As we have worked to create excellent and comprehensive learning resources for every one of our unit studies, we have taken a first step into navigating the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a component of education. Because AI is already typically a part of many traditional school approaches, we have explored various opportunities to incorporate it in a way that is safe and effective for you and your family.
And we are so glad we did! AI, used well, can add a valuable layer of exploration for curious learners.
Using AI Resources In Your Homeschool Unit Studies
You’ll find that throughout our unit studies, we include Ask AI prompts to use with resources like Google Gemini, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity and other AI options.
You will notice that we use AI only as an enhancement to learning, never the primary resource. We will always recommend books as the spine of any study.
“It is vitally important that we teach these bright young minds how to think and find answers. In this day and age of information explosion, textbook publishers rush to keep adding new information to textbooks, further abridging, condensing and modifying or deleting what they deem less important or not politically correct. Many textbooks now read like encyclopedias, with little interesting reading included, just facts, figures and condensed material.
If we can teach our children with interesting materials, challenging them to think, reason, analyze and dig deeper for further information, we will find them to be well-educated and ready to move on to a lifetime of challenge and questions and adventure. While we will never be able to teach a child everything, we can certainly teach them these things, providing a strong foundation and knowledge base for the future.” – What is a Unit Study? by Amanda Bennett
Explore Twisting Tornadoes, Sensational Sharks, Discover the Senses and more!
Two things to remember to ensure AI learning is safe and beneficial:
- It is important that a parent always supervise a child’s use of an AI chatbot, to help guide their learning and ensure a safe experience.
- When your child wants to ask his/her own questions of the chatbot, make sure that you help create a kid-friendly AI prompt, giving specific instructions to the chatbot – including asking for age-appropriate answers for your child’s age.
“I am 7 years old. What are three characteristics of sharks?”
Amanda’s Examples of Using AI Tools
Using AI chats is one way to help your child explore and learn, without worrying about clicking links to unknown sites.
Here is an example of how our AI prompts carefully curate answers that are both age-appropriate and engaging for your homeschool study:
______________________
Example:
AI Tool prompt:
I am a 7 year old. What can you teach me about cardinal birds?
AI Tool Response:
Cardinal birds are beautiful and interesting creatures! Here are some fun facts for a 7-year-old like you:
What Does a Cardinal Look Like?
- Male cardinals are bright red with a black mask around their face and a pointy crest on their head.
- Female cardinals are a soft brownish color with hints of red on their wings and crest.
- Both males and females have orange beaks.
Where Do Cardinals Live?
- Cardinals live in North America, including places like Louisiana (where you live!). You can see them in your backyard, forests, or parks.
What Do They Eat?
- They love to eat seeds, berries, and sometimes insects.
- You can attract cardinals by putting sunflower seeds in a bird feeder.
Do Cardinals Sing?
- Yes! They have beautiful songs. Male cardinals sing to mark their territory and attract mates.
- Their song sounds like “cheer, cheer, cheer” or “birdy, birdy, birdy.”
Fun Cardinal Facts:
- Cardinals are often called “redbirds” because of their color.
- They don’t migrate, which means you can see them all year round.
- Cardinals are the state bird of 7 states, including Louisiana’s neighbor, Mississippi.
How to Spot Them?
- Look for bright red birds sitting on tree branches or hopping on the ground. They’re easiest to spot in winter when the trees have no leaves.
Would you like me to show you a picture or create one of a cardinal? 😊🕊️
My response:
Yes
AI Tool created this image then:
Here is a picture of a Northern Cardinal! Look how bright and beautiful it is sitting on the branch. Let me know if you’d like to learn more about cardinals or other birds! 😊🕊️
And now, let’s turn the page and begin this learning adventure with your child!
