
Comparison Chart
"AI, Automation or Neither?" Comparison Map
Timeline Visual
Illustrated Story: Mina Meets a Pattern Machine
Flowchart
Input → Pattern → Prediction → Human Check flow
Comparison Chart
Misconception → Better Teacher Response
Resources
AI vocabulary cards (Teacher-facing)
Accurate, child-friendly definitions.
AI / non-AI sorting cards (Classes 1–2, 3–5)
For the sorting game.
Teacher explanation guide
How to explain AI accurately by class band.
"Mina Meets a Pattern Machine" story script (Classes 1–2)
Five-minute awareness story.
Classroom poster + family conversation sheet (Parent-facing)
Age-appropriate poster and a home discussion sheet.
Develop sequencing, decomposition, rules, debugging and algorithmic thinking through movement, games and physical classroom activities — no devices required.
Learning Outcomes
- Explain an algorithm as a clear step-by-step set of instructions, and facilitate an unplugged sequencing activity (LO3).
- Teach decomposition by breaking a larger task into smaller steps (LO3).
- Introduce debugging through finding and fixing an error in an emotionally safe way, with inclusive adaptations (LO3).
Lessons
Instructions and Sequences
Objective: Explain an algorithm as ordered steps and run an unplugged activity where children put instructions in the correct order.
Decomposition
Objective: Teach children to break a larger classroom task into smaller, manageable sub-tasks.
Debugging Through Play
Objective: Introduce debugging — finding, testing and fixing an error — in an emotionally safe, playful way.
Inclusive Unplugged Activities
Objective: Adapt an unplugged computational-thinking activity so every learner can take part, and submit one activity plan.
Module Assessment
Unplugged activity plan (one submitted) · 8 Questions
Visual Concepts
Timeline Visual
Sequence Cards / Step Chains
Flowchart
Whole Task → Smaller Tasks Concept Map
Cycle Diagram
Find → Test → Fix Debugging Loop
Checklist
Inclusive Adaptation Checklist
Resources
Algorithm cards
PDF classroom resource
Classroom maze
PDF classroom resource
Debugging worksheet
PDF classroom resource
Inclusive adaptation checklist
PDF classroom resource
Teacher observation sheet
PDF classroom resource
Show how people and AI systems use patterns to predict, while teaching that patterns can be incomplete, coincidental or unfair.
Learning Outcomes
- Facilitate visual, sound, number and movement pattern games and explain prediction from repeated patterns (LO4).
- Distinguish strong evidence from guessing, and show how too few examples can produce a wrong rule (LO4, LO6).
- Design differentiated pattern games for Classes 1–2 and Classes 3–5 (LO4, LO8).
Lessons
Finding Patterns
Objective: Facilitate pattern games across shapes, colours, sounds, movements and numbers, with an accessible non-drag alternative.
Patterns and Predictions
Objective: Teach the Observe → Predict → Check → Revise cycle using repeated patterns.
When Patterns Mislead
Objective: Show, with child-safe examples, how too few examples or coincidences can produce a wrong or unfair rule.
Designing Pattern Games
Objective: Design a pattern-recognition game with separate Classes 1–2 and Classes 3–5 versions and individual, pair and whole-class options.
Module Assessment
Pattern-recognition activity (differentiated, submitted) · 8 Questions
Visual Concepts
Cycle Diagram
Observe → Predict → Check → Revise cycle
Comparison Chart
Pattern Types (shape, sound, number, movement)
Timeline Visual
Misleading-pattern Story Panel
Checklist
Pattern-game Differentiation Template
Resources
Pattern cards
PDF classroom resource
Sound and movement activity guide
PDF classroom resource
Prediction worksheet
PDF classroom resource
Misleading-pattern story
PDF classroom resource
Differentiation template
PDF classroom resource
Introduce data, attributes, categories, labels, sorting and classification with safe classroom objects — while establishing strong privacy discipline and never using student personal data.
Learning Outcomes
- Define data in child-friendly terms and facilitate classification using safe classroom objects (LO5).
- Explain that classification depends on the chosen attributes and labels, and identify poor-quality data (LO5, LO6).
- Avoid collecting or entering personally identifiable student data into any AI tool (LO5, LO12).
Lessons
What Is Data?
Objective: Define data in child-friendly terms using safe, non-personal examples like weather, leaves and classroom objects.
Sorting and Classification
Objective: Facilitate sorting by one and by multiple attributes, and show why category choices matter.
Labels, Quality and Missing Information
Objective: Help children recognise correct vs incorrect labels, missing examples and ambiguous categories, and why clean data matters.
Privacy and Safe Data Practices
Objective: Apply firm privacy rules — never entering student personal data into public AI tools — and design a safe, non-personal sorting activity.
Module Assessment
Safe sorting activity (submitted) · 8 Questions
Visual Concepts
Flowchart
From Observation to Data card
Comparison Chart
Good Data / Problem Data comparison board
Flowchart
Privacy Decision Tree
Checklist
Sort by One / Many Attributes
Resources
Sorting cards
PDF classroom resource
Safe-data checklist
PDF classroom resource
Fictional sample dataset
PDF classroom resource
Privacy decision tree
PDF classroom resource
Parent-facing privacy note
PDF classroom resource
Introduce fairness, honesty, transparency, inclusion, attribution and human responsibility through stories and discussion — without frightening children.
Learning Outcomes
- Facilitate ethical discussions about fairness and bias through familiar, child-safe situations (LO6).
- Teach children to verify important information and ask a trusted adult when uncertain (LO6).
- Identify stereotypes and exclusion in generated material and stories (LO6).
Lessons
Fair and Unfair Decisions
Objective: Use a child-safe story to discuss fairness, who might be left out, and who should review a decision.
Truth, Mistakes and Made-Up Answers
Objective: Teach that AI can give confident but incorrect answers, and that important information must be verified with a trusted adult.
Images, Ownership and Attribution
Objective: Distinguish AI-generated from real images and teach respect for creators, permission and attribution.
Inclusion and Respect
Objective: Review stories, examples and images for stereotypes and exclusion, and create a responsible ethics story with a discussion guide.
Module Assessment
Ethics story + discussion guide (submitted) · 8 Questions
Visual Concepts
Cycle Diagram
Stop → Check → Compare → Ask cycle
Checklist
Fairness Checklist
Checklist
AI-output Review Checklist
Comparison Chart
Inclusion Review Matrix
Resources
Four illustrated ethics stories
PDF classroom resource
Discussion cards
PDF classroom resource
Fairness checklist
PDF classroom resource
AI-output review checklist
PDF classroom resource
Attribution guide
PDF classroom resource
Conduct safe, purposeful, teacher-controlled AI demonstrations without exposing children's data or presenting AI output as unquestionable — always with an offline alternative.
Learning Outcomes
- Decide when an AI demonstration is educationally justified, using a clear decision framework (LO7).
- Write a simple, controlled teacher prompt using fictional inputs, and review outputs with the ACCEPT framework (LO7, LO6).
- Provide an equivalent non-AI activity for every demonstration and document all edits before classroom use (LO7).
Lessons
When an AI Demonstration Is Appropriate
Objective: Use a seven-question decision framework to judge whether an AI demonstration is educationally justified and safe.
Safe Prompting for Teachers
Objective: Write a simple, controlled teacher prompt (role, task, learner age, context, constraints, format, safety, review) using only fictional inputs.
Reviewing Generated Content (ACCEPT)
Objective: Review AI-generated content with the ACCEPT framework — Accuracy, Child appropriateness, Cultural inclusion, Equity/bias, Privacy, Teacher judgement.
Demonstration Lab
Objective: Plan and document one safe, reviewed AI demonstration with fictional inputs, an ACCEPT review, an edit log and an offline alternative.
Module Assessment
Reviewed demonstration artifact (with edit log) · 8 Questions
Visual Concepts
Flowchart
Classroom AI Demonstration Decision Tree
Radar Chart
ACCEPT Review Wheel
Checklist
Safe Prompt Structure Card
Comparison Chart
Before / After Review Example
Resources
Safe prompting template
PDF classroom resource
ACCEPT checklist
PDF classroom resource
Demonstration planning sheet
PDF classroom resource
Fictional-data pack
PDF classroom resource
Before-and-after review example
PDF classroom resource
Explain classroom AI literacy to parents clearly, calmly and transparently — what children will and will not do, the privacy safeguards, and safe home activities without AI accounts.
Learning Outcomes
- Explain why age-appropriate AI literacy is taught, and clarify what children will and will not do (LO10).
- Communicate data and privacy safeguards and respond calmly to common parent concerns (LO10).
- Offer safe home discussion activities that need no AI account or device (LO10).
Lessons
What Parents Need to Know
Objective: Explain the course purpose, teacher supervision, privacy practices and that children use no unsupervised public AI accounts.
Responding to Parent Concerns
Objective: Respond calmly and accurately to common parent concerns about AI, dependence, data, chatting, accuracy and screen time.
Multilingual and Inclusive Communication
Objective: Communicate with parents in plain, translation-ready, jargon-free language with accessible formats for varied literacy levels.
Home Activities without AI Accounts
Objective: Develop safe, screen-free home activities families can do without any AI account or device, and submit a parent information note.
Module Assessment
Parent information note (submitted) · 8 Questions
Visual Concepts
Flowchart
Parent-question Response Guide
Comparison Chart
What Children Will / Will Not Do
Comparison Chart
Technical → Plain-language Rewrite
Checklist
Screen-free Home Activities Map
Resources
Parent letter
PDF classroom resource
Parent FAQ
PDF classroom resource
Consent/notification template
PDF classroom resource
Home activity sheet
PDF classroom resource
Multilingual glossary
PDF classroom resource
Combine the course learning into an accessible, classroom-ready implementation pack: readable handouts, differentiated activities, formative checks and a four-week plan.
Learning Outcomes
- Design readable, accessible handouts for young learners with a clear teacher answer key (LO9).
- Create differentiated activities for Classes 1–2 and Classes 3–5 with no-device and one-device options (LO8, LO9).
- Develop varied formative checks and plan a four-week AI-literacy sequence with human review documented (LO9, LO11, LO12).
Lessons
Designing Handouts for Young Learners
Objective: Design a readable, accessible handout for young learners: large type, short instructions, visual cues, low-ink and a clear answer key.
Differentiation for Classes 1–2 and Classes 3–5
Objective: Provide every major activity with Classes 1–2 and 3–5 versions, support and extension, and individual/pair, no-device/one-device options.
Formative Assessment
Objective: Use varied formative-assessment methods for young learners — not only written quizzes — including observation, oral explanation, sorting, drawing and exit tickets.
Four-Week Implementation Plan
Objective: Plan a four-week AI-literacy sequence (awareness, patterns, data, ethics/demonstrations) with objectives, activities, assessment, accessibility, privacy, parent communication and reflection.
Module Assessment
Implementation portfolio (draft; completed as the course portfolio) · 8 Questions
Visual Concepts
Checklist
Handout Design Checklist
Comparison Chart
Differentiation Options Grid
Radar Chart
Formative-assessment Methods Wheel
Timeline Visual
Four-week Implementation Roadmap
Resources
Handout template
PDF classroom resource
Lesson-plan template
PDF classroom resource
Four-week planner
PDF classroom resource
Observation rubric
PDF classroom resource
Portfolio cover sheet
PDF classroom resource
Implementation reflection form
PDF classroom resource
AI can draft, but it does not understand or verify. You remain responsible for the accuracy, fairness, privacy and classroom-appropriateness of anything you use.