Skip to content
ARKAI Readiness Kollective
AI Literate · Grades 6-8Module 3

Facilitator guide: AI & Schoolwork: Where's the Line?

60 minutesReview status: Being checked
Open the lessonsSlide deck (Google Drive)

Materials

  • The eight sort cards from Step 2, printed or on index cards
  • Three labeled spots in the room or on the board: Helps you learn, Skips the learning, Depends on the class rule
  • A screen or projector for the scenario
  • The pre/post check, printed or on a device, using the same copy at the start and the end
  • Paper or a device for Reflect (stays private)
  • Optional: a sample assignment sheet from your class, to practice finding the AI rule

Lesson steps

  1. 1. Two students, one essay (Explainer, 5 min)
  2. 2. Help vs. handing it over (Explainer, 7 min)
  3. 3. The night before the test (Scenario, 6 min)
  4. 4. Quick check (Quick check, 4 min)
  5. 5. Where I use it (Reflect, 5 min)
  6. 6. Recap (Recap, 3 min)

Timing for a 60-90 minute class

Segment 60 min 90 min What happens
Pre-check 5 5 Learners answer the three questions. Keep their answers to compare at the end.
Step 1: Hook 8 10 Read the two students, take a vote on who crossed a line, then ask why it’s hard to say.
Step 2: Core idea 15 22 Walk through the range, teach the explain-it-back test, then run the card sort in small groups.
Step 3: Scenario 10 18 Learners vote on A to D, then talk through the follow-up.
Step 4: Quick check 5 8 Answer the four questions, then go over each explanation.
Step 5: Reflect 10 17 Private writing first, then the discussion prompts.
Step 6: Recap and post-check 7 10 Read the recap, repeat the three pre-check questions, and compare.

Before you start (sensitive spots, what to avoid)

  • AI rules differ by school and by teacher. Do not tell learners what their school allows. Tell them how to find out: the assignment directions, the class handout, or their teacher.
  • Don’t ask learners to say whether they have used AI on a real assignment. Reflect is private, so invite opinions about rules instead of confessions.
  • The three “depends” cards are meant to be debated. Don’t settle them with a verdict.
  • The scenario and examples are made up. Don’t ask learners to sign up for or try any AI tool. Check a tool’s age rules before anyone uses it.
  • Name AI products only as examples. Don’t recommend one.

Discussion prompts

Use the three in Step 5. For extra time, return to the Step 1 question: which student crossed a line, and why is it hard to say?

Answer notes

  • Step 1: There is no single right answer. Both students used the same tool, so steer toward who did the thinking and the explain-it-back test.
  • Step 2 sort: Cards 1, 2, and 4 go in “helps.” Cards 5 and 6 go in “skips.” Cards 9, 10, and 11 go in “depends.” For the “depends” cards, ask what would make each one okay and who decides.
  • Step 3: A and D are the strongest choices. B and C cost more. For the follow-up, learners can say they’d still quiz themselves from notes or make flashcards by hand.
  • Step 4 answers: C, B, D, A.
  • Pre/post check answers: B, D, A.

Vocabulary sources

Words to know

generative AI
AI that produces new text, images, or audio from a prompt.
plagiarism
Presenting someone else's words or ideas as your own.
academic honesty
Doing your own work and being open about the help you got.
disclosure
Saying when and how you used a tool or a source.

Workshop quick checks

Learners can answer these on their own phones with no account. Answers count toward ARK's anonymous totals.