Student learning · Grades K–2 · 30 minutes
Robot Guesses
Children train a pretend robot with picture-word cards and discover that AI makes guesses from patterns, and that a guess can be wrong.
Young children already hear talking speakers and see apps that "know" things. In this game, the class becomes the teachers of Robo, a pretend robot that can only learn from the example cards it is shown and can only notice color. Robo makes confident guesses, gets some hilariously wrong, and gets better when the class gives it more kinds of examples. Children leave with a simple, true idea they can say out loud: "AI looks for patterns and makes guesses. Guesses can be wrong, so we check."
In this packet
- Handout A: Pattern Cards (cut-apart cards)
- Handout B: Robo's Training Cards (cut-apart cards)
- Handout C: My Robot Guess (worksheet)
- Facilitator key (last page)
TCEA ELE indicators
- AI1.1 I know how AI systems work and their capabilities in educational contexts.
- AI1.3 I am aware of the current limitations and potential biases in AI systems.
- S1.3 I am aware of how AI can assist me in my studies.
- S5.3 I am aware of how to apply computational thinking in various subjects.
Full facilitator guide: mglearn.github.io/eles/activities/robot-guesses.html
Handout A for Robot Guesses
Pattern Cards
Teacher: show or read one card at a time. Children answer with their voices or bodies. The backs are your answer key.
Card 1 · Sounds
clap, stomp, clap, stomp, clap, ___
Card 2 · Sizes
BIG, small, BIG, small, BIG, ___
Card 3 · Sky
sun, moon, sun, moon, sun, ___
Card 4 · Counting
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, ___
Card 5 · Animals
cat, cat, dog, cat, cat, dog, cat, ___
Card 6 · Trick Card
red, blue, red, blue, red, ___
Handout B for Robot Guesses
Robo's Training Cards
Teacher: read each card aloud in a big, clear voice. Tape Training Cards under FRUIT or NOT A FRUIT. Then test Robo. The backs tell you what Robo will guess.
Sheet 1 of 2
Training · Fruit
APPLE: a round, RED fruit
Training · Fruit
STRAWBERRY: a small, RED fruit with tiny seeds
Training · Fruit
CHERRY: a tiny, RED fruit with a stem
Training · Not a fruit
CAR: a shiny BLUE car
Training · Not a fruit
FROG: a GREEN frog that hops
Training · Not a fruit
SCHOOL BUS: a big YELLOW bus
Test
BANANA: a long, YELLOW fruit you peel
Test
BALL: a bouncy RED ball
Handout B for Robot Guesses
Robo's Training Cards
Teacher: read each card aloud in a big, clear voice. Tape Training Cards under FRUIT or NOT A FRUIT. Then test Robo. The backs tell you what Robo will guess.
Sheet 2 of 2
Test
RASPBERRY: a soft, RED berry
Test
GRAPES: a bunch of small, GREEN grapes
Fix-it · Fruit
BANANA: a long, YELLOW fruit (add this one to Robo's FRUIT examples)
Fix-it · Fruit
GRAPES: small, GREEN grapes (add this one to Robo's FRUIT examples)
Handout C for Robot Guesses
My Robot Guess
Draw and write. Your teacher can help you with words.
Finish the pattern. Draw what comes next: star, circle, star, circle, star, ___
Draw something Robo might guess WRONG.
Robo guesses by looking for ___.
When a robot or computer guesses, I can say: "Let's ___!"
Draw a person who can help you check.
Facilitator only for Robot Guesses
Answer key and notes
Handout A: Pattern Cards
- Card 1 · Sounds
- stomp. Ask: "How did you know?"
- Card 2 · Sizes
- small. Children crouch down low.
- Card 3 · Sky
- moon. Children make a round moon with their arms.
- Card 4 · Counting
- 2. The pattern has three parts that repeat.
- Card 5 · Animals
- cat. Two cats, then a dog, over and over.
- Card 6 · Trick Card
- Everyone guesses blue. Reveal: GREEN! The pattern changed. A smart guess can still be wrong.
Handout B: Robo's Training Cards
- Training · Fruit
- Goes under FRUIT. Robo learns: red means fruit.
- Training · Fruit
- Goes under FRUIT. Robo's pattern gets stronger: red, red.
- Training · Fruit
- Goes under FRUIT. Every fruit Robo has seen is red.
- Training · Not a fruit
- Goes under NOT A FRUIT. Robo learns: blue means not a fruit.
- Training · Not a fruit
- Goes under NOT A FRUIT. Robo learns: green means not a fruit.
- Training · Not a fruit
- Goes under NOT A FRUIT. Robo learns: yellow means not a fruit.
- Test
- Robo guesses NOT A FRUIT, because yellow things were never fruit in its examples. WRONG.
- Test
- Robo guesses FRUIT, because red things were always fruit. WRONG.
- Test
- Robo guesses FRUIT. RIGHT, but only because it happens to be red.
- Test
- Robo guesses NOT A FRUIT, because the frog was green. WRONG.
- Fix-it · Fruit
- Now Robo has seen a yellow fruit. Retest: Robo does better. More kinds of examples make better guesses.
- Fix-it · Fruit
- Robo is still only looking at color, so it may now mix up the green frog. Ask: "Is color a good way to tell what a fruit is?"