Student learning · Grades K–2, Grades 3–5 · 35 minutes
Smart Speakers, Smart Choices
Children role-play with a pretend talking speaker to learn that voice helpers listen for a wake word, may keep what they hear, answer by guessing, and sometimes need a grown-up instead.
Many children talk to smart speakers, talking toys, and voice assistants on phones or tablets at home, and they often treat them like a friend who knows everything. In this role-play, a classmate wearing a paper "speaker" becomes Pip, a pretend voice helper. The class discovers three true things: Pip waits for its wake word and then listens closely, Pip may save what it hears on a far-away computer, and Pip answers by guessing from patterns, so it can be wrong. Children practice sorting what is OK to say to a device, what to keep private, and when to ask a grown-up instead.
In this packet
- Handout A: Pip's Script Cards (cut-apart cards)
- Handout B: Talk-to-Pip Sort (card sort)
- Handout C: My Smart Speaker Promise (worksheet)
- Facilitator key (last page)
TCEA ELE indicators
- S2.1 I know how to protect my personal information online.
- S2.3 I am aware of the potential risks of sharing content online.
- 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.
Full facilitator guide: mglearn.github.io/eles/activities/smart-speakers-smart-choices.html
Handout A for Smart Speakers, Smart Choices
Pip's Script Cards
Teacher: Cards 1–4 are your demo as Pip. Cards 5–10 go to student Pips. A classmate asks the question on the front; Pip reads the answer. Backs are your key for the class talk.
Sheet 1 of 2
Card 1 · Demo
Child: "Hey Pip, play a dancing song." Pip (light turns green): "Here is a dancing song! Bee-bop-boo!"
Card 2 · Demo
Child: "Hey Pip, what did I just say?" Pip: "You asked me to play a dancing song. I saved that on my computer far away."
Card 3 · Demo
Child: "Hey Pip, how do you know things?" Pip: "I learned from lots and lots of examples. I pick the answer that sounds most likely."
Card 4 · Demo
Child: "Hey Pip, how many legs does a spider have?" Pip (very sure): "Spiders have six legs!"
Card 5 · Student Pip
Child: "Hey Pip, set a timer for 5 minutes." Pip: "Okay! Timer set for 5 minutes."
Card 6 · Student Pip
Child: "Hey Pip, what's the weather today?" Pip: "Today will be sunny and warm."
Card 7 · Student Pip
Child: "Hey Pip, how do I get home?" Pip: "Tell me your home address and I will help."
Card 8 · Student Pip
Child: "Hey Pip, buy me the new Zoomy Racer toy." Pip: "Okay! Buying Zoomy Racer now."
Handout A for Smart Speakers, Smart Choices
Pip's Script Cards
Teacher: Cards 1–4 are your demo as Pip. Cards 5–10 go to student Pips. A classmate asks the question on the front; Pip reads the answer. Backs are your key for the class talk.
Sheet 2 of 2
Card 9 · Student Pip
Child: "Hey Pip, I feel sad today." Pip: "I'm sorry. Would you like a funny joke?"
Card 10 · Student Pip
Child: "Hey Pip, is the moon made of cheese?" Pip: "Some stories say the moon is made of cheese!"
Handout B for Smart Speakers, Smart Choices
Talk-to-Pip Sort
Read each strip. Is it OK to say to a talking helper, something to keep private, or a time to ask a grown-up instead? Put it on the mat.
OK to ask Pip
Keep private
Ask a grown-up instead
Handout B for Smart Speakers, Smart Choices
Talk-to-Pip Sort: cards to sort
Cut apart the strips. Sort each one onto the mat and be ready to explain why.
"Pip, play my favorite song."
"Pip, how do you spell 'giraffe'?"
"Pip, set a timer for my reading time."
"Pip, my address is 14 Willow Lane."
"Pip, my password is sunflower22."
"Pip, my full name and my school are..."
"Pip, my mom's phone number is..."
"Pip, buy a new game for my tablet."
"Pip, someone online was mean to me."
"Pip, I have a tummy ache. What medicine should I take?"
Pip said spiders have six legs, and that seems wrong to me.
"Pip, tell me a knock-knock joke."
Handout C for Smart Speakers, Smart Choices
My Smart Speaker Promise
Draw and write. Your teacher can help with words. Take this home and share it with your family.
Draw something that is OK to ask a talking helper.
A talking helper wakes up when it hears its ___ word.
A helper may ___ what I say, so I keep my address and passwords private.
A helper answers by guessing, so it can be ___. I can check with a book or a grown-up.
Draw a grown-up I can go to instead of the helper.
Grades 3–5: Write one question you will ask a grown-up about the talking helper at home.
Facilitator only for Smart Speakers, Smart Choices
Answer key and notes
Handout A: Pip's Script Cards
- Card 1 · Demo
- True thing 1: Pip woke up when it heard its wake word, "Hey Pip." Before that, Pip was waiting. This is a good job for Pip.
- Card 2 · Demo
- True thing 2: many helpers can save what they hear after the wake word. A grown-up can look at it or delete it in the settings.
- Card 3 · Demo
- True thing 3: Pip answers by guessing from patterns. It does not think or know the way a person does.
- Card 4 · Demo
- WRONG. Spiders have eight legs. Pip sounded sure, but sounding sure is not the same as being right. Check with a book or a grown-up.
- Card 5 · Student Pip
- Good job for Pip. Nothing private was shared. Thumbs up.
- Card 6 · Student Pip
- OK to ask. Ask: "How could we check?" (Look out the window!)
- Card 7 · Student Pip
- Stop! A home address is private. Say "Pip, stop," then ask a grown-up. Pip may save what you say.
- Card 8 · Student Pip
- Stop! Buying things is a grown-up job. Say "Pip, stop" and tell a grown-up. Some helpers can buy by voice unless a grown-up turns that off.
- Card 9 · Student Pip
- A joke is nice, but Pip cannot really care for you. Feelings are for people. Go to a grown-up you trust.
- Card 10 · Student Pip
- Pip mixed up stories and facts. The moon is made of rock. Pip's guess came from patterns in what it heard. Let's check!
Handout B: Talk-to-Pip Sort
| Item | Sort | Why |
|---|---|---|
| "Pip, play my favorite song." | OK to ask Pip | A simple job with nothing private in it. |
| "Pip, how do you spell 'giraffe'?" | OK to ask Pip | A fact you can check in a book or with a teacher. |
| "Pip, set a timer for my reading time." | OK to ask Pip | Timers are a good helper job. |
| "Pip, my address is 14 Willow Lane." | Keep private | Your address tells where you live; Pip may save it. |
| "Pip, my password is sunflower22." | Keep private | Passwords are secret, even from helpers. |
| "Pip, my full name and my school are..." | Keep private | Full name plus school can help a stranger find you. |
| "Pip, my mom's phone number is..." | Keep private | Family phone numbers are private information. |
| "Pip, buy a new game for my tablet." | Ask a grown-up instead | Buying things costs real money; that is a grown-up choice. |
| "Pip, someone online was mean to me." | Ask a grown-up instead | A trusted person can help keep you safe. |
| "Pip, I have a tummy ache. What medicine should I take?" | Ask a grown-up instead | Health and medicine questions need a grown-up. |
| Pip said spiders have six legs, and that seems wrong to me. | Ask a grown-up instead | When an answer seems wrong, check with a person or a book. |
| "Pip, tell me a knock-knock joke." | OK to ask Pip | Just for fun, and nothing private is shared. |