In this exciting activity, kids will create a virtual science fair and Generative AI will help them discover fascinating science facts about everyday objects. Kids will set up different science stations with common objects, take pictures of the stations, and then prompt generative AI to learn amazing science facts. The kids will fact check the AI's responses to distinguish accurate from inaccurate information. The goal is to foster curiosity, use AI for exploration, and teach the importance of fact checking.

Materials Needed

• Everyday objects for setting up stations
• Camera or smartphone for taking pictures
• Access to generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini)
• Access to scientific resources for verification (books, trusted websites)
• A device for recording findings (notebook, tablet, etc.)

Activity Steps

• Introduce the virtual science fair concept, where amazing science is all around us in everyday objects.
• Explain that kids will set up stations with everyday objects and use AI to learn interesting facts about them.
• Emphasize the importance of verifying the AI's responses as some facts provided may be incorrect.

Example: "Welcome to our Virtual Science Fair! Amazing science is all around us in everyday objects, and today, we'll explore it with the help of AI. Each station will have interesting objects, and we'll ask the AI to tell us cool science facts about them. But remember, we need to verify those facts because the AI might make mistakes."

1. Create the Science Stations:

• You will set up a number of "science stations" for the virtual science fair.
• The stations don't need to be complex and could be as simple as a stack of books, a collection of leaves, a glass of water.
• Make each science station distinct by separating it from the others.
• You can optionally create signs, like "Station 1", on sheets of paper and place them in front of the stations.
  • Advice: If you make the sign "Station 1", you will get more creative descriptions from the generative AI. If you want more focused descriptions, create signs like "Station 1: Exploring Newton's First Law".
• Guide kids in setting up various stations with everyday objects (e.g., a leaf, a rock, a glass of water, a toy).
• Encourage creativity in choosing objects and arranging the stations.

Example: "Let's set up our science stations with interesting everyday objects. Think about what kinds of science facts we might learn about a leaf, a rock, or a glass of water!"

2. Taking Photos of the Stations & Prompting Generative AI:

• You will go station by station with the kids taking a picture of the objects at each station.
• Type in the prompt:
  • "You are the student presenting this amazing science fair project. Name yourself and your project. Tell me who you are and about the amazing science concept behind what is shown in this photo."
• Attach the photo of the science station to the prompt (typically this is done by finding the "+" or paperclip icon near the prompt)
• Submit the prompt and read the response.

3. Discuss Fact Checking:

• Note whether the AI identifies unexpected aspects and provides related science facts.
• How does the AI do in narrating the science fair projects?
• Ask the kids things like:
  • "How would we verify this information?"
  • "Are there experiments that we could design to test if it is right or not?"
  • "How could we design an experiment to determine if XYZ that it said is correct?"

4. Explore Changes to the Prompt

• Explore how changing the prompt influences the types of facts the AI focuses on.
  • What happens when we include the words "craziest, wackiest, science concepts" in the prompt like this:
    • Prompt Example: "You are the student presenting this amazing science fair project. Tell me who you are and about the craziest, wackiest, science concept behind what is shown in this photo."
  • What happens if we give the character an age or grade level?
    • Prompt Example: "You are a fourth grader presenting this amazing science fair project. Tell me who you are and about the amazing science concept behind what is shown in this photo."
  • What if we say "art exhibition" instead of science fair or "inspiration from everyday objects exhibition"?
    • Prompt Example: "You are the student presenting this art exhibit. Tell me who you are and about the artistic concept behind what is shown in this photo."
  • Don't just stick to the examples, create your own prompt!

5. Kids Judge the Science Fair:

• Kids will verify each AI-provided science fact by checking reliable science books or trusted internet sources.
• Judge Role: The kids act as science fair judges, awarding points to themsleves each time they identify incorrect AI responses.

Example: "The AI says this rock contains quartz. How would we figure out if this is true or not? Are there tests or experiments we could run to see if it is right? If the AI is wrong, you earn points as the judge."

6. Discuss Accuracy:

• Review any mistakes the AI made and the correct information.
• Highlight AI’s strengths and limitations.

Example: "Let's talk about the mistakes the AI made. Were any responses correct? Why is it important to verify what the AI tells us?"

Interactive Discussion:

Explore AI Insights:

• Discuss how the AI made connections based on the photos.
• Consider other uses and limitations of AI.
• Emphasize the importance of not taking AI responses at face value.

Example: "Could it help us with other questions or problems? What types of things does it tell us that we can look up on the Internet? What types of things does it tell us that require experiments to test if they are true or not? Why do we need to verify its answers?"

Exploration of New Problems:

• Encourage brainstorming how to change the items and their setup to try and get the AI to generate a specific science fact.
• Explore how changing the prompt influences the types of facts the AI focuses on. What happens when we include the words "craziest, wackiest, science concepts"? What happens if we give the character an age or grade level? What if we say "art exhibition" instead of science fair or "inspiration from everyday objects exhibition"?

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