Unplugged Activities

We have developed several “unplugged” (i.e. no computer needed) AI literacy activities that can be used by educators and families interested in incorporating AI literacy into their curriculum or informal learning activities. These activities require only simple craft materials, like pens, paper, and glue. Each activity description is accompanied by a detailed lesson plan that outlines: materials needed (including customizable printable worksheets), key AI literacy concepts that the activity is intended to communicate, key vocabulary, potential connections to other subjects, reflection questions, and AI literacy design considerations that are incorporated.

Each of these activities also connects to a variety of museum exhibits and higher-tech at-home learning experiences we are developing. We hope that this suite of related activities can enable learners with a variety of different resources to expand their AI literacy, in addition to enabling families and educators to draw connections between museum exhibits, classroom activities, and at-home experiences. This set of unplugged activities have been tested with and improved upon based on feedback from a group of six families that attended a co-design workshop at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago in February 2020.