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Free AI Curriculum

10 ready-to-teach AI lessons. Lesson plans, student worksheets, and answer keys, all free.

Teacher marketplaces are full of padded AI worksheets made in five minutes. This is a real AI literacy and AI ethics course, built by The Ethics Lab, a nonprofit. Each lesson fits one class period and you don't need any AI background to teach it.

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New here? Download the instructional guide first. It explains how the course fits together.

In every lesson

Print it and teach it tomorrow

  • Lesson plan
  • Student worksheet
  • Answer key (teachers)
  • Short video

  • 10

    free lessons

  • 35 min

    fits one class period

  • 0

    AI experience needed

  • $0

    forever, no catch

The 10 lessons

Teach them in order as a full AI unit, or pick the one your class needs this week. They fit computer science, English, social studies, health, and advisory.

Pick as many as you want, download them in one go.

Answer keys need a free teacher account, so students can't download them. Create one or sign in.

  1. Lesson 1

    What is AI?

    Why should students understand artificial intelligence and its ethical uses?

    • Explain what qualifies as “artificial intelligence” based on different applications [generative, machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP), computer vision (CV)]
    • Explain the four types of AI functionalities: reactive, limited memory, theory of mind and self-awareness
    • Describe the difference between AI applications and functionalities
    • Analyze ongoing ethical concerns and debates around artificial intelligence
    • Identify how the study of AI ethics applies to your everyday life
    Objectives, vocabulary and full lesson

  2. Lesson 2

    How AI Works

    Why should students understand artificial intelligence and its ethical uses?

    • Understand how AI converts data into tokens through tokenization
    • Determine why AI companies have the motivation to collect more data through web scraping
    • Learn how data tokens form a comprehensive response through pattern-recognition
    • Assess the societal limitations of generative AI responses based on data limitations
    Objectives, vocabulary and full lesson

  3. Lesson 3

    Deepfakes

    How does Generative AI make deepfakes, and how can users spot them?

    • Understand the differences between ‘misinformation’, ‘disinformation’, and ‘malinformation’
    • Learn the algorithmic process by with AI models can produce synthetic media
    • Evaluate the qualities of deepfake videos
    • Analyze the societal impact of deepfake videos
    Objectives, vocabulary and full lesson

  4. Lesson 4

    Sycophancy

    Why does AI consistently agree with its users, and what are the psychological impacts of this validation?

    • Understand what “sycophancy” is
    • Analyze the negative psychological impacts of AI sycophancy for users
    • Learn how users can respond to and avoid sycophantic algorithms
    Objectives, vocabulary and full lesson

  5. Lesson 5

    Plagiarism and Copyright

    What is plagiarism, and does using AI-written work qualify as plagiarism?

    • Understand what qualifies as plagiarism
    • Explain the difference between plagiarism and copyright infringement
    • Learn what legal and ethical protections are given to AI-created written work
    • Analyze the legal and ethical importance of citations
    • Understand how to take advantage of AI-provided work via citations
    Objectives, vocabulary and full lesson

  6. Lesson 6

    Art and Creativity

    How does AI impact the creative industry, and how are artists responding?

    • Understand how AI has the potential to impact the artistic industries
    • Determine if AI models can produce creative work
    • Explain the process by which AI creates art through pattern recognition
    • Understand the ethical issues behind art used as AI training data
    • Explain the difference between copyright and plagiarism
    Objectives, vocabulary and full lesson

  7. Lesson 7

    Data Privacy

    How do AI chatbots take advantage of user data, and what can users do to protect themselves?

    • Understand HOW AI tracks user data
    • Understand WHY AI companies use data for the surveillance economy
    • Identify practical steps they can take to protect their digital privacy
    • Contrast the surveillance economy from independent algorithmic training
    • Evaluate the tradeoffs between convenience and privacy
    Objectives, vocabulary and full lesson

  8. Lesson 8

    Cheating

    What exactly qualifies as “cheating” when using AI, and how does cheating impact students?

    • Define what “cognitive offloading” is, and how AI plays a role
    • Analyze why AI models can hinder a student’s academic performance beyond disciplinary infractions
    • Understand the negative psychological and practical consequences of using AI to cheat
    Objectives, vocabulary and full lesson

  9. Lesson 9

    Practical Tools and Uses

    How can students use AI ethically in the classroom? Where do students and teachers draw the line?

    • Learn a set of six (6) tips and tricks on how to prompt AI to maximize educational retention, and avoid cognitive offload
    • Analyze the positive impacts of incorporating these study strategies into an academic routine
    Objectives, vocabulary and full lesson

  10. Lesson 10

    Looking Ahead

    What does the future AI workforce look like, and how can students prepare?

    • Understand what the “AI Revolution” refers to
    • Weigh the positive and negative implications of industry automation with AI
    • Analyze how the job market may shift due to AI automation
    • Assess how students can respond to the changing future workforce
    • Learn how “ethics” plays a critical role in the future of AI’s impact
    Objectives, vocabulary and full lesson

Why teachers use it

  • Written for real classrooms

    Every lesson was built by students and checked by educators. No filler worksheets, no padding to hit a page count.

  • No AI background needed

    A short video does the explaining. You lead the discussion, and the lesson plan tells you exactly what to ask.

  • Free, from a nonprofit

    We are a 501(c)(3). No paywall, no upsell, no store. Download it, print it, change it, teach it.

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Take it further

  • Want The Ethics Lab at your school?

    We'll set up your classes on the platform, walk your teachers through it, and help you get district privacy approval. Free for every school.

    anik@ethicslabs.ai

  • Run an AI Day at your school

    One period, one lunch, or one afternoon where students learn how AI works and debate how it should be used. We give you the slides, posters, and certificates.

    Plan an AI Day

  • Want more info on the platform?

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Questions about anything on this page? Email anik@ethicslabs.ai. A real person answers.

Questions

Is this AI curriculum really free?
Yes. The Ethics Lab is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Every lesson plan and student worksheet on this page is free to download, no account needed. Answer keys are free too, with a teacher account, so students can't get them.
Do I need to know a lot about AI to teach it?
No. Every lesson has a short video that does the explaining, and the lesson plan walks you through the warm-up, video, activities, and discussion with suggested timings.
How long is each lesson?
About 35 to 45 minutes, so each one fits in a single class period. The 10 lessons work as a full unit or as standalone lessons.
Which subjects can this fit into?
Computer science, English, social studies, civics, health, library and media literacy, and advisory periods. AI ethics touches all of them.
What do I get if I sign up?
Create a free teacher account and we will confirm you're a teacher. That unlocks every answer key, plus editable teacher guides, video lessons with built-in checkpoint questions, class rosters, assignments, and a gradebook so you can see how every student is doing.