[David McPhillips]

I like the way this lesson plan is very tidy and also mentions how much time should be spent on each section. I used Magic School AI to develop my plan and it seemed have more detail in it but maybe that could get confusing if it has too much detail. I think when doing lesson plans with AI I will check out a few different options, like Chat GPT or Co-pilot, as well as the educational AI tools like Magic AI, Ari AI on Twinkl, or Diffit. I wonder is there a big difference between the type of lesson plans they create.

[David McPhillips]

Develop a lesson plan incorporating AI concepts and write about how you plan to use it and other AI tools in your teaching. Post a reflective piece (150 words min) to this Module forum as a Reply to this post.

Also, please respond to at least one other participant’s post in this forum.

 

I used Magic School AI to develop this lesson plan on our class novel Holes by Louis Sachar. I gave it a fairly specific prompt in that I wanted it to be a character analysis and I wanted to involve creative writing. I was pleasantly surprised with the results , it gave a very detailed lesson plan and it also outlined the main teaching concepts very clearly. The differentiation section I really liked as well.

On the negative side Magic School AI doesn’t align with the Primary Irish curriculum standards . It has a huge range of mostly US curriculum options. It alerts you that it does not have the Irish curriculum standard so will generate a standard 6th class level.

I found this lesson plan very helpful. I had the beginnings of an idea and that was what I prompted. The amount of information and the clear teaching elements it provided gave me a much bigger and clearer idea. Now I will plan a series of lessons based of this huge wealth of information and teaching points. I have room to extend and also room to make the task easier for other students. I have a clear checklist of what to teach and a road map to do it.

 

 

Holes Lesson Plan 1

Analyzing and Adapting Characters from Holes: A Creative Writing Art Lesson

 

Learning Objective

Students will be able to analyze the main characters from Holes by Louis Sachar, describe their traits and motivations, and use this understanding to write a creative short story showing how these characters would react in our own school at assembly.

 

Assessments

1. Character Description Assignment: Students create detailed written descriptions of 2–3 main characters (Stanley, Zero, Mr. Sir, etc.) including physical traits, personality, motivations, and specific reactions to a funny assembly event. Each description is 1 page and includes evidence from the novel.
2. Creative Short Story: Students write a short story (500–700 words) titled “At [School Name] Assembly,” featuring at least 2–3 Holes characters in a realistic, funny scenario. The story demonstrates how each character’s personality from the book influences their reactions and includes dialogue that reveals character.

 

Key Points

• Character traits are revealed through actions, dialogue, internal thoughts, and how other characters respond to them
• Motivation explains why characters make the choices they do and helps predict how they might behave in new situations
• Consistency in character behavior across different scenarios—from the book to a new setting—demonstrates deep understanding
• Creative adaptation means staying true to a character’s core traits while imagining them in new, realistic contexts

Opening

• Show a 30-second funny assembly video clip or describe a humorous school assembly moment (e.g., a student tripping on stage, a teacher’s joke that lands awkwardly, a technical mishap during a performance)
• Ask: “How would Stanley react to this? Would Zero laugh? What would Mr. Sir do? How would each character respond based on who they are in the book?”
• Have students pair-share their initial predictions for 2–3 minutes
• Explain: “Today you’re going to become character experts. You’ll describe these characters in detail, then imagine them in our school.”

Introduction to New Material

• Mini-lesson on character analysis (10–15 minutes): Explain that authors reveal character through:
  • Physical description (what a character looks like)
  • Dialogue (what they say and how they say it)
  • Actions and choices (what they do)
  • Relationships (how they treat and interact with others)
  • Internal thoughts and motivations (why they make the choices they make /what do they want more than anything in the world)
• Guided character study using Stanley Yelnats: Ask the class:
  • “What does Stanley look like at the beginning of Holes? What about at the end?”
  • “What does Stanley say to Zero? What does his dialogue tell us about him?”
  • “Why does Stanley go to Camp Green Lake? What is he running from, and what does he hope for?”
  • “How does Stanley treat Zero? What does this show us about his character?”
  • Record answers on chart paper in three columns: Traits, Evidence from Book, How He’d React at Assembly
• Address common misconception: “Characters are complex and show different sides. Stanley is not just ‘the good guy’—he’s realistic. He gets frustrated, he’s sometimes brave, sometimes scared, sometimes stubborn. Real people, and good characters, have multiple traits that sometimes contradict each other. That’s what makes them believable.”
• Distribute a Character Analysis Graphic Organizer (template provided) for students to complete independently during guided practice

Guided Practice

Behavioral expectations: Students work in pairs or small groups. Voices stay at level 1–2 (whisper voices). All group members contribute ideas and listen to each other.

Practice opportunity:

• Model filling in the Character Analysis Graphic Organizer together using Stanley and one other character (e.g., Zero)
  • Fill in physical traits: “Stanley is tall and overweight at the start. Zero is small and thin.”
  • Fill in personality traits: “Stanley is loyal, patient, and resourceful. Zero is quiet, intelligent, and mistrustful at first.”
  • Fill in motivations: “Stanley wants to clear his family name and survive Camp Green Lake. Zero wants to escape and find his mother.”
  • Identify key moments: “When Stanley shares his water with Zero, it shows loyalty. When Zero teaches Stanley to dig efficiently, it shows intelligence and trust.”
• Together, brainstorm: “If Stanley and Zero were at our school assembly and someone tripped on stage, how would each react?” Write 2–3 sentences for each character’s response.
  • Stanley might: laugh nervously, help the person up, feel embarrassed for them
  • Zero might: watch quietly, find humor in the situation but not show it loudly, worry about the person who fell

Scaffolded questions (easy to hard):

• Easy: “What does Stanley look like? What does Zero look like? Describe Mr. Sir.”
• Medium: “Why does Stanley go to Camp Green Lake? What is Zero running from? What does Mr. Sir want from the boys?”
• Hard: “How do Stanley and Zero’s backgrounds and experiences affect how they treat each other? Why does Zero trust Stanley when he barely knows him? What does this tell us about Zero’s character?”

Monitor performance: Circulate and listen to pair and small-group discussions. Ask follow-up questions like “Why do you think that?” or “What from the book shows us that?” to deepen thinking. Note which students grasp character analysis quickly and which need additional support for differentiation.

 

Independent Practice

Behavioral expectations: Students work independently and quietly. They use their Character Analysis Graphic Organizer and the assembly scenario as guides. They write in complete sentences and use specific examples from the book to support their descriptions.

Assignment:

1. Character Descriptions (1 page per character): Complete detailed written descriptions of 2–3 main characters from Holes. Each description should include:
   • Physical appearance (height, build, clothing, distinctive features)
   • Personality traits with at least one piece of evidence from the book for each trait
   • One major motivation or goal that drives the character
   • A detailed paragraph (4–6 sentences) describing exactly how this character would react to a funny moment at a school assembly, staying true to their personality from the novel
2. Creative Short Story (500–700 words): Write a story titled “At [Your School Name] Assembly.” The story must:
   • Include at least 2–3 characters from Holes
   • Place them in a realistic, funny assembly scenario (e.g., a speaker’s microphone stops working, a student performs an embarrassing talent, a teacher slips on stage)
   • Show how each character’s personality from the book influences their reactions and actions
   • Include dialogue that reveals character (characters should sound like themselves)
   • Have a clear beginning, middle, and end
   • Be written in past tense with proper punctuation and spelling

Differentiation

Below Grade Level:

• Provide a partially completed Character Analysis Graphic Organizer with some traits, motivations, and evidence already filled in. Students complete the remaining columns and add their own ideas.
• Offer a character trait word bank (loyal, stubborn, resourceful, scared, brave, curious, quiet, funny, angry, kind, smart, etc.) to support vocabulary and descriptive writing.
• Reduce the short story length requirement to 300–400 words and allow students to write about only 1–2 characters instead of 2–3.
• Provide a story frame or template:
  • “When _____ arrived at the assembly, she/he felt _____. When the funny moment happened, _____ reacted by _____. This showed his/her _____ personality. At the end, _____.”
• Allow students to write the story in bullet-point or outline format if needed, focusing on showing character consistency rather than polished prose.
• Pair struggling writers with a peer partner or provide one-on-one writing conference time to clarify ideas before drafting.

On Grade Level:

• Students complete the full Character Analysis Graphic Organizer independently for 2–3 characters.
• Students write a 500–700 word short story with multiple characters, clear plot structure, and dialogue that reveals character.
• Students use specific evidence from the novel to support their character descriptions and creative writing.

Above Grade Level:

• Challenge students to analyze character foils (characters who contrast with each other): How do Stanley and Zero compare? How do they bring out different sides of each other? Write an analytical paragraph exploring this relationship before writing the story.
• Require students to include internal conflict or character growth in their short story: show a character learning something, changing their perspective, or revealing a hidden side of themselves during the assembly event.
• Expand the creative writing to 800+ words and require students to incorporate multiple scenes or perspectives (e.g., write the same assembly moment from Stanley’s point of view, then from Zero’s, showing how they each interpret and react to the event differently).

 

 

Closing

• Invite 3–4 student volunteers to share their character descriptions or read an excerpt from their short story (1–2 minutes each).
• Ask the class: “How did knowing the characters from the book help you imagine how they’d react in a new situation? What surprised you about how they might behave? Did any character act differently than you expected?”

 

Extension / Above-Grade Challenge

Character Comparison Across Genres: Students select one character from Holes and imagine how that character would appear in a completely different genre or setting—for example, a fantasy world, a future dystopia, a historical period, or a contemporary reality TV show. Write a reflective piece (1–2 pages) or create a visual showing how the character’s core traits remain consistent even in a radically different context. Students should explain: “What traits are essential to this character? Which traits are shaped by their environment in Holes? How would they adapt?” This requires students to separate essential character traits from situational details.

Alternative extension: Students write a dialogue scene between two characters from Holes (e.g., Stanley and Mr. Sir, or Zero and the Warden) discussing a current event, a meaningful topic, or a conflict relevant to their lives (friendship, trust, survival, justice, family). The dialogue should reveal character through word choice, tone, perspective, and what each character chooses to say or not say. The scene should address a meaningful theme from the novel.

Homework

• Option 1: Finish the short story if not completed in class, or revise it based on peer or teacher feedback
• Option 2: Write a character reflection (1–2 paragraphs): “If I could be one character from Holes, who would I be and why? What trait of theirs do I admire or want to develop in myself? How would having that trait change how I react to situations at school?”
• Option 3: Prepare one character description or story excerpt to share aloud in class tomorrow, or sketch a quick visual idea for how your character might look in the assembly scene

 

 

[David McPhillips]

I really like that idea of creating text to outline both sides of a debate. You could even use specific prompts to develop characteristics of the ‘person’ who is arguing one side of the debate – for example a teenager who loves to use her phone all the time, versus a parent, who thinks social media is bad for teenagers. It could really provide a good hook for the students to see which arguments they like and how to present their own argument.

[David McPhillips]

 

I will be teaching 6th class next year and I really enjoyed the example of bias in news reporting in the 1916 newspapers. I did hesitate that the articles created weren’t real newspaper articles but AI generated pieces of text. I wonder does this make a difference? The objectives of the lesson are achieved perfectly and the use of bias is really important for students to learn about. But it does make me think about a teacher replacing evidence or artefacts with AI generated text. Should the teacher tell the students the text is not real? In my experience students engage so much more with resources they know are real and historical, so maybe it’s better to say they are real newspaper articles. But to use this method a lot when it comes to history could be careless because it could remove some context from the history. However with a clear primary language writing objective, I think it makes sense. I intend to use AI to make text for the students to study with clear learning objective, but I intend also to be mindful what I am doing, and add context, and reflect on it each time I use it.

[David McPhillips]

I agree that the microsoft tools were a little challenging, it took me a while to realise how central a microsoft teams setup is to the microsoft search tool. I did find the sample lessons very useful so i might use them for my 6th class. We are on microsoft 365 in our school but the children are not on microsoft teams, and it would take a large effort to set that up.

[David McPhillips]

 

I really enjoyed this module and liked the specific examples of tools that we could use in the classroom. Magic School AI looks excellent in how much range there is – lesson hooks , and the maths spiral review will be really useful. I enjoyed learning about search coach, it is an important topic however it relies on microsoft teams so i may have to adapt the lessons so they can be used in my classroom. Gamma was very good and seems an improvement on chalkie ai which i have used before, so i will be using gamma going forward. Diffit also has great range of things to use – the exit tickets option in particular will be really useful.

All of these tools will help save time in creating resources and planning lessons. Rather than design the entire lesson for me I will intend to use them as a worktop to plan the lessons ,  taking differentiation into account, and exporting the activity sheet or slide show into powerpoint or word. I was so impressed with the range of options these tools had. Again, it is overwhelming how many options so I hope to try to get proficient at a small number of tools at first, see that they work well for me, and then see if i wish to use more.

Thanks for a very informative module!

[David McPhillips]

I agree Martha, the examples of squirrel, carnegie learning did not agree with me straight away. They may have benefits as an add on for early finishers, or perhaps a student who needs extra differentiation and has trouble working with the class as a whole. But to be.used as a primary resource  for each student would seem extreme and transform doing written work, using concrete materials, working in small groups, and limit the classroom into just working on a computer following an individual program.

[David McPhillips]

Based on what you have learned in this module, how do you think AI can transform the teaching and learning experience in your classroom? Provide specific examples and potential benefits and discuss any challenges you might face in implementing AI tools. Post a reflective piece (150 words min) to this Module forum as a Reply to this post.

Also, please respond to at least one other participant’s post in this forum.

 

AI tools can have a very positive effect on the teaching and learning in my classroom in providing comprehensive resources that can be made quickly and allow time to be spent on teaching and helping students. I will find it particularly useful in introducing new topics and and in particular providing activity sheets and interactive quizzes to enhance assessment of learning in an novel way. It will also be very helpful in creating class groupings based on assessment of work.

I am so far a little reluctant to ‘transform’ the teaching and learning in my classroom with AI. I have been looking through the many examples of AI tools and I haven’t found one that I would be confident in using as a primary resource for my teaching. The chat gpt lesson plan was informative and I’m hoping to see other tools outside of the LLM tools that could be used.

A significant challenge with using AI tools is choosing which one to use – the personalised student type ones are not free and would need considerable buy in from the school principal and also parents. The sheer amount and variety of tools also make it hard to assess which ones would be worth the subscription. So far I feel i would like to use the AI tools to add onto my teaching and learning rather than start a classroom system based primarily around laptops/tablets

[David McPhillips]

Thats interesting that you mentioned using AI for data mining of test scores. I have mostly used it for creating powerpoints, lesson plans and quick assessment/activity sheets. I’m thinking of my assessment folder now where AI could be very helpful for me going forward. Thanks!

[David McPhillips]

I think a primary area that AI tools will help my future teaching and assessment is in helping me to create resources quickly. In particular I have used it before to create powerpoint type presentations and also it is really helpful in creating assessment quizes and games during a lesson that can quickly recap on information. I really enjoyed the introduction to this course and I spent a good bit of time looking through different AI tools that are designed for educational instruction. Curipod and Eduaide I found very interesting and were even a little overwhelming with how many options there are within those tools. They were more detailed than Chalkie AI which I was familiar with and have found that useful, even if a little limited in some areas.

Overall, I wish to further my familiarity with AI tools and find ones that I can use to help me become more efficient at planning and creating resources, without compromising the lesson. There is a balance between using the tools to assist my planning rather than handing over the planning process to the AI tool. I am looking forward to becoming more familiar with options and ways to do this.

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