Introduction to Artificial Intelligence in the classroom

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has an impact on many areas of daily life: it autocorrects the text you type on your phone, choses the music your favourite music app plays, and it remembers your passwords when you have forgotten them. AI refers to a combination of machine learning, robotics, and algorithms, with applications in all fields: from computer science to manufacturing, and from medicine to fashion. Therefore, it has an undeniable place in our lives and in our societies and it plays a key role in science development. And as any other important phenomena in our lives, students will benefit from learning about it. But how to teach about such a complex thing as AI?

This Learning Bit will help you explain to students what AI is and what role does it play in students’ lives. These activities are designed for non-experts to easily understand the contents, and to be able to effectively break down complex terms into easily understandable ideas. With these lesson plans you can help students learn the uses of AI and some of the mechanisms behind it. These activities are designed for students to develop their analytical and critical thinking skills: for example, in Marjana’s activity students develop a classification pipeline. These activities will also help students understand the varied applications of AI: in Artur’s activity they will learn about the link between AI and Art, and how AI can be used to enhance visual expression. With these activities, students will also reflect on the dangers of AI, and their impact.

Download the video script

Ready to share what you learnt with your students?

Choose one of the lesson plans below and organize an activity with your students.

• Human-AI- Art, for Primary School
• Teaching Machines to Classify: Intro to Supervised Machine Learning, for Lower Secondary School
• Teaching Machines to Classify: Intro to Supervised Machine Learning, for Upper Secondary School

Do not forget to add your activity to the Code Week Map!

You can easily organize a lesson in your classroom, an open day, or an event at your school. Just find a date and register your activity in the Code Week map. Each activity organizer will get a certificate of participation for their effort.

If you would like to connect with an international group of enthusiastic teachers, join the EU Code Week Facebook group for teachers! To take a step further and collaborate with other schools in your country or across borders – join the Code Week 4 All challenge.