Can AI Laugh?

Can AI and humans be used for the same thing? Is AI capable of empathy and emotion? This activity supports young learners to develop basic AI literacy by helping them distinguish between different uses of human intelligence and artificial intelligence. Students discover how emotion and empathy are key factors that distinguish humans from AI technology.

Grade Levels: K-2

Duration: 30 min

Concepts/Skills: Artificial intelligence, social emotional learning, pattern recognition

Objectives:

• Distinguish between the capabilities of humans, artificial intelligence, and other tools. 
• Distinguish who/what has empathy and emotion, and who/what does not have empathy/emotion

Background Information

Materials 

• Human vs. Non-Human cards (1 set per 2-3 students)
• Lesson Slides  (1 per teacher)
  
  • Uses image prompts
  • Feelings image prompts 
  • Inside an AI toy
• Dry erase board and markers (for teacher)

Preparation

1. Review the lesson overview and the image prompt slides.
   1. Choose one of the two focus areas for the activity “Uses” or “Feelings” 
   2. We recommend starting with the set of Uses cards prompts first
2. Print the Human vs. Non-human cards
   1. Students can do this activity in pairs or small groups. Print one set of sorting cards and one set of image cards per pair or group.
3. Try sorting the cards yourself for each prompt. This will give you practice with the materials to be able to anticipate student questions. 
4. Choose which sorting activity you will use with your students: uses or feelings
5. Make a venn diagram on the board or on an editable slide. Label the venn diagram according to the image below
   

Lesson Directions

Frame the Activity

Activate Prior Knowledge (7 min) 

1. Ask students to compare a stuffed animal and person. 
   • Are a stuffed animal and a person the same?
   • How are they different?
2. If students describe only physical characteristics, encourage them to think about how they are used and what they can do by asking some of these questions: 
   • What can a stuffed animal help you with?
     • Can a stuffed animal help you sleep better at night? Can a stuffed animal make you a snack before bedtime?
   • What can a family member help you with?
     • Can a family member help you sleep better at night? Can a family member make you a snack before bedtime?
3. Have students share what they know about robots and artificial intelligence:
   
   • How do you and your family use computers to help with tasks?
   • Are there computers that can talk to you?
4. Students may notice common computer assistants like Siri, Alexa, Echo etc
5. Introduce the term artificial intelligence and explain that sometimes it is used by computers or even toys to help them look things up, talk, play music.
   • Point out that toys that use Artificial Intelligence may appear like humans - they can talk to you, move, and even play.
   • They can do many other things computers can do. But these toys are like stuffed animals, not people.
     

Introduce the Activity (3 min) 

1. Tell students that to help them think about what makes something human, they are going to do an activity in which they sort cards:
   • Human and Non-human
2. Let them know you will ask them a question and they will find the cards that they think can do that thing.
3. Demonstrate the sorting activity for students by doing one of the prompts in front of the class.
   • Use Slide 8 (uses) or Slide 13 (feelings) to show them the question and repeat the options available on the human and non-human cards. 
   • Demonstrate how you would analyze the question and then sort to decide which cards have the characteristics in the prompt. 
4. Address any questions that students have about the sorting game.
5. Divide students into pairs or small groups and pass out the sorting cards. Let them know they will work as a team to make a decision.

Class Sorting Activity

Sorting and Venn Diagram (15 min) 

1. Project the first prompt. Tell students to pick the cards that apply to the prompt.
   • They can hold them up or put them in one spot on their table.
2. Depending on your focus for this activity you may use some of the following questions to help students choose their cards:
   • Uses prompts: “Who or what is best…” “Who or what would be most helpful”
   • Feelings prompts: “Who or what can” or “Who or what is most likely to…”
3. Give pairs 1-2 minutes to make a decision. Then have them hold up their cards or hold up their hands for you to come see how they sorted.
4. As they share, place their responses on the Venn Diagram.
   • “It looks like most of you said that humans would be most helpful for…”
5. Have some volunteers or students share why they made their choices. 
   • There will be some items where students identify that humans and nonhumans are both useful in different ways.
   • If you see a variety of responses, put that prompt in the middle of the venn diagram and have some students share why they made those decisions.
6. Continue the same process for the rest of the prompts.

Sample venn diagram 

By the end of the activity, the venn diagram may look something like this (uses).

Debrief (15 min) 

1. At the end of the activity, ask students:
   • What do the things in the human section have in common?
   • How are they different from the non-human things?
   • What are some examples of things both humans and non-humans can do?

Inside an AI Toy (10 min) 

1. Remind students that, though AI toys can do many things humans can do, and may sound human, they contain the same parts as computers. 
   • If students need reminders, refer to some of the prompts in the both category. 
2. Project the slide (after the prompts) showing the unlabeled inside of an AI toy. Ask students what they see inside the toy.
   • Students may say things like: wires, a camera, a battery, computer parts.
3. Project the slide showing the labeled inside of an AI toy. Go through a few of the labeled parts of the toy.
   • This is the camera. What do we think it does?
   • This is the speaker? What do we think it does?
   • This is the plug? What do you think it does? Why do you think the toy sometimes needs to be plugged in?

Standards Connections

Vocabulary