AI Tinkerers: Algorithm Adventures (Grades 5–6)

About Course

Think like a computer. Build like a creator. Question like a scientist.

About the Course

• Format & Duration: 6 sessions × 2 hours | December 2025 | Live, Online

• Core Idea: Start with timeless algorithms, then explore how today’s AI tools echo (and differ from) those ideas.

• Positioning: Proven Algorithm Adventures approach—hands-on puzzles, projects, and computational thinking—with light coding in Scratch and teacher-mediated AI demos.

Why This Course Matters

Algorithms are the foundation of both computer science and AI. Students will see how search, sorting, recursion, and simple rules can build surprisingly powerful systems. Along the way, they’ll compare these with what modern AI does—and learn when to trust, test, or challenge AI outputs.

What You’ll Explore

Over 6 sessions, learners will:

• Crack the classics: Explore linear vs. binary search, swap-based sorting, recursive patterns, and shortest-path puzzles.

• Tinker with rules: Create a chatbot or branching story with conditionals, loops, and variables in Scratch.

• Peek into AI: Try a teacher-led demo of training a mini-classifier (Teachable Machine) and see how it compares to rule-based logic.

• Practice prompting: Learn simple prompting frameworks and verification habits—turning AI into a study helper, not a shortcut.

• Play with data: Collect small class datasets, visualize them, and compare human vs. AI-generated summaries.

• Think critically: Discuss bias, errors, and “black box” limits of AI—how to stay curious, safe, and fair.

Why Families Love It

✅ Rooted in Algorithm Adventures – our signature unplugged-to-code pedagogy with great student feedback
✅ Durable skills – logical thinking, decomposition, data sense, and algorithmic creativity
✅ Visible outcomes – each student leaves with a shareable mini-project and a “Prompt & Debug” checklist for ongoing use
✅ Safe AI exposure – demos only, no logins or accounts

Who It’s For

• Grades 5–6 (ages 10–12)

• No coding experience required (Scratch is taught from basics)

• Advanced learners get challenge tracks: optimizing searches, building more complex NPC behavior, or experimenting with heuristic shortcuts