Course 1 — The Young Builders · Instructor Guide
For: ages 8–11 · Format: live online · Sessions: 14 × 60 min
This is your teaching guide for Course 1. Every session is a self-contained facilitator script — a timed agenda, what to say / show / ask, the activity, an answer key, and teaching notes. Open the session you're about to teach and run it top to bottom.
What the course covers
- Unit 1 — AI Thinking (Sessions 1–4): what AI is, spotting patterns, and training a computer to recognise pictures.
- Unit 2 — Data & Problem-Solving (Sessions 5–8): collecting information, reading charts, and solving a real problem with data.
- Unit 3 — Build Something Real (Sessions 9–12): students turn an idea into a project and present it.
- Bonus — Generative AI (Sessions 13–14): meeting generative AI and learning to prompt it safely.
What students produce
- A trained image model, a small data project, and a build-and-present project.
- A course certificate at the end.
Tools (all free)
Quick, Draw! · Teachable Machine · Google Sheets · Machine Learning for Kids — the exact links you need are in each session's Resources.
How each session is structured
Before-class prep → timed agenda (Hook → Teach → Activity → Check for understanding → Wrap-up + homework) → Teaching notes (misconceptions to correct, fast-finisher extensions, a low-tech fallback) → Vocabulary → Resources. Look for the ⚠ Watch for callouts — those flag the common mistakes to head off.
Sessions
Unit 1 — AI Thinking
- Session 1 — What is AI?
- Session 2 — Patterns Everywhere
- Session 3 — Teach the Computer
- Session 4 — Your First AI Project
Unit 2 — Data & Problem-Solving
- Session 5 — Be a Data Detective
- Session 6 — Charts & Graphs
- Session 7 — Data Solves Problems
- Session 8 — Tell a Data Story
Unit 3 — Build Something Real
- Session 9 — Think Like an Inventor
- Session 10 — Build Your Prototype
- Session 11 — Tell Your Story
- Session 12 — Showcase Day
Bonus — Generative AI
Ready? Open Session 1 — What is AI?