Critical Literacy Project by Nissa Levy/Birnbaum

Inquiry Questions

nissabracha — 2025-08-04 14:46:58 UTC

How have science fiction writers shaped our understanding of artificial intelligence?
What do early AI stories reveal about human hopes and fears about technology?
How has the concept of AI evolved from fiction to reality, and where do they still overlap?

Reason by Isaac Asimov (Short Story)

nissabracha — 2025-08-04 14:46:58 UTC

In this foundational sci-fi story, a robot develops its own belief system and basically tells humans they’re wrong. It gets students thinking about what happens when machines don’t follow the rules we expect them to.

Inquiry Questions

nissabracha — 2025-08-04 14:46:58 UTC

What are the hidden environmental costs of creating and running artificial intelligence?
Can AI be part of the solution to climate change? Or is it part of the problem?
How do authors warn us about the price of progress?
What responsibility do developers and users have for the environmental impact of the tech they use?

Inquiry Questions

nissabracha — 2025-08-04 14:46:58 UTC

Should AI be allowed to make decisions for humans? Why or why not?
How does literature explore the danger of giving machines too much power?
Who is responsible when AI makes a mistake: the machine, the creator of the technology, or the user?

Inquiry Questions

nissabracha — 2025-08-04 14:46:58 UTC

Who benefits from AI use?
How can AI support human creativity instead of replacing it?
When does a tool become too powerful to control?

[VIDEO 1] How AIs, like ChatGPT, Learn

nissabracha — 2025-08-04 14:46:58 UTC

A short explainer that makes the process of how AI learns feel approachable for visual learners.

Engagements

nissabracha — 2025-08-04 14:46:58 UTC

Students will create two timelines (digital or physical) that shows the history and evolution of AI- one from actual history, and one fictional one from one of the pieces of literature we read (Fahrenheit 451, Reason, or The Last Curiosity). It should includes quotes from the text as well as visuals.

Students will create a podcast episode with a partner where they discuss how one of the sci-fi authors would feel about the state of technology, specifically AI advancements, today. How accurate were their predictions?

Students will write a 3 stanza haiku cycle, inspired by Curtin's "Technology Haiku" to respond to one or more of the inquiry questions. Each verse should be paired with a visual symbol (produced either digitally or with physical material).

[SUPPORTIVE TEXT 1] How can AI make online chats kinder?

nissabracha — 2025-08-04 14:46:58 UTC

A hopeful piece about using tech to actually make people nicer online. Easy to connect to students’ own experiences.

Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (Article)

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:32:47 UTC

This is an accessible intro that breaks down what AI is and how it shows up in our lives. Great for students who are just getting started with the topic.

The Last Curiosity by Lucy Tan (Short Story)

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:34:44 UTC

This story imagines a future where AI remains even after humanity fades, providing commentary on the richness of the human experience.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (Novel)

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:36:25 UTC

This dystopian classic is basically a warning about what happens when we stop thinking for ourselves.

Technology Haiku by John P. Curtin (Poem)

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:36:57 UTC

A succint and pithy poem that encapsulates a larger understanding of how technology shapes our world.

Softly There Will Come the Rain (Poem)

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:38:22 UTC

Teasdale’s poem imagines nature oblivious to humanity’s absence. Offers a lens to explore themes of automation, loss, and environmental fragility.

The Lorax (Picturebook)

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:38:55 UTC

This beloved and well-known picture book is a great way to talk about the cost of unchecked progress, even with older students.

Softly There Will Come the Rain (Short Story)

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:39:05 UTC

Paired with the poem of the same name which inspired the story, this class short story follows an automated house continuing its routine long after its human occupants are gone, reminding us that technology may outlive us.

Training a single AI model can emit as much carbon as five cars in their lifetimes (Article)

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:39:41 UTC

Perfect for sparking student reactions and raising awareness about the hidden toll of developing AI.

Concern UK's AI ambitions could lead to water shortages (Article)

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:40:25 UTC

A real-world example of how tech growth competes with natural resources.

Can We Mitigate AI’s Environmental Impacts? (Article)

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:40:47 UTC

Offers some hope, solutions, and strategies to reduce harm while still moving forward. Good for balancing gloom & doom with action.

The Perfect Match by Ken Liu (Short Story)

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:41:09 UTC

In this story, an AI assistant controls every part of your life. Perfect for discussing privacy, freedom, and control.

The Veldt by Ray Bradbury (Short Story)

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:41:38 UTC

In this famous short story, a brother and sister get addicted to a VR nursery and things take a dark turn. It's a strong warning about giving too much power to tech, especially when it replaces relationships.

For a Student Who Used AI to Write a Paper (Poem)

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:42:12 UTC

A poetic reminder that if you take shortcuts all through your life, you'll miss out on the beauty and the point of being alive.

[SUPPORTIVE TEXT 1] Teen and Young Adult Perspectives on Generative AI

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:43:04 UTC

Real thoughts from real teens about using AI in their lives and classrooms. It feels authentic and sparks great conversation.

[SUPPORTIVE TEXT 1] We Already Have an Ethics Framework for AI

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:44:02 UTC

This author claims that ethical thinking exists, and we can apply our notions of ethics to AI already.

The ethical costs of advances in AI (Article)

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:44:24 UTC

Explores the human cost of rapid AI development. Brings in real-world consequences and the need for regulation.

Smog City (Short Story)

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:49:02 UTC

A moving story about pollution and overdependence on tech. It asks us to think about what we’re willing to sacrifice.

Klara and the Sun (Novel)

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:49:20 UTC

A powerful novel about an AI girl longing to be loved. It’s moving, and opens up big questions about humanity and connection, and casts AI in a positive light.

The Machines Mourn the Passing of the People (Poem)

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:49:37 UTC

This poem imagines machines grieving humanity after we're gone.

9 Benefits of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in 2025 (Article)

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:50:55 UTC

A more optimistic look at what AI can do to improve lives.

Top 10 Industries Using Artificial Intelligence (Article)

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:53:46 UTC

A short article about how AI is impacting the real world. Good for showing relevance beyond the classroom.

AI's Influence on Music is Raising Some Difficult Questions (Article)

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:54:49 UTC

Explores the amazing things AI can do for musicians, butalso raises critical questions about originality, ownership, and creativity.

[SUPPORTIVE TEXT 2] An Ethics of Artificial Intelligence Curriculum for Middle School Students

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:58:07 UTC

A comprehensive teaching resource that helps students think through the big questions around AI and responsibility.

Machine Learning: How Artificial Intelligence Learns by ReadyAI (Picturebook)

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 15:59:56 UTC

This cute picturebook helps younger students understand how machines learn. It's perfect for introducing AI concepts without overwhelming students.

Representation & Reasoning: How Artificial Intelligence Makes Choices by ReadyAI (Picturebook)

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 16:02:29 UTC

Another picturebook in the same series as "Machine Learning." Breaks down how AI makes decisions in a way kids can understand. Great for teaching how exposure to algorithms work

What Happens When Machines Learn to Write Poetry (Article)

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 16:05:45 UTC

A thought-provoking piece about creativity, originality, and whether machines can really “feel” what they write. Great for classroom debates.

[SUPPORTIVE TEXT 2] How can we tell whether we are talking to a computer or a person?

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 16:52:42 UTC

Explains the famous idea of whether a machine can "pass" as human. Really useful for asking bigger questions about identity and deception.

[VIDEO 2] A brief history of AI

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 16:55:47 UTC

A quick walkthrough of how AI has developed over time, from early dreams to today’s reality. Helpful for providing context before diving deep.

[VIDEO 1] The Sustainability Problems With Data And AI

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 16:58:07 UTC

Highlights how all this "invisible" technology has a very real environmental cost. Great for helping students connect AI to climate concerns.

[VIDEO 1] AI Is Dangerous, but Not for the Reasons You Think | Sasha Luccioni | TED

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 17:05:05 UTC

The speaker challenges us to look beyond the usual scares- AI matters not just for bias or autonomy, but for its sustainability and creative consequences, like climate impact and copyright use.

[VIDEO 2] Can clean energy handle the AI boom?

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 17:12:30 UTC

This video explores how our increasing reliance on energy-consuming AI systems is straining current climate goals, raising questions about whether renewable energy can scale fast enough to power our AI ambitions.

[VIDEO 2] The three big ethical concerns with artificial intelligence

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 17:16:00 UTC

This video breaks down three ethical challenges when working with AI, highlighting how they must be built to avoid bias, be understandable, and serve diverse communities responsibly.

Engagements

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 17:37:31 UTC

Students will research the carbon footprint of various types of technology such as mobile devices or AI servers and create an infographic based on their findings.

Students will write and shoot a PSA video about the negative environmental impacts of AI, using evidence from the sources we read together.
Students will compare and contrast the messages in the poem and short story "There Will Come Soft Rains."

Students will create a visual depiction of the house in "Softly There Will Come Rain"- either a diorama or digital representation.

Engagements

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 17:41:37 UTC

Students will engage in a station-rotation debate- at each station there will be an ethical dilemma involving AI. Students must split into two sides and support their position before rotating to the next station. Afterwards the class as a whole will discuss the scenarios and activity.

Students will write a guidebook for an AI on how to make decisions. Their guidebook must reference either "The Perfect Match" "The Veldt," or "Representation and Reasoning."

Students will write a poem back to the teacher in the poem about why they decided to use AI for their paper.

Engagements

nissabracha — 2025-08-07 17:47:38 UTC

Students will write an action plan or contract for their personal AI use. Drawing from the understandings they gained from the unit, they will articulate what knoweldge is informing their stance.
In response to the novel Klara and the Sun, students will write a graphic novel short story featuring an AI hero.

Students will create a visual flowchart titled “Should I Ask AI?” where they map out when AI tools are helpful, neutral, or ethically questionable. This encourages students to take ownership over how they interact with technology, not just react to it.

[SUPPORTIVE TEXT 1] Environmental Impact of AI

nissabracha — 2025-08-08 02:58:08 UTC

A resource for educators to teach students about AI’s carbon footprint and energy costs, promote energy‑efficient or renewable-powered tools, and ensure AI complements, not replaces, traditional teaching methods.

[SUPPORTIVE TEXT 2] AI has an environmental problem. Here’s what the world can do about that.

nissabracha — 2025-08-08 02:59:12 UTC

This report flags the hidden costs of AI, like e‑waste and energy consumption, and reminds us that using AI at scale must include real plans to protect the planet.

[SUPPORTIVE TEXT 2] The AI Revolution: Is it a Game Changer for Disability Inclusion?

nissabracha — 2025-08-08 03:00:27 UTC

Discusses that AI is transforming lives by helping over a billion people with hearing or visual impairments, using tools such as speech‑to‑text, sound recognition, and descriptive technologies, when created in partnership with disability communities to ensure equal access and affordability.