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I think one of the main strengths of your learning intention is the clear focus on accuracy and reliability. This is particularly appropriate for 6th Class pupils, as it moves beyond simply learning what AI is and encourages them to question and evaluate the information it produces. The “Pause, Question, Check, Decide” approach is a very practical way of developing age-appropriate AI literacy that pupils could also apply outside the classroom.
I particularly like the use of AI-generated statements about plants because pupils have to investigate the information rather than simply being told whether it is correct. This gives them an authentic opportunity to develop critical thinking and understand that AI can sound convincing while still being wrong.
One question I would ask is: Could an AI system show bias in the information it provides about plants or other topics, and how might pupils recognise this?
As a practical extension, pupils could create their own AI-generated plant fact sheet containing a mixture of accurate and inaccurate statements for another pair to investigate. This would allow them to demonstrate their understanding of accuracy, misinformation and responsible AI use while also providing a useful form of peer assessment.Class Stage: Fifth Class in a primary school in County Meath
Curriculum Area and Learning Intention:
This activity would link Science, Geography and Digital Learning, with a particular focus on biodiversity and our local environment. The learning intention is for pupils to explore how AI can help us identify and classify plants and to understand that AI-generated information is not always accurate and needs to be checked.AI Concept Being Explored:
Pupils will explore AI image recognition and classification. Using Microsoft Code Green – Episode 4: Leaf Long Learners as a starting point, pupils will consider how AI can recognise patterns and features in images to help identify different types of plants and leaves. They will also explore the importance of providing good information and checking AI-generated results.Activity:
I would begin by watching Leaf Long Learners with the class and discussing how AI is used to help identify plants. We would discuss what information an AI system might use, such as the shape, colour, size and structure of a leaf.Our school grounds would provide an ideal real-life setting for the activity as we have many different trees and plants around the school, with labels identifying the different species. Pupils would work in pairs and choose a number of labelled trees or plants. Before using an AI identification tool, they would carefully observe the leaves and make their own prediction about the species.
They would then use an AI tool to identify the leaves and compare the AI’s answer with the labelled information already provided around our school grounds. Pupils could record whether the AI was correct, incorrect or uncertain and discuss why this might happen.
Critical Question:
If the AI gives us a different answer from the label on our school grounds, which answer should we trust, and what evidence could we use to find out which is correct?Responsible Use:
Pupils would be reminded that AI is a tool to support learning and is not always correct. They should not automatically accept an AI answer and should check information using reliable sources, their own observations and the labelled information available in the school grounds.Supporting Critical Thinking:
Pupils would compare their own observations, the labelled information and the AI response. I would encourage them to ask questions such as: “What evidence supports the AI’s answer?”, “Why might the AI have got this wrong?” and “How could we verify the information?”Evidence of Learning:
I would gather evidence through teacher observation, group discussions and a simple recording sheet. Pupils could record the name of the tree or plant, their initial prediction, the AI identification and the labelled identification. An exit ticket could ask pupils to explain one way AI can help us learn about biodiversity and one reason why we should not always trust an AI answer.This activity would make AI literacy meaningful because pupils would be using AI to investigate the real biodiversity in their own school grounds in County Meath. It combines the digital learning explored in Leaf Long Learners with hands-on scientific observation, encouraging pupils to become critical users of AI rather than simply accepting the information it provides.
I really like the choice of Bad Connection as it provides a meaningful and purposeful use of game-based learning rather than using Minecraft simply as a reward or entertainment activity. The different online scenarios give pupils an opportunity to actively make decisions, identify red flags and consider the consequences of their actions. This makes the learning much more memorable and relevant to their everyday experiences online.
I think the lesson has a strong STEM and Digital Learning connection because pupils are developing digital literacy and learning to use technology safely, responsibly and critically. Minecraft provides an interactive environment where pupils can explore situations and discuss different possible outcomes rather than simply being told what is safe or unsafe.
A meaningful link to another curriculum area would be SPHE. Pupils could discuss friendship, respect, bullying, peer support and how they should respond if they or someone else experiences something inappropriate online. They could also create a set of classroom “Online Safety Rules” based on the scenarios they encounter.
I also think your idea of slowing the lesson down for 2nd Class is very appropriate. In terms of School Self-Evaluation (SSE), Minecraft Education could provide evidence of progress in digital learning by using the pre- and post-knowledge checks, pupil discussions and exit tickets to identify changes in pupils’ understanding and confidence. This could help the school evaluate how effectively it is developing pupils’ digital citizenship and online safety skills.The demo world I chose was Hour of AI: The First Night. I found this lesson particularly interesting because it introduces pupils to Artificial Intelligence through an engaging Minecraft environment. Pupils are placed in a survival-style scenario where they explore, problem-solve and learn how AI can support them in completing tasks and making decisions.
The lesson plan provides clear learning objectives and structured activities to guide pupils through the experience. The associated resources, including the lesson plan and teacher guidance, would help the teacher prepare pupils before entering the Minecraft world and support discussion and reflection afterwards. The lesson encourages pupils to develop computational thinking, problem-solving and an understanding of how AI can be used as a tool.
For Minecraft Education – Hour of AI: The First Night, you could use these three learning objectives:
Explore how AI can be used in Minecraft to help the player complete tasks and solve problems during their first night.
Use computational thinking and problem-solving skills to make decisions, follow instructions and complete challenges within the demo world.
Evaluate the role of AI in the game by discussing how the AI assistant helps the player, its limitations, and whether pupils should always follow AI-generated suggestions.
A possible Irish curriculum link would be Digital Learning and STEM, particularly developing pupils’ ability to use digital technologies creatively and critically. It could also link with Mathematics, through problem-solving, logical thinking, sequencing and spatial awareness.
I would use the world as a starting point but would modify the pacing and follow-up discussion for my pupils. I would allow additional time for pupils who are less familiar with Minecraft and pause regularly to discuss what the AI is doing and whether its suggestions should always be trusted. I would finish with a short class discussion about the benefits and limitations of AI and how pupils might encounter AI in their everyday lives. This would help ensure that the activity develops not only Minecraft skills but also meaningful AI literacy and critical thinking.
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>I liked how you made the game personal by creating </span>“Bey vs Tay.”<span style=”font-weight: 400;”> Using a familiar and fun theme makes the game more engaging for pupils and encourages them to stay motivated while developing their coding skills. It also supports the Mathematics learning objective as pupils use coordinates, variables such as score and time, and logical thinking while creating and testing the game. This helps make mathematical concepts more meaningful through a hands-on coding activity.</span>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>One suggestion to strengthen the Mathematics link would be to include different objects worth different point values, for example +1, +2 and +5 points. Pupils could then predict the highest possible score, compare results with classmates, or calculate the total points earned, reinforcing number skills alongside coding.</span>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>I was wondering if you could also ask pupils to record their scores over several games and create a simple bar chart or table to compare results. This would provide a valuable link to data handling and interpreting information in Mathematics.</span>
Game Title: Garden Harvest
MakeCode Arcade Link: https://makecode.com/_TsTHVRcEJRAh
Curriculum Area: Science (Living Things – Plants)
Learning Objective:
Pupils will identify the healthy fruit (strawberry) and collect them while avoiding weeds, reinforcing their understanding of how plants grow and what they need to avoid during the growing process.
Location: A colourful garden with blossoming flowers and a blue sky.
Player: A young gardener controlled using the arrow keys.
Relevant Game Elements: Healthy fruit to collect = strawberry; Things to avoid = weeds.
Game Objective: The player moves around the garden trying to collect the strawberry (healthy fruit) to win the game. If caught by the weeds the game is over and the player loses.
Computational Thinking: Process: Algorithm Design
While creating the game, I designed a sequence of instructions that the computer follows. For example:
Game starts with player in the centre of the screen.
Collectable moves around the screen freely.
Player tries to catch the collectable using the arrow keys to move.
The weeds follow the player to try eliminate the player.
Game ends with a win if the player catches the collectable.
Game ends with a loss if the weeds catch the player before the player catches the collectable.
This required planning the order of events so the game worked correctly and provided a fun challenge for players.<p class=”isSelectedEnd”>Your MakeCode activity is a creative way to use the Name Tag tutorial while encouraging pupils to apply coding in a meaningful context. Programming the micro:bit to display quiz answers gives pupils experience with sequencing and debugging, while the walking quiz develops computational thinking as they identify patterns, match information and solve problems collaboratively.</p>
<p class=”isSelectedEnd”>One way to strengthen the integrated STEM link would be to have pupils design and create their own quizzes based on a STEM investigation or class project. For example, after exploring materials in science or collecting data in maths, pupils could create their own questions and program the answers onto the micro:bit. This would strengthen the connection between coding and scientific or mathematical inquiry.</p>
A practical extension would be to ask pupils to swap their code with another pair and test whether it works correctly. This provides an opportunity for peer assessment, encourages debugging, and allows pupils to reflect on whether their code meets the intended purpose before completing the walking quiz.Name of the Tutorial: I completed the MakeCode micro:bit tutorial ‘Dice’ as it is a plugged form of the traditional dice that I use in my classroom almost daily.
Description of the Code: The code chooses a number from 1 to 6 at random by the motion of shaking, performed by moving your cursor over the simulator or pressing the ‘Shake’ button on the micro:bit simulator, just like throwing a traditional dice.
MakeCode link: https://makecode.microbit.org/_3YifYkeTwR1W
Integrated STEM learning experiences:
Engineering – Build and test a dice that can be used in various games.
Technology – Code a micro:bit to respond to a shake and display a number from 1 to 6. Improve the dice simulator by adding music when the simulator ‘shakes’.
Mathematics – Use the dice and record data of which number appears most in 10 shakes of the micro:bit dice.I enjoyed reading your reflection. A particular strength is how you have honestly identified your growing understanding of computational thinking and recognised that it extends beyond coding and digital devices. This shows a willingness to reflect on your practice and adapt your teaching to better support pupils’ learning.
Your action to introduce a simple sequencing and logical thinking activity before evaluating it through observation, questioning and pupil discussion feels both realistic and well focused. Starting with one manageable activity will allow you to build confidence while gathering meaningful evidence of pupil engagement and understanding before expanding computational thinking across the curriculum.
One suggestion would be to consider linking your computational thinking activity to an existing topic, such as maths, literacy or Aistear. This could make it easier to integrate into your fortnightly planning and help pupils see that computational thinking is a skill they use across many areas of learning.
Digital Learning Framework Focus: Teaching and Learning: Learners’ Experiences, with a focus on developing pupils’ computational thinking through playful learning as I teach in the lower classes (Junior/Senior Infants last year and 1st Class this coming year)
One strength in my practice is that I already provide opportunities for pupils to develop computational thinking through unplugged activities. During Aistear, maths and oral language, children engage in sequencing, pattern recognition, problem-solving and giving simple instructions. Activities such as sequencing stories, building from plans and following routes encourage logical thinking and collaboration.
An area I would like to develop is making computational thinking more explicit across the curriculum. While these skills are already embedded in my teaching, I would like pupils to recognise when they are using sequencing, decomposition, debugging and algorithmic thinking.
To achieve this, I will:
Plan one computational thinking activity each week linked to literacy, maths or Aistear and identify the specific computational thinking skill being developed.
Use Bee-Bots or similar programmable toys at least twice per month to develop sequencing and debugging skills.
Record pupil progress at least twice a term using observation checklists and photographs to monitor development and inform future planning.
These actions will help pupils become more confident, creative and logical problem-solvers.