Lesson Plan
AI Rights & Respect Plan
Students will understand digital rights and AI permissions by defining key terms, identifying scenarios needing permission, and practicing respectful behavior online and offline.
Teaching students about rights, permissions, and ethical AI use builds responsible digital citizens who respect others’ work and make thoughtful choices when interacting with technology.
Audience
5th Grade
Time
40 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion and role-play
Materials
Prep
Prepare Materials
10 minutes
- Print enough copies of Permission Pop Quiz for each student
- Load and review Permission Please Slides
- Cut or assemble scenario cards for Role-Play Permissions
- Print exit tickets from Exit Ticket Promise
- Familiarize yourself with key definitions: rights, permission, intellectual property, AI ethics
Step 1
Warm-Up: Permission Pop Quiz
5 minutes
- Distribute Permission Pop Quiz to each student
- Students complete the quiz individually (true/false or multiple-choice)
- Quickly review answers as a class, clarifying any misconceptions
Step 2
Presentation: Key Concepts
10 minutes
- Use Permission Please Slides to introduce:
- Definitions of rights, permission, and respect
- Examples of creative work and AI-generated content
- Why asking permission matters online & in real life
- Encourage student questions after each slide
Step 3
Activity: Role-Play Permissions
15 minutes
- Divide students into small groups (3–4 students)
- Give each group a set of scenario cards from Role-Play Permissions
- Students take turns acting out requesting and granting permission in each scenario
- After each role-play, groups discuss what went well and how to improve respect
Step 4
Discussion: Reflect & Share
5 minutes
- Reconvene as a full class
- Ask volunteers to share insights from their role-plays
- Highlight strong permission-seeking language and respectful responses
Step 5
Exit Ticket: Promise
5 minutes
- Hand out Exit Ticket Promise
- Students write one commitment about how they will ask permission in school, online, or with AI tools
- Collect tickets as students leave to assess understanding
Slide Deck
Permission Please
Why asking permission matters online & in real life.
Welcome students and introduce today’s topic. Explain that today we’ll learn about asking permission, respecting others’ work, and how this applies to both people and AI. Set the purpose for the lesson.
Key Definitions
• Rights: The power or privilege to do or use something.
• Permission: Formal approval to do something.
• Respect: Treating others and their work with care and consideration.
Define each term clearly and check for understanding. Ask students to give their own examples after each definition.
What Needs Permission?
Examples of creative works:
• Books, songs, and paintings by people
• Photos, videos, and social media posts
• AI-generated images, stories, and music
Show visual examples or quick sketches of each type. Emphasize that creative works can be made by people or by AI.
Why Ask Permission?
• Builds trust and good relationships
• Respects creators’ effort and rights
• Avoids legal or ethical issues
• Helps us be responsible digital citizens
Discuss with students why permission is important. Encourage them to share times they asked or forgot to ask permission.
AI & Permissions
• AI is trained on data created by people
• Using AI content may require permission or licensing
• Always check terms of service before using or sharing AI outputs
Explain how AI learns from data and why we need to think about permissions when using AI tools. Mention common terms like “terms of service.”
Scenario Discussion
- You find a photo online you’d like to use for a school project. What do you do?
- An AI tool generated a story for you. How do you give credit and get permission to share it?
Read each scenario aloud and have students discuss in pairs or small groups. Then invite volunteers to share their ideas.
Recap & Next Steps
• Always ask permission before using someone’s work or AI output
• Respect intellectual property and people’s rights
• Apply what you’ve learned in our next activity: Role-Play Permissions
Summarize the key points and explain the next activity (Role-Play Permissions). Transition into group work.
Warm Up
Permission Pop Quiz
Instructions: Read each statement or question carefully. Circle the correct answer (True/False or multiple choice).
- True or False: If you find a photo online, you can use it for your school project without asking anyone.
True False - What does “permission” mean?
a) Taking something without asking
b) Formal approval to do something
c) Ignoring someone’s work - True or False: Respecting someone’s creative work is part of asking permission.
True False - Which of these usually requires permission or credit?
a) Quoting a sentence from a classmate’s short story in your essay
b) Using your own drawing in a poster
c) Talking about your friend’s weekend plans - True or False: You don’t need permission to share an AI-generated image because it was made by a computer.
True False
Activity
Role-Play Permissions Activity
Purpose: Practice asking and granting permission respectfully in real-life and digital situations.
Group Size: 3–4 students per group
Materials Needed: Printed and cut “Scenario Cards” below.
Instructions for Students
- Form groups of 3–4.
- Each group draws one scenario card.
- Decide who will be the requester, the responder, and observers.
- Role-play the situation using polite, clear language to ask for and give permission.
- Observers note what went well and one suggestion for improvement.
- After 2–3 minutes, rotate roles, draw a new card, and repeat.
- At the end, each group shares one strong permission-asking phrase and one improvement idea with the class.
Scenario Cards
Card 1: You want to use a classmate’s drawing in the school newsletter. Ask permission politely.
Card 2: You found an AI-generated image online you’d like to include in your presentation. Ask the teacher or site owner for permission and explain how you will credit it.
Card 3: You wrote a poem and would like to quote a few lines from a song you enjoy. Role-play asking the songwriter (or their representative) for permission.
Card 4: You used an online AI tool to create background music for a class video. Practice asking the tool’s terms-of-service contact or teacher how to get permission to use it.
Card 5: You want to take a photo of your teacher’s whiteboard notes to study at home. Ask your teacher for permission.
Card 6: You read a short story on a website and want to share it with your classmates. Role-play asking the author for permission and discuss how you’ll give credit.
Debrief Questions (after role-plays):
- Which permission-asking phrases made you feel most respected?
- What could be clearer or more polite?
- How does asking permission show respect online and in person?
Use these reflections to guide our class discussion in the next section.
Cool Down
Exit Ticket: Permission Promise
Think about what you learned today about rights, respect, and AI permissions.
Write one clear promise about how you will ask permission in school, online, or when using AI tools.
"I promise to _______________________________________________________________"