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AI Literacy Guides for K-12 Education
🎒 Activity Pack: AI in My World Scavenger Hunt

🎒 Activity Pack: AI in My World Scavenger Hunt

👩‍🏫 Teacher Overview

  • Grade Band: All (Elementary → High, with scaffolding)
  • Objective: Students learn to recognize AI in everyday life, reflect on its uses, and discuss pros/cons.
  • Time Needed: 1 class period (adaptable to shorter sessions)
  • ISTE Standards:
    • Digital Citizen: Students understand AI’s role in their digital environment.
    • Knowledge Constructor: Students actively gather and analyze examples of AI.
  • Key Vocabulary: AI, recommendation, automation, invisible AI, bias.

📦 Materials

  • Printable scavenger hunt worksheet (included below)
  • Pens/pencils
  • Whiteboard or digital board for collective map
  • (Optional) Phones/tablets for taking pictures/screenshots

📝 Teacher Steps

1. Intro (10 min)

  • Quick brainstorm: “Where do you think AI exists in your world?”
  • Examples to seed ideas: voice assistants (Siri, Alexa), YouTube/Netflix recommendations, smartboards, spell check, maps/navigation, chatbots.
  • Record brainstorm on the board to get students thinking.

2. Scavenger Hunt (15–20 min)

  • Students explore school, their devices, or think about home/community examples.
  • Elementary: Provide picture icons to check off.
  • Middle/High: Encourage detail (name the app/system, describe how AI is used).

3. Sharing & Mapping (10–15 min)

  • Students place their examples on a class AI map (board or poster): categories like Entertainment, School Tools, Social Media, Transportation, Home.
  • Discuss overlaps: Did many students notice the same AI? Did anyone find a unique example?

🧒 Student Worksheet: AI Scavenger Hunt

Name: ______________________

Part 1 – Find the AI

Circle or write examples you notice today:

  • 🎧 Music recommendations
  • 🍿 Netflix / YouTube suggestions
  • 🗺️ Maps giving fastest route
  • 📱 Face/fingerprint unlock
  • ✍️ Spell check / autocorrect
  • 🎮 Video game difficulty changes
  • 🛒 Online shopping suggestions
  • 🏫 Smart boards / classroom tech
  • 🤖 Chatbots or digital assistants (google / siri / alexa)

Other AI I found:

Part 2 – Describe One Example

I found AI in: ____________________

It works by: _______________________

It was helpful/not helpful because: _______________________

Part 3 – Reflection

  1. Which AI surprised me most? _____________________
  2. Did I notice any AI that works “invisibly” (behind the scenes)? ___ Yes / No

    3. Example: ___________________

  3. One good thing about this AI is: ___________________
  4. One not-so-good thing is: ___________________

🎨 Optional Visual Aids

  • Poster template: “Where Did You Find AI?” with icons (school, home, entertainment, transport, communication).
  • Class AI Map: Teacher draws big circles (categories), students add sticky notes or drawings with their examples.
  • Elementary Version: Picture checklist (icons of phone, tablet, smart speaker, bus, classroom board).