Thank you very much for visiting our video, PrimaryAI. We are currently in year two of our three-year project and have just started classroom implementations with the initial iteration of our game-based and problem-based program. In PrimaryAI, elementary students learn about and apply artificial intelligence (AI) to help an endangered species, the Yellow-Eyed Penguin. Throughout the project, students learn about life science concepts such as habitats and environmental change, and AI concepts including AI planning, machine learning, computer vision, and AI ethics. Please feel free to comment on any aspect of our project.  

What ethical situations around AI do you think are important for elementary students to know and think about? We would love your suggestions!

Hi, first of all, I checked the website after watching the video, it looks you are creating an amazing platform! The 3D environments look really engaging, what are you using to create it?

In relation to Anne's question, I think that AI brings some very pressing questions about accountability. If we let AI systems to
"make decisions" for us, then who's responsible when something goes wrong? Also, it is very important in my view that we don't take predictions from such systems as final truths, since these are models that have many methodological and data limitations. Being able to open the "black box" of a ML/AI algorithm is really important, and particularly in the context of your project, where you are aiming to teach students about life sciences through AI agents, to allow students how these "decisions" are made by the algorithm, ultimately driven by data and also by the choices made by the people who designed the systems.

I love the combination of learning AI with an ecological example! Similarly to Anne, I would love to hear more about how the curriculum you are developing merges learning about AI concepts with AI ethics. How does it factor into the scenarios involving saving the penguin species? Also, after using this platform, are students able to identify what parts of these scenarios can be directly attributed to AI concepts, and then bring those concerns into their everyday lived experiences with both technology and AI?

Thanks for this amazing question Michael! 

The curriculum will have 4 quests. In our first Quest, we focus on AI planning. This allows us to delve into ideas about what AI is, and how initial states, goals states, and possible actions can be combined together to make possible plans. Students make a plan to take pictures and start collecting data on the yellow-eyed penguins. In the following quests, we plan on focusing on Machine Learning (Quest #2), Computer Vision (Quest #3), [we are still debating which one of those previous ideas will come first] and finally an AI ethical decision (Quest #4). Throughout each quest, we provide unplugged CS and Life Science activities before they take part in the online game Quest. 

Throughout the process, students will participate in a science journal that will capture their ideas and hopefully guide them to making an ethical decision using AI!

Thank you for your presentation.  As a technology literacy teacher for grades 3-5, this is right up my alley.  As many other schools did this year, we struggled with providing opportunities to our hybrid and cyber students in STEAM classes, so we relied on many online platforms for delivering hands on and exploratory activities (using BlocksCAD to teach 3D modeling, CoderZ to teach robotics, etc.).  AI is an emerging area that I think we will begin to explore next year.  Will your program be available to the public?  Are you looking for partners to help pilot and test your program?  How long does a typical Quest take?  I would love to connect you with our STEAM teachers! 

For those interested, you can view the first unplugged lesson plan and slides here. 

I can see this is generating a lot of interest.  I have to say, I am wondering why this is so relevant for kids who may not have yet learned about actual organisms, about actual bodies, ethics in their own live,  and many things about their own communities.   Can you comment?

Great work in translating a topic that is typically thought of as difficult to grasp.  It is important and I like your model.  How well are you seeing teacher adoption of this type of learning and the topic?  

Very interesting project! I love that you're tackling these topics with elementary kids!

In our work with elementary teachers, they can sometimes be hesitant to teach topics that they don't feel they have enough knowledge on. I'm wondering how you and your co-design teachers have approached this, so that any teacher might feel comfortable teaching your curriculum?

Brilliant point Liz! Our current elementary teachers are definitely helping us with this. As AI is a new area for any teacher, we are approaching it with heavily scaffolded Slide decks (with comments in the notes sections to help guide them), video modeled curriculum of one of our teachers teaching the material live to 4th grade students, and within the detailed lesson plans, there are also additional videos they can watch to prepare themselves on the AI content. 

I love this project!  I will be interested to see how the project develops, especially student and teacher reactions and perspectives.