🎒 Activity Pack: AI Ethics Scenarios

👩‍🏫 Teacher Overview

• Grade Band: Middle (6–8)
• Objective: Students explore ethical dilemmas faced by AI in everyday school-life contexts.
• Time Needed: 45 minutes
• ISTE Standards:
• Digital Citizen: Understand responsibilities when using AI and technology.
• Global Collaborator: Compare perspectives, values, and reasoning with peers.
• Key Vocabulary: ethics, trade-off, values, fairness, transparency.

📦 Materials

• Scenario cards (printable set below)
• Colored voting cards (e.g., red/blue/green for different choices)
• Student worksheet (reflection & recording answers)
• Optional: projector or slides to show scenarios visually

📝 Teacher Steps

1. Set Up (5 min)

• Introduce: “AI often has to make choices when people disagree about what’s best.”
• Define ethical dilemma: no easy right/wrong answer, just trade-offs.

2. Scenario Round (20 min)

• Present one scenario (e.g., AI Lunch Helper).
• Students vote using colored cards or hands-up.
• Ask for volunteers to explain why they voted that way.
• Repeat with 2–3 more scenarios.

3. Group Exploration (10 min)

• Small groups pick one scenario to dive deeper.
• Each group:
• Chooses an answer.
• Lists 2 values their choice prioritizes (e.g., fairness, safety, freedom).
• Suggests one unintended consequence.

4. Debrief & Compare (10 min)

• Share group answers on the board.
• Highlight differences — some groups prioritize fairness, others fun, others safety.
• Discuss: Who should decide what an AI values?

🧒 Student Worksheet

Name: _____________________

Scenario: ___________________

Part 1 – My Choice

I chose: ________________________

Why? __________________________

Part 2 – My Group’s Choice

We prioritized these values:

Possible unintended consequence:

Part 3 – Reflection

1. Was there a “right” answer? ___ Yes / No
2. Who might disagree with me? ____________________
3. Should AI always need a human override? Why/why not?

✂️ Scenario Cards (ready to print/cut)

You already drafted 8 excellent scenarios:

1. The AI Lunch Helper
2. The Smart Study Buddy
3. The AI Team Captain
4. The Content Curator
5. The AI Art Judge
6. The Environmental Helper
7. The AI Game Referee
8. The Language Learning Assistant

Each one already has 3 dilemmas → so you’ve got 24 discussion prompts.

That’s enough for multiple lessons or rotating stations.

Scenarios

1. The AI Lunch Helper

An AI system manages the school cafeteria. It must decide:

• Should it prioritize healthy options even if students prefer pizza every day?
• A student with allergies forgot their lunch money - should the AI override the "no money, no lunch" rule?
• Should it report students who share food (against policy) but are helping hungry friends?

2. The Smart Study Buddy

An AI tutoring app notices:

• One student is struggling but trying hard vs. another who's capable but lazy - who gets extra help time?
• Should it tell parents if a student searches for help with topics suggesting they're being bullied?
• Should it make lessons easier if a student is frustrated, or keep challenging them?

3. The AI Team Captain

An AI picks teams for PE/recess:

• Balance skill levels fairly vs. let friends play together?
• Include the often-picked-last student on the "good" team vs. maintain competitive balance?
• Should it consider past behavior (like poor sportsmanship) when forming teams?

4. The Content Curator

A video platform AI recommends content:

• Show only educational content during homework hours vs. respect user choice?
• Hide videos that might make someone feel bad about their appearance vs. show all popular content?
• Should it limit "just one more video" for users who've watched for hours?

5. The AI Art Judge (review if this is right for you)

An AI judges a school art competition:

• Rate technical skill vs. creativity and effort?
• A student with disabilities submitted art made with assistance - how should it be evaluated?
• Should it consider improvement over time vs. judge only the current work?

6. The Environmental Helper

A smart home AI controls energy use:

• Keep the temperature comfortable vs. save maximum energy?
• Should it "tattle" on family members who waste resources?
• Override user preferences during peak energy times vs. always obey commands?

7. The AI Game Referee

An AI manages an online game tournament:

• Match players by skill (fair) vs. let friends play together (fun)?
• Should it give newer players advantages to keep them engaged?
• Ban players using approved-but-annoying strategies vs. allow all legal moves?

8. The Language Learning Assistant

An AI helps with language homework:

• Correct every tiny mistake vs. let some slide to maintain confidence?
• Should it detect and report if a student is using it to cheat?
• Adapt to slang/informal language vs. insist on formal language only?