Introducing AI Without Computers: Hands-On Literacy and Ethical Sense-Making for Young Learners

Middle school students encounter AI daily, yet they often lack the tools to critically examine AI's influence on their lives.We seek to address this issue by designing activities where learners engage with AI in personally relevant contexts and "unplugged" interactions foster collaborative ethical reasoning.We present novel designs of four unplugged activities that address learning objectives such as recognizing AI, understanding AI's capabilities, and reasoning about AI ethics.We conducted a secondary analysis of CHI EA '25, April 26-May 01, 2025, Yokohama, Japan Hasti Darabipourshiraz, Maalvika Bhat, and Duri Long data collected during a five-day summer workshop with middle school students where our 'unplugged' activities were integrated into an existing curriculum.Teacher feedback suggests that the activities were engaging and fostered conceptual understanding.Student surveys revealed growth in students' comprehension of foundational AI concepts and ethical reasoning; however, abstract concepts were not as well understood.This study contributes a model for designing interactive AI education interventions that emphasize personal relevance and collaborative ethical reasoning.