Last spring, something strange happened during a routine writing assignment. My students had been working on their opinion essays for a week—brainstorming, outlining, and drafting in class. One morning, a student proudly announced their essay was “finally finished,” so I opened the Google Doc to peek at their revision history.
That’s when the magic—well, AI magic—became obvious.
Instead of seeing the usual trail of thinking… the small edits… the half sentences… the crossed-out ideas and messy revisions… I saw one giant block of text appear in a single second. One click. One moment. A full essay, perfectly polished, with no trace of a student voice behind it.
No brainstorming.
No typing.
No mistakes.
No growth.
Just a fully formed essay dropped into the document like a meteor from the sky.
When I quietly asked the student how they wrote it so quickly, they gave me the same answer many teachers are hearing this year:
“AI helped.”
The truth was that AI didn’t just “help”—it did everything. And because of that, the student missed out on the entire writing process: organizing ideas, choosing evidence, revising sentences, and growing as a writer. They didn’t practice anything we had actually been learning.
This is becoming more and more common in classrooms everywhere, and it’s a big reason why many teachers are moving toward more handwritten essays, in-class writing days, and structured drafts. Not as punishment. Not because we’re anti-technology. But because we’re trying to preserve authentic learning and ensure students actually practice the skills they will need in middle school, high school, and beyond.
AI can be a fantastic brainstorming tool, but it cannot replace the hard work of thinking, planning, and writing. And when we rely on it too much, kids lose out on opportunities to grow.
Artificial intelligence is suddenly everywhere, on student devices, in classroom conversations, and woven into tools kids use every day. Teachers are feeling the pressure to address AI literacy, online safety, and responsible use… but few resources explain these concepts in a kid-friendly way, and even fewer make the learning fun.
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If you’re a teacher who’s wondered:
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“My students think AI is always right, how do I teach them to double-check facts?”
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“What do I do when kids start using AI to cheat?”
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“How do I explain hallucinations, bias, safety, or trustworthy sources at a 5th–7th grade level?"
I just created an AI Literacy Scavenger Hunt with CER Writing Activities might be exactly what you need. It is an introduction activity with no prior knowledge needed.
Why Teachers Need AI Literacy Resources Now
Click HERE to see this new resource on TPT. AI is incredibly powerful, but most students have NO idea what's appropriate and what's not. Many believe:
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AI “knows everything”
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AI can’t be wrong
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Any answer online must be trustworthy
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AI is a shortcut to skip reading or writing
Teachers report that students often rely too heavily on AI or use it in unsafe ways, typing private information, trusting hallucinated answers, or using it to complete entire assignments for them. This resource addresses those issues directly through short, high-interest reading passages and guided writing tasks.
The reading passages include kid-friendly explanations of AI mistakes (hallucinations), unsafe prompts, digital footprints, accuracy checking, trustworthy websites (.gov, .edu, .org), bias, responsible use, and why cheating harms their learning.
How the Scavenger Hunt Works
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The scavenger hunt is intentionally designed to be low-prep and highly engaging.
According to the Teacher Setup page (page 3), it runs in two parts:
Part 1 — Students Move, Read, and Solve
Students rotate through 10 reading cards posted around the classroom. Each card contains:
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A short, engaging passage about an AI concept
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A “code word question” at the bottom
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As they read each passage, they record a code word next to the correct card number on their answer sheet. Then they travel to another card, in any order.
Part 2 — Crack the Code
Once all 10 code words are found, students unscramble the boxed letters to reveal the mystery word.
They also determine a 4-digit code by following simple elimination steps.
This small “escape room” twist adds excitement, teamwork, and motivation to read carefully.
What Students Learn in the Passages
The passages teach foundational AI literacy in age-appropriate language. Students learn:
1. AI Mistakes (Hallucinations)
AI can invent facts, mix up vocabulary, create fake websites, or give wrong dates.
2. AI Bias & Fairness
Students learn what bias is, how AI can absorb stereotypes from training data, and examples like assuming all firefighters are men.
3. Safe vs. Unsafe Prompts
Students learn not to include personal information or rely on AI for decisions requiring an adult.
4. Evaluating Evidence & Trustworthy Sources
Passages explain why AI is not a reliable source for research and why evidence must come from .gov, .edu, .org, textbooks, museum sites, and experts.
5. Digital Footprints & Online Behavior
Students discover how AI tools store interactions and why positive digital choices matter.
6. Cheating With AI
One passage explains how using AI to write assignments harms learning.
7. Appropriate AI Use
Students learn how to use AI for brainstorming, vocabulary review, or explanations—with adult supervision.
CER Writing Activities Included
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After the scavenger hunt, students complete four CER prompts using real AI scenarios:
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AI hallucinating facts (penguins in the desert!)
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AI asking for personal information
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AI giving unsourced “evidence”
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AI being used to cheat
Teacher answer keys and a rubric are included (pages 16–24). These help guide students through structured reasoning and evidence-based writing.
Final Thoughts
AI isn’t going away—and students desperately need guidance on how to use it responsibly. This AI Literacy Scavenger Hunt turns a tricky topic into a fun, meaningful learning experience that builds lifelong digital skills.
If you want a no-prep way to teach AI literacy, online safety, accuracy checking, and responsible tech use, this resource gives you everything you need.