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I like how you included in your lesson plan how you would help your pupils visualise the conncetions by adding image carousels and guided links. This is a great addition, especially for children who would like to delve deeper into the topic being explored.
I developed a lesson plan for a 3rd Class history lesson on The Bronze Age using Copilot. I refined the prompt by asking it to include a quiz and then to differentiate the lesson for SEN pupils. This was a fantastic feature and really helped to make the lesson more inclusive and accessible for all the class. I also asked the AI tool to incorporate AI into the lesson. This ensured that the pupils had an opportunity to explore AI when learning about an historical topic. I am astounded at how detailed the lesson plan is and it contains all the aspects required for an effective lesson plan. Using the AI tool to create a lesson plan is a starting point that can be amended by the teacher and ultimately is a great way to free up a teachers time so that they can concentrate more on the delivery and of the lesson.
Lesson Plan – History (Third Class)
Topic: The Bronze Age
Irish Primary Curriculum – History
Strand: Early Peoples and Ancient Societies Strand Unit: The Bronze Age
Skills & Concepts Development:
• Time & chronology
• Using evidence
• Change & continuity
• Cause & effect
• Communication
🧭 Learning Objectives
Pupils will be able to:
• Identify key features of Bronze Age life in Ireland.
• Explain how bronze was made and why it was important.
• Recognise Bronze Age artefacts and monuments.
• Use AI tools to explore artefacts and generate historical questions.
• Demonstrate understanding through an assessment quiz.
⏳ Duration
60 minutes
📚 Materials Needed
• Projector/interactive whiteboard
• Tablets/laptops (pairs or small groups)
• Images of Bronze Age artefacts
• AI tool (e.g., Copilot)
• SEN supports: visual aids, simplified text, sentence starters, optional tactile materials
Lesson Sequence
1. Introduction (10 minutes)
• Display timeline: Stone Age → Bronze Age → Iron Age.
• Discuss what pupils remember about the Stone Age.
• Introduce Bronze Age (c. 2500 BC) and explain bronze = copper + tin.
SEN Supports
• Provide a visual timeline with colour coding.
• Use simple language: “Bronze is a strong metal made by mixing two other metals.”
• Allow pupils to hold a metal object (safe classroom item) to feel weight and texture.
2. Story Starter (5 minutes)
Tell a short story about a Bronze Age child helping gather materials for bronze-making.
SEN Supports
• Provide a picture sequence showing the child’s day.
• Offer a listening buddy for pupils who need support with auditory processing.
3. Main Learning Activities (35 minutes)
A. How Bronze Was Made (10 minutes)
• Show images of copper ore, tin, furnace.
• Explain mining → smelting → moulding.
• Pupils sketch a simple diagram.
SEN Supports
• Provide a pre-drawn diagram for pupils to label instead of drawing.
• Use step-by-step visuals with arrows.
• Offer sentence starters:
o “First, people found…”
o “Next, they heated…”
o “Finally, they made…”
B. Artefact Exploration Using AI (10 minutes)
Pupils use AI to explore artefacts.
Prompt: “Show me Bronze Age artefacts found in Ireland and explain what they were used for.”
They record:
• Name
• Use
• Interesting fact
SEN Supports
• Provide a choice board of artefacts (lunula, axe head, cauldron).
• Allow pupils to dictate their notes instead of writing.
• Use paired work with supportive peers.
C. Bronze Age Settlements & Monuments (10 minutes)
• Show images of stone circles, wedge tombs, houses.
• Discuss possible uses.
• Pupils ask AI: “Explain why Bronze Age people built stone circles.”
SEN Supports
• Provide matching cards: picture → name → use.
• Use yes/no questions for pupils who need reduced cognitive load:
o “Did Bronze Age people use stone circles for ceremonies?”
• Allow pupils to respond using pointing, drawing, or verbal answers.
D. Group Challenge (5 minutes)
Groups ask AI to generate one Bronze Age question. Groups swap and answer.
SEN Supports
• Provide question stems:
o “Why did…?”
o “How did…?”
o “What was…?”
• Allow pupils to answer using one-word, multiple-choice, or picture-based responses.
4. Assessment Quiz (10 minutes)
Bronze Age Quiz – Third Class
1. What two metals make bronze? A. Gold & silver B. Copper & tin C. Iron & copper
2. What is a lunula? A. A Bronze Age necklace B. A farming tool C. A type of house
3. Why was bronze important? A. Strong tools & weapons B. It tasted nice C. It helped people fly
4. What is a stone circle? A. A place for ceremonies B. A playground C. A boat
5. Which is a Bronze Age artefact? A. Mobile phone B. Bronze axe head C. Plastic bowl
SEN Supports
• Provide a visual version of the quiz with pictures beside each option.
• Allow pupils to answer using colour-coded cards (A = red, B = blue, C = green).
• Offer oral assessment instead of written.
Optional SEN-Friendly Extensions
• Build a mini stone circle using pebbles outdoors.
• Create a Bronze Age artefact using clay or playdough.
• Use AI to generate a simple diary entry with fill in the blanks:
o “Today I helped my family make bronze. First, I found ___. Then we heated ___. It was ___.”I agree Martina and using AI to explore the bias in reporting of the 1916 rising was an excellent use of the application. It’s a great idea to further motivate one of your pupils who has an interest in history and progress his literacy skills in the process.
I am working as a SEN Teacher and the AI application I would consider using would be Scratch Junior. I would envisage that this application would further enhance my teaching and the support I provide to the pupils, especially in the areas of digital literacy and problem solving. Aspects of this application are also fantastic for developing creativity and the children could access this type of coding technology in an enjoyable and interactive way. This would be an ideal application to use in a small setting, and detailed support would ensure that they get the best from whatever activity we are focusing on. I love how visual it is and the drag and drop blocks are easy to navigate for the children. They can see in real time how the blocks relating to the various aspects (e.g. motion, looks, sound etc..) can be dragged/used and put together to create their own programs. There is plenty of room for trial and error and a fantastic way to learn about coding in a fun and engaging way.
I agree Sinead and we must ensure that these tools are just supports available to assist us in our teaching. We must always rememeber that we are professionals and our teaching, learning and assessment must reflect that.
Part 1: I found this module extremely interesting and really highlighted some of the various tools available to enhance teaching, learning and assessment. The first example of an AI tool I will be using is Microsoft Reading Coach. This is an excellent resource for pupils developing their reading skills and the fact that it is available on Microsoft word is ideal. The next example that will help improve teaching, learning and assessment is MagicSchool. This website has such a variety of AI tools that will be a great assistance going forward.
Part 2: This module introduced me to a variety of AI tools that I was unfamiliar with. The module was excellent to show the various attributes of these sites and how they can facilitate teachers in their teaching and assessment. I especially liked when you could link a specific video from YouTube and paste it into Twee and this AI tool created questions based on the video. This would be an ideal way to assess the pupils to ensure they grasped whatever was being explored. Gamma was another excellent example of effective AI tools. As a teacher, you spend hours creating the ‘perfect’ PowerPoint presentation, from typing up, sourcing images and formatting. The fact that you could provide the AI tool with just a heading and it generated the PowerPoint was fantastic. The best part was that you could edit the PowerPoint to ensure it was exactly what you needed for your lesson. This saves so much time, while also providing you with excellent resources. I will also explore MagicSchool further as the basic package is free and there are many aspects to it that will assist my teaching. Unfortunately, the other sites require a payment so I will try for free first and then decide if they are required or if alternative options would suffice.
<p style=”background: white; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0cm 0cm 19.2pt 0cm;”><span style=”color: #163c42;”>AI is a fantastic tool and is extremely beneficial in the way that it provides access to information and teaching resources in a specific and meaningful way. It can transform the teaching and learning experience in the classroom by helping to make lessons relevant, interactive and given the correct, specific prompt, exactly what the teacher requests. It was amazing to see such a comprehensive, detailed lesson plans created by the AI platforms and it seems like a good idea to put the specific prompts into a few AI platforms and choose the best fit for your class. </span></p>
<p style=”background: white; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0cm 0cm 19.2pt 0cm;”><span style=”color: #163c42;”>A potential challenge I might face in implementing the AI tools mentioned in this module would be access to devices. We have a limited number of iPads in the school and thus have limited access. I could see how Teachable Machine by Google and Minecraft Education Addition would be ideal in a classroom setting but unfortunately, we would have limited opportunity to use these. Another challenge is knowing how to access and implement these tools within the classroom. The concept of AI is very new to me and I feel that I need to upskill to ensure that my class are getting the best from whatever tools I am trying to implement.</span></p>I agree Caoimhe and you made two very valid points. First, the opportunity for AI to give instant feedback and identify pupils that need extra support. This is an invaluable tool and can inform teaching in a positive way. Secondly, I agree that it is important that AI enhances rather than replaces the professional judgement of teachers. We are all professionals with a wealth of knowledge, expertise and experience that can’t be replaced by AI chatbots!
The main way that I can see AI tools impacting on future teaching, learning and assessment is the time management benefits. Teachers have always spent countless hours exploring a variety of information sources and using this gathered information to spend further hours putting together resources to adequately teach the curriculum. These resources then had to be further adapted or differentiated to suits a variety of learning needs within each class. Finally, assessments were required to be created to provide the relevant feedback to teachers and pupils. Teachers always had the ability to create amazing lessons and assessments but sometimes the time preparing these activities took away from the actual delivery and pupil engagement.
AI tools can impact future teaching, learning and assessment by freeing up teachers’ precious time and helping them to create specific lesson plans and assessments in a detailed and specific way. These can be engaging, fun, relevant and provide both teachers and pupils with dynamic and creative ways to complete classroom activities. This module was a fantastic introduction to the various AI chatbots and while I had experience with ChatGPT, I gained an insight into Copilot and Gemini, both of which I am sure will impact on my future teaching.