[Karin Duffner]

Christina, I really like the work you did on this assignment in module 5. You elicited interesting lesson plan suggestions from your prompt but better again, you tweaked the results to suit your needs and even ended up with a plethora of useful resources. Some lovely activities mentioned, well done.

[Karin Duffner]

To prepare a lesson on Animal Classification, I used CoPilot and entered the following prompt: “Write a lesson plan to teach 3rd class in Ireland about animal classification. Use classification keys. Include use of AI tools in the activities. Include web links to age-appropriate resources.”

In seconds, a well-laid out lesson plan was formulated – see below – referring to terminology used in the Irish curriculum and including a variety of activities such as brainstorming, paired work using cards, answering questions on decision trees and AI, followed by a short discussion and reflection, concluding with a quiz or worksheet to consolidate vocabulary. To complete the suggested activities in the AI recommended time of 60minutes would be difficult, so a teacher’s experience and discretion comes into play here, although to be fair to AI, I only specified one lesson. In reality, I would probably do more than 60 minutes on this topic and include a number of different hands-on practical activities such as sorting cards, matching activities, bingo and completing decision trees for a variety of different animals. I had hoped there would be more AI or IT-type activities where the children would be the ones to design the classification key/decision tree, so I used another prompt to ask for ideas on animal classification using Scratch. I think if the pupils had a follow-up lesson using the If/Else commands in Scratch, it would be a powerful exercise in learning how to create a project to classify animals and also help to demonstrate the relevance of programming to a real-life activity.

A useful extension activity suggested was to create a habitat diorama showing animals from different classification groups which could make a very engaging group project/art activity and could provoke much discussion. Another extension activity suggested was to design a fictional animal and classify it using a key. I think this would also make a fun starting point to this topic. It allows for pupil choice and playful engagement which we are always trying to promote. After every pupil had designed their animal, the class could be asked to group them into categories. The use of systematic questions would highlight the need for decision trees and logical pathways, much like in the world of computer programming and AI systems.

 

Lesson Title: Classifying Animals with Keys and AI

🏫 Class Level: 3rd Class (Primary School, Ireland)

⏰ Duration: 60 minutes

📚 Subject: Science – Living Things

🎯 Strand Unit: Plants and Animals – Animal Classification

🎯 Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

Understand the concept of animal classification.
Use a simple classification key to identify animals.
Recognize the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates.
Explore how AI can help classify animals using decision trees.
🧰 Materials & Resources

Printed animal classification keys and animal cards
Tablets or laptops (if available)
Access to AI-based classification activity
Worksheets and sorting charts
Scissors, glue, markers
🔗 Age-Appropriate Resources

Twinkl Animal Classification Flow Chart Worksheet
Zoo Animal Classification Lesson (PDF)
Exploring Nature Classification Activity
Science Buddies AI Classification Project
LearningMole Animal Classification Guide
🧩 Lesson Structure

1. 🐾 Introduction (10 mins)

Ask students: “What makes a bird different from a fish?”
Show pictures of various animals and discuss their features.
Introduce the idea of classification and why scientists group animals.
2. 🔍 Activity 1: Using Classification Keys (20 mins)

Distribute printed animal cards and a simple classification key.
Students work in pairs to identify animals using yes/no questions.
Discuss vertebrates vs. invertebrates and introduce the five vertebrate groups.
3. 🤖 Activity 2: AI Decision Tree Exploration (20 mins)

Introduce the concept of AI and decision trees using Science Buddies’ AI Project.
Students use a simplified digital decision tree or worksheet to classify animals.
If devices are available, let students interact with a basic AI tool or simulation.
4. 🧠 Wrap-Up & Reflection (10 mins)

Review what students learned about classification.
Ask: “How did the AI tool help us think like scientists?”
Students complete a short quiz or worksheet to reinforce vocabulary.
🧪 Extension Activities

Create a habitat diorama showing animals from different classification groups
Design a fictional animal and classify it using a key
Use Little Bins for Little Hands activities for additional hands-on learning
📝 Assessment

Observation during group work
Completion of classification worksheet
Participation in AI activity
End-of-lesson quiz or reflection sheet
 

🧠 Concept Overview
Your tool will ask a series of yes/no questions to guide the user through a decision tree, ultimately classifying the animal into a category (e.g., mammal, bird, reptile, fish, insect). While Scratch doesn’t have built-in AI, you can simulate intelligent behavior using conditional logic, variables, and broadcast messages.

🛠️ Step-by-Step Design
1. 🎨 Set Up Your Sprites
·         Main Sprite (e.g., Cat): Acts as the narrator asking questions.

·         Animal Icons: Optional sprites representing different animal types.

·         Backdrop: Choose a simple background or create a custom one.

2. 📦 Create Variables
·         questionNumber: Tracks which question is being asked.

·         animalType: Stores the final classification.

·         answer: Stores user input (yes/no).

3. 🧩 Build the Question Logic
Use Scratch’s if…else blocks to simulate a decision tree.

scratch

when green flag clicked
set [questionNumber v] to [1]
ask “Does the animal have fur?” and wait
if <(answer) = [yes]> then
set [animalType v] to [Mammal]
else
set [questionNumber v] to [2]
ask “Does it have feathers?” and wait
if <(answer) = [yes]> then
set [animalType v] to [Bird]
else
set [questionNumber v] to [3]
ask “Does it live in water?” and wait
if <(answer) = [yes]> then
set [animalType v] to [Fish]
else
set [questionNumber v] to [4]
ask “Does it have scales?” and wait
if <(answer) = [yes]> then
set [animalType v] to [Reptile]
else
set [animalType v] to [Insect]
end
end
end
end
say (join [“It’s a ” (animalType)]) for 2 secs
4. 🗣️ Add Interaction
·         Use ask [question] and wait blocks for user input.

·         Use say [text] for [x] seconds to display results.

·         Optionally, use broadcast [showAnimalType] to trigger animations or display relevant sprites.

5. 🎉 Polish and Extend
·         Add sound effects or animations for each classification.

·         Include a “Try Again” button to restart the classification.

·         Expand the tree with more detailed categories (e.g., amphibians, arachnids).

·         Add images or facts about each animal type for educational value.

🧪 Bonus: Simulate AI Behavior
While Scratch doesn’t support machine learning directly, you can:

·         Use lists to store animal features and match patterns.

·         Create a quiz mode where the user describes an animal and the tool guesses it.

·         Integrate with extensions like Text-to-Speech for voice interaction.

[Karin Duffner]

James, that sounds so rewarding for the pupils to be able to begin at their level, pick up where they left off the following Chromebook session and utilise their time for exactly what they need. It benefits every pupil in the class, those who are high achievers, those who have poor attendance etc. The teacher can observe and guide, relaxed in the knowledge that everyone is engaged and working at their pace and level.

[Karin Duffner]

One of the AI application examples highlighted in this module is the visual programming tool, Scratch which allows children to create their own stories and animations and through which the foundations of programming could be taught.

Pupils learn how to produce a logical sequence of instructions in a fun and engaging way. Using the drag and drop interface they learn the fundamentals, they can become efficient programmers by incorporating loops to repeat actions and to create events when something is clicked to engage the viewer/user of the project. If/Then rules introduce conditionals in programming. Using these programming tools, pupils can create all sorts of cross-curricular projects involving visual, audio and movement, interactivity and animation. Pupil choice and playful engagement is facilitated as the pupils explore possibilities

Children should regularly be invited to share their programme or Scratch project with the whole class on screen to consolidate the learning. As a pupil explains their actions, they deepen their understanding of programming. Their peers can recognise elements and assist in problem-solving.

After a demonstration and explanation of the main concepts, I would introduce a challenge or story and allow paired work to brainstorm ideas. Working together, each pair could create a project illustrating the theme. Helpful videos on Scratch are available on the website if pupils needed extra motivation or clarification. The tutorials would provide structure while the pupils, and teacher, build their confidence. Once the pupils have gained confidence and have explored the programme, they could be invited to concentrate on a particular curricular area e.g. science, geography, Maths.

[Karin Duffner]

Anne Marie, that’s a great idea to use Diffit for a class novel. There are such varying levels of reading ability, I sometimes feel the class novel activities can alienate some or bore others. You’ve mentioned some useful ideas there that could make reading activities more enjoyable and tangible.

[Karin Duffner]

I was very impressed with the AI tools explained in this module. I feel that Diffit could be so, so useful in allowing for differentiation, tailoring any type of content to different reading abilities, transforming text or video. I wish I had used it in my classroom a few years ago when I had a number of Ukrainian pupils with no English to help them follow SESE topics in their own language. It could be so helpful as a springboard for SESE topics, extra extension activities and project-work (Even if just to help the teacher prepare mixed ability resources when taking a course day!)

I was very taken by the Microsoft Learning Accelerators. The Speaker coach would help on a personal level but also very encouraging for those reluctant or shy speakers to give them tangible targets and constructive feedback on their pace, pitch, pronunciation as well as the type of language used whether they have too many fillers or repetition for example and even an optional feature to monitor body language and eye contact!

The Reader coach will be so useful for pupils in my class in the middle level of the school, those who have mastered learning to read but are struggling to move on to “reading to learn”, pupils who don’t receive Learning support in literacy but may be borderline candidates and would benefit from this “sophisticated” reading support, and encouragement to boost level, fluency etc.

Using CoPilot Image Creator to aid descriptive writing in the classroom boasts endless possibilities to motivate children (as shown in the example of Charlotte’s Web). By adding more detail in the prompt, the image became more useful. Linking the prompt writing to their use of adjectives in their own descriptive writing could really illustrate to children the value of editing their work and taking care with their choice of vocabulary to aid the reader in building up a picture in their head – a very useful and effective way of exploring AI and descriptive writing.

[Karin Duffner]

Laura, I hope AI will help us to address individual needs. You mention that many of your pupils come from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds and that your school has high rates of poor attendance. I find that these pupils who regularly miss days at school often have gaps in their conceptual knowledge which can be hard to identify and address in a supportive way (before their next absence and while continuing on with the curriculum!) Personalised reading or maths programmes could be useful to target these gaps.

[Karin Duffner]

Like so many other participants on this course, the video of the school in China left me feeling disturbed about how technology can be imposed on so many aspects of humankind. Childhood should be a protected time when children are encouraged to explore, play, and discover themselves without the pressures and expectations of adulthood. While using technology to monitor academic achievement can be informative for teachers, the way in which it was adopted wholeheartedly to capture every aspect of learning, concentration and application, children’s every movement seems invasive and controlling. This experiment may ultimately undermine the pupils’ ownership of their own learning.

I’m hopeful that in Europe, the many challenges of AI in education will be addressed collaboratively and with the interests of children at heart. The EU Guidelines reference many challenges. This information will need to filter down to school management and teachers to guide us in forming policies in our schools, and planning how we use AI in our work to be mindful of GDPR and data protection issues and bias.

In my own, (albeit limited) experience of AI, I have found Co-Pilot and ChatGPT have been useful for coming up with targets for individual IEPS, for planning and for differentiation and also for more administrative tasks such as drafting emails. Our school have made considerable use of Google Forms for collating information for whole-school planning, and for gathering views from parents and staff in various surveys. I haven’t used Immersive Reader or Reading Coach but I can see wonderful potential for assisting particular pupils in customising their experience of learning to read, allowing individual choice of how the text is presented in terms of colour, size and spacing and how it is read aloud. I look forward to exploring this with other class and SET teachers to help our struggling readers.

[Karin Duffner]

Kate, I can identify with the way you feel – ultimately it’s about carving out as much meaningful time with the pupils as possible and letting them know we see them and can help them with the next step. If AI can help us to provide individual feedback in reading, writing etc. that is a win for everyone. to be able to get to the heart of the matter with each child would be truly beneficial. I hope I manage to harness some of the power of AI in a practical way in the classroom.

 

[Karin Duffner]

Given the pace of change, there will be an explosion of AI tools. It will not be possible to keep up with every new tool, however teachers shouldn’t get disheartened or dismissive. We owe it to ourselves, our profession and of course our future generations to begin learning and teaching with AI. I think starting small and integrating components of AI into lessons and also being willing to learn along with the pupils is a good way to approach AI integration in education.

Generative AI can be extremely useful for teachers to put together resources to suit their classroom needs. Already it is clear that AI can provide a spark for a flagging teacher, a new way of looking at a topic and help the teacher to imagine interesting and child-friendly tasks. In this module the importance of using accurate prompts was stressed to elicit useful material for building lesson plans. AI can also assist with administration, with assessment. Learning can be individualised using intelligent tutoring systems which provide customised feedback.  There are challenges in protecting privacy and data, ensuring information is accurate, balanced and appropriate, however it has to be acknowledged that AI has many benefits in terms of future teaching, learning and assessment.

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