How to Teach Kids About AI

Ms. Payne, who does not have a background in education, developed the course of study with input from computer science teachers and researchers at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her "unplugged" curriculum mainly uses pen, paper and craft supplies so that teachers can adapt it for their classrooms, regardless of budget or technological know-how. Each 45-minute lesson typically includes a short lecture and demonstration, followed by a group activity and open-ended discussion. In one exercise, for example, students wrote an algorithm to build a better peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Ms. Payne plans to do a second run at several summer workshops in the Boston area, where children will get about four hours of AI education daily.