When I was deciding how to approach the use of AI in my classroom this year, my focus wasn’t on if they’ll use it, but how.

So this week, I set up an activity that got my middle schoolers thinking about AI use in a way that was fun, memorable, and totally theirs.

The Hook: Three Random Pictures

I didn’t even start with AI. Instead, I broke the class into three groups and handed each one a single document containing blank charts and images of the following:

• a microwave
• a bodybuilder on steroids
• an escalator

Then, I asked each group to brainstorm the pros and cons of their particular item. No mention of AI yet.

What They Said

Here’s an example of what they came up with:

Microwave: “It’s fast and easy, but the food isn’t really good. Kind of bland.”

Steroids: “They make you stronger, but it’s cheating. You don’t build real muscle.”

Escalator: “Great if you’re tired or can’t use stairs, but if you always take it, you get weak.”

Already, you can see where this is going.

The Twist

Once the groups shared, I asked: What if these aren’t just random objects? What if they’re metaphors for AI?

Suddenly, the room lit up:

Microwave = AI can be fast and efficient, but the results might lack depth.

Steroids = AI can “do the work for you,” but your own skills don’t grow.

Escalator = AI is amazing for accessibility, but if you never “take the stairs,” you risk dependence.

We wrapped up by watching the hover-chair scene from Wall-E, which brought the point home. Then students wrote their own one-sentence “AI survival tip” – and their advice was spot-on.

Why It Worked

This worked because students built the metaphors themselves. I didn’t have to lecture about the risks and rewards of AI; the pictures did the heavy lifting. Students argued, laughed, and made the connections all on their own.

The Takeaway

By the end of class, my students weren’t repeating what I thought about AI. They were explaining what they thought. And that was the whole point.

Ed X!