RAICA has designed five middle school modules, one module for each of the 5 Big Ideas in AI.   

We build each module just like you would build a sandwich.  Our modules always begin with an activity to explore the driving question. We call this activity the bottom bun, since it sets the foundation for the exploration that happens throughout the rest of the module.  Core fillings are what we think of as the “meat” of the module.  These are whole class activities to investigate AI topics essential to the project. Every module also includes time for project creation where students get to practice their design thinking skills. Playful assessments and reflections are embedded throughout. The sandwich can be customized with condiments- which are student facing resources, or curated fillings – whole class activities for going deeper into topics of interest. Finally, the module is topped off with the top bun, an authentic presentation of student work, which all revolve around the driving question, what we think of as the toothpick.

Each of our modules includes essential overview and background information such as:

• A unique sandwich guide, highlighting the driving question, project prompt, and key AI concepts and tools.
• A page detailing the driving question, learning goals, and suggestions for modifications to help meet the needs of your unique classroom.
• A page to give some background on the most essential AI topics in the module so you feel prepared to guide your students through rich discovery.
• And a timeline that shows the order of lessons in the module and how long each one will take.  Color-coded to indicate what type of lesson you will do each day- (CLICK) yellow for project launch and closure (the buns), purple for core fillings, green for project creation, and blue for assessment and reflection.

The curriculum also includes daily lesson plans that correspond to each lesson included on the timeline. The daily lessons include learning goals, a suggested flow of activities, along with fun facts, teacher notes, and key vocabulary to enrich learning.  We’ve also included teacher slides to help facilitate whole class lessons and students will have access to a digital/printable workbook that provides a space for sense-making and reflection throughout the module.

Each module consists of 20 to 25 lessons that are approximately 50 minutes long.