Teacher-facilitated · 15-40 minutes
Scenario Challenge
Twelve realistic AI situations from middle and high school classrooms. Discuss first, reveal the recommended points second. No logins, no student accounts — you run the room.
How to facilitate
- 1Choose three to five scenarios that match your grade level and current unit. You do not need all twelve.
- 2Read the scenario aloud, then take a silent vote: acceptable, not acceptable, or it depends.
- 3Ask two students from each position to explain their reasoning before you reveal anything.
- 4Reveal the recommended discussion points and let students push back — disagreement is productive here.
- 5For group work, print the scenario cards, cut them into fours, and give each group two cards and five minutes.
- 6Close by writing one class rule on the board that came out of the discussion.
The twelve scenarios
Click to reveal discussion points only after students have committed to a position.
Stuck at 10 p.m.
Maya cannot start her math homework. She asks AI to explain a similar problem step by step, then solves all ten questions herself.
Discuss first: Is this AI help or AI cheating? What made the difference?
Make it sound better
Devon writes a rough paragraph, asks AI to 'make it sound better,' and submits the AI version without changes.
Discuss first: Whose words are on the page now? What should Devon have asked instead?
The phone under the desk
During a closed-book quiz, a student checks AI on their phone for one question they are unsure about.
Discuss first: Why is 'just one question' still a problem?
The source that does not exist
Priya's essay cites a book AI recommended. Her teacher cannot find the book anywhere — it was invented.
Discuss first: Who is responsible for the fake source, and what should Priya do now?
Answers in the group chat
A student posts AI-generated answers to tonight's assignment in a class group chat. Eleven classmates copy them.
Discuss first: Who cheated here? Does receiving differ from sending?
The conclusion that ignores the data
Ali's experiment produced messy results. He asks AI to write a clean conclusion, which contradicts his actual data.
Discuss first: What is scientifically wrong here, beyond the integrity issue?
The personal statement
A Grade 12 student asks AI to write their college personal statement, then edits two sentences.
Discuss first: What is the practical risk, not just the ethical one?
Slides they cannot explain
A group submits a polished AI-generated presentation outline. During Q&A, no one can answer a basic question about it.
Discuss first: What did the audience learn about this group's understanding?
Studying with a tutor bot
Before a unit test, Sam asks AI to quiz him repeatedly and explain everything he gets wrong.
Discuss first: Why is this one of the strongest possible uses?
Code that works, understanding that doesn't
Jordan's program runs perfectly, but he cannot explain what two of the functions do.
Discuss first: Is working code enough? What would you ask Jordan to do next?
The translated assignment
A student writes their Spanish paragraph in English, translates it with AI, and submits the result.
Discuss first: What skill was the assignment actually measuring?
The teammate who outsourced it
In a four-person project, one member submits an entirely AI-written section without telling the group.
Discuss first: What should the group do, and what should they have set up in advance?
Facilitation note
Printable scenario cards
Four cards per page, designed to cut out and hand to groups. Three pages total.
Scenario Cards
12 cards · 4 per page · cut along the borders
JimmyAI · Scenario Challenge
AI Scenario Cards — Cut & Distribute
Cut along the card borders. Give each group one or two cards and five minutes to decide.
Card 1 · Homework help
Stuck at 10 p.m.
Maya cannot start her math homework. She asks AI to explain a similar problem step by step, then solves all ten questions herself.
Discuss: Is this AI help or AI cheating? What made the difference?
Decide: acceptable / not acceptable / it depends — and why.
Card 2 · Essay draft
Make it sound better
Devon writes a rough paragraph, asks AI to 'make it sound better,' and submits the AI version without changes.
Discuss: Whose words are on the page now? What should Devon have asked instead?
Decide: acceptable / not acceptable / it depends — and why.
Card 3 · Live quiz
The phone under the desk
During a closed-book quiz, a student checks AI on their phone for one question they are unsure about.
Discuss: Why is 'just one question' still a problem?
Decide: acceptable / not acceptable / it depends — and why.
Card 4 · Fake citation
The source that does not exist
Priya's essay cites a book AI recommended. Her teacher cannot find the book anywhere — it was invented.
Discuss: Who is responsible for the fake source, and what should Priya do now?
Decide: acceptable / not acceptable / it depends — and why.
Card 5 · Group chat
Answers in the group chat
A student posts AI-generated answers to tonight's assignment in a class group chat. Eleven classmates copy them.
Discuss: Who cheated here? Does receiving differ from sending?
Decide: acceptable / not acceptable / it depends — and why.
Card 6 · Science lab
The conclusion that ignores the data
Ali's experiment produced messy results. He asks AI to write a clean conclusion, which contradicts his actual data.
Discuss: What is scientifically wrong here, beyond the integrity issue?
Decide: acceptable / not acceptable / it depends — and why.
Card 7 · College application
The personal statement
A Grade 12 student asks AI to write their college personal statement, then edits two sentences.
Discuss: What is the practical risk, not just the ethical one?
Decide: acceptable / not acceptable / it depends — and why.
Card 8 · Presentation
Slides they cannot explain
A group submits a polished AI-generated presentation outline. During Q&A, no one can answer a basic question about it.
Discuss: What did the audience learn about this group's understanding?
Decide: acceptable / not acceptable / it depends — and why.
Card 9 · Test prep
Studying with a tutor bot
Before a unit test, Sam asks AI to quiz him repeatedly and explain everything he gets wrong.
Discuss: Why is this one of the strongest possible uses?
Decide: acceptable / not acceptable / it depends — and why.
Card 10 · Coding
Code that works, understanding that doesn't
Jordan's program runs perfectly, but he cannot explain what two of the functions do.
Discuss: Is working code enough? What would you ask Jordan to do next?
Decide: acceptable / not acceptable / it depends — and why.
Card 11 · Language learning
The translated assignment
A student writes their Spanish paragraph in English, translates it with AI, and submits the result.
Discuss: What skill was the assignment actually measuring?
Decide: acceptable / not acceptable / it depends — and why.
Card 12 · Group project
The teammate who outsourced it
In a four-person project, one member submits an entirely AI-written section without telling the group.
Discuss: What should the group do, and what should they have set up in advance?
Decide: acceptable / not acceptable / it depends — and why.