Session 12 — Showcase Day

Duration: 60 min · Format: live online · Ages: 8–11

Session goal: run a live showcase where every student presents their final project, the class gives kind and helpful feedback, and everyone reflects on how far they've come across the whole course.

Before class — prep (5 min)

• Have the diagram below ready to share on screen (plan → build → test → showcase).
• Make a running order — a numbered list of who presents when. Decide the order before class so there's no waiting or arguing.
• Post the "Two stars and a wish" feedback rule in the chat so students can see it while others present.
• Remind students to have their prototype, one-page summary, and presentation open and ready.

Agenda

0:00 · Hook (5 min)

Welcome the class warmly — this is the finish line.

• Remind them: "Everything you've learned across the whole course comes together today."
• Quick warm-up round: have each student type one word in the chat for how their project feels right now (proud, nervous, excited).

Then set the tone: today the room is a supportive audience — everyone cheers everyone on.

0:05 · Teach — How the showcase runs (10 min)

Explain the plan so every student knows exactly what to do. Share the diagram:

Remind them how the whole project fits together:

• Plan (Session 9) → their problem & idea.
• Build (Session 10) → their prototype.
• Test → made it a little better.
• Showcase (Session 11 skills) → present it today.

Give the presentation running order — each student presents for about 1–2 minutes using the recipe: Problem → Solution → Demo → Thank you.

Then take a bow.

⚠ Watch for feedback that stings: young audiences can blurt out "that's boring" without meaning harm. Teach the rule before the first presentation and enforce it kindly every time.

Share the feedback rule — "Two stars and a wish": after each project, the audience gives two things they loved and one wish to make it even better. No mean comments — only kind, helpful ones.

Ask: "Who can give me an example of a star and a wish you might say?" (Take 1–2 examples to model the tone.)

0:15 · Showcase — student presentations (30 min)

Run the showcase. Work down your running order.

Suggested rhythm for each student (about 3–4 minutes each):

1. Present (1–2 min) — Problem → Solution → Demo → Thank you.
2. Feedback (1–2 min) — call on two audience members for two stars, then one for a wish.
3. Applause, then move to the next presenter.

Instructor tips while running it: - Keep time gently — give a quiet "30 seconds" signal so everyone gets a turn. - Have a feedback prompt ready in case the room goes quiet: "What was the coolest part of the demo?" · "What problem did this solve?" · "What's one idea to make it even better?" - If a demo breaks live, stay calm and cheer the effort — "even real engineers hit bugs on stage." - Name something specific and true after each one: "I loved how you showed it working, not just talking about it."

0:45 · Reflection — look how far you've come (8 min)

Lead a short reflection. Remind the class of the whole journey:

• In Unit 1 they taught a computer to see and understand AI.
• In Unit 2 they collected data and told its story.
• In Unit 3 they invented and built their own project.

Ask each student (chat or unmute):

• "What are you most proud of?"
• "What would you build next?"

Land the message: that is exactly what real builders and scientists do.

0:53 · Wrap-up + what's next (7 min)

• Congratulate the whole class — they've finished the course as Young Builders who can understand and train AI, collect data and tell its story, and invent, build, and present their own project.
• Start a portfolio: ask students to save their project — photos, the Scratch or Teachable Machine link, and their one-page summary — in one folder. This is their first builder portfolio.
• Look ahead: tell them the adventure isn't over — next comes the bonus module on generative AI, where they'll explore AI that creates pictures, words, and music.

Teaching notes

• Correct this misconception: "feedback means finding what's wrong." Reframe as two stars and a wish — mostly celebrating, with one kind idea to grow.
• Fast finishers (extension): have them deliver the full package — a working prototype + a one-page project brief + a confident presentation. Then ask: could this project grow in a future course? Have them write one idea to make it bigger or smarter, and add it to their new portfolio folder.
• Low-tech fallback: if a student's demo won't run live, have them present the paper prototype or a screenshot and narrate what it does — the story still lands.

Vocabulary

Resources

• Google Slides / Canva — polish the one-page summary.
• Scratch · Teachable Machine — the demo tools.

Next session

Session 13 — The AI That Creates: the start of the bonus generative-AI module, where students explore AI that creates pictures, words, and music.