Embedding AI Literacy Into Instructional Content

Overview

With the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI), students must develop AI literacy in order to understand the technology and know how to effectively and safely apply AI in their current learning and future careers. But with a full curriculum to cover, finding time to include AI literacy can be a challenge for many teachers. Unfortunately, this is a common problem – since the personal computer entered the classroom setting, schools have had to juggle teaching both content and the skills needed to use powerful technology tools effectively. An effective approach builds on digital literacy initiatives — where teachers, schools, and systems integrate technological skill development directly into content-aligned lessons — for example, teaching students to use Google Slides or Microsoft PowerPoint to create a slideshow for a summative project.

Example From the School Teams AI Collaborative

Gianna Geraffo and Zach Kennelly, civics teachers at DSST Public Schools, a school system in Denver that participated in the School Teams AI Collaborative, recognized the importance of preparing their students for a world increasingly influenced by AI. Here are the steps they took:

• Setting a Vision: Drawing inspiration from students' feedback about civics and from thought leader Eric Liu’s work around power and storytelling, Geraffo and Kennelly outlined what skills students would need in order to thrive in the age of AI. This vision included the concept that AI requires students to harness their human imaginations, enabling meaningful collaboration between AI and people – and fostering deeper engagement in work aligned with their passions. AI-fluent students will be able to spend more time immersed in deep work, drawing on their earned expertise to create solutions that make a positive impact on their communities. This vision emphasizes the need for students to develop strong creativity and collaboration skills, equipping them to work effectively alongside both human peers and AI tools.

• Identifying Opportunities in Curriculum: Their civics curriculum included a unit on political, social, and civic power, and these educators perceived that they could empower students with a deep understanding of AI literacy by emphasizing the interplay between civic power and how to thrive in the age of AI. They modified their curriculum to still achieve the aims of the unit while incorporating AI. The updated unit emphasized grounding AI education in principles of power and responsibility. They also developed their lessons to foster habits, mindsets, and skills that empower students to be critical consumers of AI, building AI solutions that elevate human values and leverage the technology for meaningful, community-centered solutions.

• Leveraging Partners: Kennelly and Geraffo used resources from partner organizations to strengthen their units, including project plans from aiEDU, the Rithm Project’s frameworks around human connection in the age of AI, and a bot-building tool designed for students and teachers from Playlab.

During this unit, students learned about how generative AI works and analyzed the potential of AI as a powerful tool for both good and harm. For example, they explored “deep fakes” and discussed how they can be used for misinformation and the role that plays in building power. They explored the impact AI can have on human relationships and critically assessed companion bots. The unit culminated with students developing a bot to address a problem their community was facing (learn more about this project).

Apply This Strategy in Your Context

Find ways to incorporate AI literacy into your school’s curriculum to prepare students to thrive in a world of AI. Educators can begin by taking the following steps:

1. Review Curriculum to Find Natural Overlaps: Consider how you or teachers in your system have already incorporated digital literacy into instruction (see ways schools can support students use technology in their learning). Similarly, find ways for AI literacy to be used in support of students’ learning (e.g., serving as a thought partner to generate ideas, giving feedback on writing) These can range from one-off introductory lessons to more sustained unit- or course-level embedding.

2. Explain How AI works – and Not Just the Tools: Demystify how AI works so students understand how the technology generates its outputs. Students need to learn about the underlying technology and how it works – rather than just what an individual tool does. Taking the time for this allows students to be critical users and consumers of AI. For more resources, explore Common Sense Education’s AI literacy lessons for grades 6-12.

3. Leverage Resources From Partners: DSST teachers incorporated resources from several partners who have developed AI literacy resources and supports for students. In addition to the ones listed above, explore AI for Education’s student AI literacy curriculum.

By embedding AI literacy into existing lessons, educators can help students build critical skills without sacrificing time for core content. This approach not only prepares students for a world shaped by AI but also empowers them to use technology thoughtfully and responsibly to make a real impact in their communities.

This AI-enabled strategy was developed by a member of the School Teams AI Collaborative — a partnership between Leading Educators and The Learning Accelerator (TLA). The Collaborative was developed to bring together innovative educators from schools across the country to share ideas and discover effective ways to use AI in the classroom.