AI Sidekick Teacher Script

Warm-Up (5 minutes): Guess the Bot

Teacher: “Good morning, everyone! Today we’re meeting a new helper called our AI Sidekick. But first, let’s play Guess the Bot. I’m going to show you some descriptions of assistants—some are people, some are AI tools. Turn to the person next to you and decide: is it a human helper or an AI helper? Ready? Let’s go!”

[Show the first description on the board or chart. Give students 30 seconds to discuss in pairs. Repeat for remaining 3–4 descriptions.]

Teacher: “Okay, time’s up! Who thinks Description 1 was a person? Who thinks it was an AI? (Pause for votes.) Great. What clue helped you decide?”

[Take 2–3 quick share-outs: “It knew my name—that sounds like a computer.” “It smiled at me—that’s a person!”]

Teacher: “Awesome thinking, everyone. Those clues help us tell humans and AI apart.”

Intro to AI Assistants (5 minutes)

Teacher: “Let’s look at our slide deck. On Slide 1, you see the title ‘Meet Your AI Sidekick.’ AI stands for Artificial Intelligence. An AI assistant is a computer program that can answer questions or help with tasks using smart math called algorithms. It’s not a person—it’s software.”

Teacher: “On Slide 2, we have examples: Siri, Alexa, and chatbots. Raise your hand if you’ve used Siri or Alexa before. (Pause.) Nice! What did you ask it to do?”

[Allow 2–3 students to share experiences.]

Teacher: “Those are great examples. Remember: AI can answer questions quickly, generate ideas, and help us learn, but it can’t feel emotions or make judgment calls the way people do.”

Discussion: When to Ask AI? (10 minutes)

Teacher: “Now we’ll think about real-life situations and decide if we should ask an AI assistant. I’ll give each group one scenario. Discuss: Is this a good time to ask AI? Why or why not? Be ready to share your reasons.”

[Distribute or display scenarios:
• Scenario A: You need three fun facts for a science quiz.
• Scenario B: You want the strongest reason for an argument essay without checking sources.
• Scenario C: You need a creative story starter for English class.
• Scenario D: You want advice on a personal problem with feelings.]

Teacher: “Turn to your group, decide, and jot down your reasons.”

[After 4 minutes, bring class back together.]

Teacher: “Group 1, share your scenario and decision.”

[Each group shares for about 1 minute; teacher notes key points on the board.]

Teacher: “Excellent! I heard that AI is great for facts and ideas but not for personal advice or anything needing human judgment.”

Practice with Your AI Sidekick (7 minutes)

Teacher: “Time to try it ourselves. Look at Slide 5 for our tips: be specific, give context, use simple words, and ask one thing at a time. I’ll give you two minutes to write one clear question for our AI Sidekick on your paper or device.”

[Students write. Teacher circulates to help refine questions.]

Teacher: “Who has a question ready? (Choose 2–3 volunteers.)”

[Volunteer 1 reads question; teacher types it into the AI tool or demo interface.]

Teacher: “The AI answered: ‘[read response].’ What do you like about this answer? (Pause.) What’s missing or unclear?”

[Discuss briefly. Repeat with Volunteer 2.]

Wrap-Up & Assessment (3 minutes)

Teacher: “To finish, turn to your partner and share one thing AI does well and one thing it can’t do. Then I’ll call on a few of you to share with the class.”

[Wait 30 seconds for partner share.]

Teacher: “Who wants to share one thing AI does well?”

[Take 2 responses.]

Teacher: “Who has one thing AI can’t do?”

[Take 2 responses.]

Teacher: “Great job today! Remember, clear questions help AI give better answers, but only people bring creativity and judgment. I’ll collect your exit tickets on the way out. Have a wonderful rest of your day!”

When to Ask AI? Discussion Guide

Objective: Help students evaluate when it’s appropriate to use an AI assistant and when human judgment is better.

Time: 10 minutes
Materials: Scenario cards (printed or projected), whiteboard or chart paper, markers

1. Introduction (1 minute)

• Teacher says: “Sometimes AI gives us facts quickly or sparks ideas, but it can also make mistakes or miss important feelings. Today, we’ll look at different classroom situations and decide: Should we ask AI for help here? Why or why not?”

2. Group Scenarios (4 minutes)

1. Divide students into small groups (3–4 students).

2. Assign or display one scenario per group:
   • Scenario A: You need three fun facts for a science quiz.
   • Scenario B: You want the strongest argument for an essay without checking sources.
   • Scenario C: You need a creative story starter for English class.
   • Scenario D: You want advice on a personal problem involving feelings.

3. Ask each group to discuss and record their answers to these prompts:

   • Should we ask AI here? (Yes/No)
   • Why would AI help? (Speed, ideas, research)
   • What might go wrong? (Errors, missing context, lack of empathy)

3. Share and Record (3 minutes)

• Invite one spokesperson from each group to share:
  1. Scenario name (A, B, C, or D)
  2. Their decision (Yes or No)
  3. One main reason for their choice
• Record key reasons on the board under two columns: Good for AI vs. Better for People

4. Teacher-Led Reflection (2 minutes)

• Highlight patterns:
  • AI is great for quick facts, brainstorming ideas, or simple research.
  • AI is not reliable for personal advice, deep source checking, or any task needing human judgment and empathy.

Follow-Up Questions:

• How can we check if an AI answer is correct?
• When might you double-check AI information with a book or teacher?

Key Takeaway:
Use AI to speed up facts and generate ideas—but always apply your own thinking, verify information, and turn to trusted people for advice or judgment calls.

Guess the Bot

In pairs, read each helper description below. Decide: is it a Human helper or an AI assistant? Write your answer under “Human or AI?” and one Clue that helped you decide.

Debrief (2 minutes)

• Which clues helped you tell humans and AI apart?
• Share one clue that was most useful with the class.