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5
STRATEGIES

AI
FOR INTEGRATING

INTO THE CLASSROOM


Donnie Piercey
5
STRATEGIES

AI
FOR INTEGRATING

INTO THE CLASSROOM

Donnie Piercey

Donnie Piercey, M.Ed.


To Raven,
for listening to years of my
educational musings.

Publishing Credits
Corinne Burton, M.A.Ed., President and Publisher
Aubrie Nielsen, M.S.Ed., EVP of Content Development
Kyra Ostendorf, M.Ed., Publisher, professional books
James Anderson, M.S.Ed., VP of Digital Product
Véronique Bos, Vice President of Creative
Tom Rademacher, M.Ed., Developmental Editor
Christine Zuchora-Walske, Senior Editorial Manager
Andrew Greene, M.A.Ed., Senior Content Manager
Avery Rabedeaux, Assistant Editor
Kevin Pham, Graphic Designer

Image Credits
Images page 11, 82, and 94 Donnie Piercey with Midjourney; all other images iStock and/or Shutterstock

A division of Teacher Created Materials


5482 Argosy Avenue
Huntington Beach, CA 92649
www.tcmpub.com/shell-education
ISBN 979-8-7659-4710-4
© 2024 Shell Educational Publishing, Inc.

The classroom teacher may reproduce copies of materials in this book for classroom use only. The reproduction of any part for an
entire school or school system is strictly prohibited. No part of this publication may be transmitted, stored, or recorded in any form
without written permission from the publisher.
Website addresses included in this book are public domain and may be subject to changes or alterations of content after
publication of this product. Shell Education does not take responsibility for the future accuracy or relevance and appropriateness
of website addresses included in this book. Please contact the company if you come across any inappropriate or inaccurate
website addresses, and they will be corrected in product reprints. AI users are advised to check AI-generated content to ensure it
meets your needs and is appropriate for classroom use.
All companies, websites, and products mentioned in this book are registered trademarks of their respective owners or developers
and are used in this book strictly for editorial purposes. No commercial claim to their use is made by the author(s) or the publisher.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Meeting the Newest New Thing in Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Questions to Consider Before Using AI in the Classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
What Role Does Creativity Play? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Yeah, but Can’t They Just Use This to Cheat? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
AI Is a Tool for Learning, Not a Replacement for It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
How Do I Find the Right AI Platform for Me? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Chatbots as Teaching Assistants and Learning Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Wait . . . AI Does Pictures Too? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Using AI Effectively . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Tweak It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
How Will You Know If Students Cheat? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
AI Ethics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Don’t Forget to Have Fun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Break This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Strategies Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
How to Use This Resource . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Strategies
Strategies Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Teacher Time-Savers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Lesson-Planning Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Writing and Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Engaging Activities for Building Content Knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Fun Time! (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Indoor Recess) . . . . . . 61

Appendices
Appendices Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Appendix A: References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Appendix B: Sample Prompts and Responses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

© Shell Education 50 Strategies for Integrating AI into the Classroom—140172


Welcome
:)

4 50 Strategies for Integrating AI into the Classroom—140172 © Shell Education


AI IN THE
Introduction CLASSROOM

I’ve been a classroom teacher in Kentucky since 2007. The


technology in my first classroom included a whiteboard and
an overhead projector that I struggled to use every day. A
decade and a half later, technology has changed so much that
I now must include this assurance in the opening paragraph of
my book: Artificial intelligence (AI) did not write this. It was
written by a human: me, Donnie Piercey. I promise.
If you’re brand-new to AI tools, no worries! I’ve designed the
strategies in this book for both experts and beginners to read,
play with, tweak, and teach.
As you explore the various AI tools and ideas presented in this
book, please remember that every class and student is unique.
And as incredible as artificial intelligence has become, it hasn’t
changed these three essential truths about teaching:

Good pedagogy is still important.


Developing positive relationships with students still matters.
Read-alouds (with paper books!) are still cool.

© Shell Education 50 Strategies for Integrating AI into the Classroom—140172 5


AI IN THE
CLASSROOM Introduction

Meeting the Newest New Thing in Education


I’ve found that most educators have some variation of this experience when they see AI in action for the
first time:
1. Teacher copies and pastes essay question to see what AI creates.
2. AI answers said essay question.
3. Teacher deems it a B- essay at best.
4. Teacher asks AI to turn the essay response into a sea shanty sung in a minor key with the
accompanying chords.
5. AI does it in seconds.
6. Teacher spits out coffee.
When I started experimenting with AI, I had an experience similar to the first time I used Google Search or
YouTube. I thought, “Wait, what else can this thing do? I need to figure this out, because things are going
to change in the classroom, and in a hurry.” And I believe there’s a strong chance that fifty years from
now a teacher will pick up this book and chuckle at some of the ways we thought AI was going to affect
the classroom.
If you’re thinking that artificial intelligence is some scary future thing, you can take a deep breath
and relax. There’s no need to dread its arrival. It’s already here, and it’s only going to get better. For
the students walking through the doors of your classroom today, the AI they’ll encounter is the most
nonhumanlike AI they’ll ever experience (de la Higuera 2019).
If you remember America Online (AOL) or Netscape Navigator from the 1990s, the champions of the
early internet, you know what I mean. Apps like ChatGPT are groundbreaking, but they’re the Netscape
Navigator of AI. We’re just getting started (Dwivedi et al. 2023). AI apps are evolving faster than a middle
schooler’s mood, so expect new and improved tools to keep popping up as classroom teachers figure out
creative ways to use these tools with their students.
I realize this may be a little terrifying.
Let’s address the robot in the room.
You know, the whole “Bots are going
to take over the world” worry. Sure,
we might joke about our future robot
overlords, but the truth is: AI offers more
ways to help than to hinder classroom
instruction (Gillani 2023). You can rest
easy knowing that your job is safe from
the clutches of a fleet of TeacherBots.
For now.
Now let’s talk about the elephant in the
room (it’s a big room—full of robots and
elephants): student academic integrity.
You might think that introducing AI to a
classroom is just asking for trouble, like
handing over the answers to a test. But I
believe that a student’s first instinct isn’t
to cheat. Kids are naturally curious, and

6 50 Strategies for Integrating AI into the Classroom—140172 © Shell Education


AI IN THE
Introduction CLASSROOM

AI can be a powerful tool to ignite their spark of curiosity and


guide them toward meaningful learning experiences.
My goal in this book is to show you how to use AI responsibly,
keeping the focus on learning, student creativity, and
engagement. I’m hoping it will make your teaching life easier—
that you’ll be able to pick it up and dive into some classroom
activities with your students today (especially if you happen
to be reading this during your 45-minute planning block or
22.5-minute lunch).
The book covers all sorts of AI, from virtual tutors and grading
assistants to personalized learning plans and interactive
simulations. It does not focus on specific apps. You can use
whatever apps you like, including the ones no one knows
about yet.
The practical tips and real-world examples in this book can help
you get the most out of using AI in your classroom. Whether
you’re a tech-savvy educator or a newbie to the digital realm,
I’ve got you covered.
So, grab your coffee (which will one day be brewed by a
robot butler) and get ready to ride into the wild world of AI.
Remember: the future is bright, the bots are (mostly) friendly,
and we’re all in this together.

Questions to Consider Before Using AI in the Classroom


As AI continues to advance, it will offer numerous opportunities to make the classroom and learning
experience more engaging, efficient, and personalized. To harness the full potential of AI in the classroom,
you’ll need to plan for and use AI-powered tools and resources that cater to your students’ diverse needs.
Here are some important questions to consider as you bring AI into your classroom:
● What are the learning targets, goals, or objectives for this lesson, and how can AI tools help me
achieve them?
● What prior knowledge do my students have, and how can AI help me identify and fill any learning
gaps?
● How can AI save me time on tedious tasks so I can spend more time helping my students succeed?
● How can I use AI tools to offer personalized feedback and guidance for each student?
● When should students be guided by AI during practice exercises to ensure understanding?
● How can AI-powered apps assist me in teaching and reinforcing new content-specific vocabulary?
● In what ways can I use AI to help formatively assess student learning?
● How can AI tools help me model complex concepts and processes for students?
● How can AI help me monitor student progress and determine when learning objectives are met?
● What AI-driven interventions or resources can I provide for students who need additional support?
● How can I use AI for collaborative learning and peer-to-peer interactions?

© Shell Education 50 Strategies for Integrating AI into the Classroom—140172 7


AI IN THE
CLASSROOM Introduction

The answers to the above questions may change depending on the day and the activity. Some of these
questions may never have perfect answers for you, but asking them will help you focus your intentions
and lesson planning on what you know is most important.

What Role Does Creativity Play?


AI tools can provide a personalized learning experience tailored to individual students’ needs, but it is
ultimately up to the students to explore, experiment, and innovate with these resources. By encouraging
creativity, you can empower your students to think critically and create unique solutions to problems,
which can lead to a deeper understanding of content. This creative mindset will serve them well as they
move from school to adulthood, where AI will continue to play a role in many fields.

Yeah, but Can’t They Just Use This to Cheat?


As AI technologies become more pervasive in schools, the need to have discussions with students
about what role AI should play is growing. You’ll want to teach students the importance of honesty,
accountability, and respect in using AI tools. Students must understand the consequences of actions such
as using an app like ChatGPT or Bard to do their homework for them. There’s still value in the students’
productive struggle.

AI Is a Tool for Learning, Not a Replacement for It


As a teacher, it’s your responsibility to learn how to use AI so you can pass on this knowledge to your
students. By familiarizing yourself with AI technologies, you can use them to create meaningful, engaging,
and interactive learning experiences. Additionally, you must serve as a role model by demonstrating the
ethical use of AI and promoting the values of creativity and integrity in how you use it.
In an AI-driven world, it is crucial to give students opportunities for hands-on experience and guidance.
This includes incorporating AI-powered applications in lessons, encouraging collaboration on AI-related
projects, and having deep discussions on the ethical implications of AI. By exposing students to the real-
world uses of AI and allowing them to experiment with these tools, you can help them develop the skills
and mindset they need to succeed in whatever robot-overlord-driven world they end up graduating into.
Though AI is an important tool, I don’t think this means that kindergarteners need to be introduced to
it on the first day of school. As much as I love technology, there’s still so much value in having students
read a good book and do other unplugged learning. No matter when or how much you use AI in our
classrooms, you need to do so thoughtfully. Researchers at MIT are finding that the most productive AI
education uses are rooted in three design principles: Active Learning, Embedded Ethics, and Low Barriers
to Access (Williams et al. 2022).

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AI IN THE
Introduction CLASSROOM

How Do I Find the Right AI Platform for Me?


As you flip through this book, you’ll read about various AI apps. Most are free, but some require a
subscription or one-time payment. New options are coming out all the time, so search for the app that
best fits your educational needs and budget. ChatGPT and Bard are examples of generative AI that can
assist in composing, creating writing prompts, or even offering feedback on student work. But AI is more
than just text. You can also use AI to create images, music, animations, and (probably sooner than we
think) movies. Dall-E and Midjourney are two examples of image-generating AI tools.

AI App Sampler

Document Creation (Chatbots) Image Creation


● ChatGPT (chat.openai.com/chat): ● Midjourney (midjourney.com): This
Need a hand with lesson planning app lets you create custom images
or content creation? Let ChatGPT be in seconds. Midjourney starts free,
your assistant! It has both free and but it turns into a paid service once
paid plans. Paid plans offer higher you’ve created a certain number of
speed. images.
● Bard (bard.google.com): Spark ● Dall-E (openai.com/product/
your students’ creativity with Bard, dall-e-2): This AI-powered image
Google’s chatbot that’ll create story generator will create visuals based
ideas and refine writing. on your text descriptions. The first
● Magic Write (canva.com/magic- fifty images are free. After that,
write): The Canva design platform Dall-E becomes a paid service.
includes a Magic Write option that’ll ● Adobe Firefly (adobe.com/firefly):
create text, poems, and paragraphs This assistant, currently a beta
in seconds. Both free and paid version, will eventually be built into
options are available. Adobe’s Creative Cloud. It’s quite
● Help Me Write: Watch for this new good at creating beautiful graphics.
AI writing assistant built into Google ● Shutterstock AI Image Generator
Docs and Gmail. (shutterstock.com/generate): Create
custom visuals for your lessons with
this image creator. Free and paid
services are available.
● Canva AI Image Generator (canva.
com/ai-image-generator): For those
of you who use Canva, this tool is
a great way to create images for
projects you’re designing.

© Shell Education 50 Strategies for Integrating AI into the Classroom—140172 9


AI IN THE
CLASSROOM Introduction

Chatbots as Teaching Assistants and Learning Tools


Generative chatbots are changing the ways educators teach and interact with students. These AI-driven
conversational tools can understand and respond to natural-language questions, providing instant
support to both teachers and students.
You can use chatbots as teaching assistants. They can help you manage your workload by answering
routine questions, offering personalized feedback, and assisting in lesson planning (Chinonso, Adalikwu,
and Tolorunleke 2023). Try a simple prompt such as I am trying to come up with a creative way to teach my
students how to [insert skill here]. You’ll be surprised at what the chatbot comes up with.
AI chatbots can also serve as engaging learning tools for students. They can offer explanations, examples,
and clarifications on a wide range of topics in real time, catering to the individual needs of each student.
Students have reported positive results using ChatGPT as a “personal tutor” that “patiently” answers
questions (Tlili et al. 2023). If a student is struggling to understand a concept, they can ask AI follow-up
questions until the puzzle pieces start coming together. This is personalized learning. Instead of telling a
student to watch a YouTube video over and over until they finally get how to balance an equation, now
students can read (or maybe watch) a response to a question, and then ask a chatbot clarifying questions
to hone their understanding.
Even better, chatbots extend beyond classroom management and support. You can use these advanced
AI systems to encourage critical thinking and creative problem-solving among your students. By posing
open-ended questions or providing prompts, you can use AI to stimulate discussions and debates on
various subjects. Chatbots can offer counterarguments, alternative perspectives, or additional information,
helping students develop a more comprehensive understanding of the material being discussed or taught
in class (Chinonso, Adalikwu, and Tolorunleke 2023).
Another advantage of using chatbots in a classroom is their ability to adapt to the learning needs of
individual students. By analyzing student interactions, a chatbot can identify areas where a learner might
need extra help, tailor a response to address those needs, and provide personalized feedback for further
study (Kasneci et al. 2023).

10 50 Strategies for Integrating AI into the Classroom—140172 © Shell Education


AI IN THE
Introduction CLASSROOM

Wait . . . AI Does Pictures Too?


AI can create images in seconds. The advanced algorithms behind these tools can create unique and
diverse images based on whatever prompts a student enters. Image generators are a powerful way for
students to explore a relationship between language and the visual arts. You will want to be careful
depending on the age of your students. Although most AI generators won’t create overtly inappropriate
images, they can sometimes create images that are unsettling or scary.
AI image generators are also just delightful to play with. For example, let’s imagine that I wanted a creative
writing prompt for my students. I asked Midjourney to create an image of a girl looking inside a strange box
she discovered inside a tree. Midjourney made the following image in seconds.

Image created by Donnie Piercey with Midjourney. Reprinted with permission.

Looks like a great story starter to me!

© Shell Education 50 Strategies for Integrating AI into the Classroom—140172 11


AI IN THE
CLASSROOM Introduction

Using AI Effectively
Learning to use AI effectively will help you create a more engaging and constructive learning experience
for your students. There’s a huge difference between the prompt Write about video games and the prompt
Write five paragraphs at a high school reading level about the video game console wars and the economic
impact on consumers. Just as with a web search engine, you’ll need to learn the most effective ways to use
AI tools to get the best results.

Tweak It
Although artificial intelligence has made significant strides in recent years and will continue to do so, it
is important to remember that these tools are far from perfect. The algorithms behind AI tools are not
always able to grasp the nuances and context of what you want it to create. Sometimes, the prompt you
give ChatGPT just doesn’t give you the response you’re looking for.
As with everything else you do for your students, you must be prepared to adjust and refine your use of
AI to serve your students effectively. This is crucial to ensuring that the AI-generated content caters to the
specific needs, interests, and learning preferences of our students.
It is common for AI-generated content to miss the mark. So tweak it! Be prepared to double-check
everything and adjust as needed. This process may involve refining the input prompt, providing some
context, or even breaking down complex ideas into simpler components. The more practice you get
working with AI, the more practice it gets working with you. For example, when I got my first smart
speaker in my home, it worked better and better the more I learned how to talk to it.

How Will You Know If Students Cheat?


Let me be clear: I don’t believe that a student’s first instinct is to
cheat. But sometimes temptation gets the better of the best of
us. That’s why it’s important for you to have a few tricks up your
sleeve for when stress, time, or temptation gets the best of your
students. Many AI detection apps can help you determine when
something’s just a little too . . . well . . . robotic.
Show your students that these tools exist and that you know
how to use them. This can help you maintain academic integrity
in your classroom by preventing AI shenanigans. And when
you know how to use AI detectors, you can keep a keen eye on
students’ work to make sure they’re actually learning and not just
relying on their robot friends.
But AI detectors aren’t all rainbows and unicorns. Sometimes
they might give you false positives or negatives. So, while
they can be helpful, it’s important not to rely on them entirely.
Also, be cautious about the potential impact on student trust.
You don’t want to create an atmosphere where your students
feel like they’re constantly under suspicion. Using AI detectors
should be just one part of your overall approach to promoting
academic integrity.

12 50 Strategies for Integrating AI into the Classroom—140172 © Shell Education


AI IN THE
Introduction CLASSROOM

AI Ethics
The transformation that AI has brought to us already is incredible. Heck, yesterday my wife ordered a
coffee that was delivered to her office by a four-wheeled robot. But it’s important to talk about some of
the ethical dilemmas that come with such advancements. Not everyone is overjoyed at the emergence
of AI, which is a tool that combines more than it creates. Visual artists—especially digital artists—have
protested that their original work is visible and recognizable in AI images without their permission.
Many people have concerns about what AI means for the future of art, writing, and other pursuits long
considered distinctly human. Big questions are arising—questions you are likely bringing up with your
students—and we don’t have answers for them yet.
● How can AI inspire students without replacing human creativity?
● How can original artists be acknowledged?
● When is it okay to use AI, and when is it not?
● How much can you trust what AI tells you?
● How can you tell if AI is missing an important perspective?
By having open dialogues with your students and colleagues about these questions, you can guide your
students into a future where tech turns into an ally rather than an occupying force. And of course, always
check AI-generated content to ensure it’s what you want it to be. As with all teaching materials, you will
need to review and make choices about AI and help students learn about using it constructively.
One recent article by David Baidoo-Anu and co-authors listed the possible drawbacks of using ChatGPT
or similar AI in education as lack of human interaction, limited understanding, bias in training data, lack
of creativity, and privacy (Baidoo-Anu and Owusu Ansah 2023). The
author credited with that section of the article was, it turns out,
ChatGPT. So, it’s complex.
As AI-generated narratives and art become more
common, focus on celebrating the creativity,
connections, and discoveries your students make,
not just the speed of work completion. I hope
the rise of AI will mean that human creators,
storytellers, musicians, writers, poets, and
artists are celebrated at a much deeper
level. It’s the human touch, encouraging our
students to pursue knowledge, that truly
makes a difference in every classroom.

© Shell Education 50 Strategies for Integrating AI into the Classroom—140172 13


AI IN THE
CLASSROOM Introduction

Don’t Forget to Have Fun!


Go ahead: dip your toes into the AI pool and see how it feels.
Visit an image-generating website and see what you can
create. Go and ask a chatbot to rewrite the ending to your
favorite movie. Don’t like what it creates? Ask it to try again.
Our time is stretched thin enough as it is; grading papers,
planning lessons, and managing a classroom are no small
feats. So why not explore ways that technology can enhance
and streamline your experience? By embracing AI, you could
save time and energy, giving you more opportunities to work
one-on-one with your students and have a real impact on
their lives (Chinonso, Adalikwu, and Tolorunleke 2023).

Break This Book


This book contains fifty strategies, and it can open the door
to an infinite world of new ideas, new possibilities, new tools,
and new ways to teach and learn. The great—and sometimes
overwhelming—thing about artificial intelligence is that no
one knows everything it can do now, much less in a year or
five years.
The strategies here are meant to empower you to experiment
and find the best ways to enhance student learning in your classroom, all while encouraging curiosity and
creativity. I’m a firm believer that the best way to learn about new things is to play with them until they
break, then see how the insides work.
In each strategy in this book, you’ll see a sample prompt. The sample prompts are by no means the only
prompts that will work (or the prompts that will work best with whatever version of AI you’re using).
They’re a starting point for you to build on. Appendix B contains a list of all these prompts and sample
responses that AI created from them.
While you try these strategies, listen for your inner voice asking, “What if . . . ?” or, “I wonder . . . ” and try
those things. Try ridiculous things. Try things that make you laugh. Try things you’re absolutely sure won’t
work. And remember, AI is a tool that talks back. So if you get lost, ask it where to go next, ask it how
to fix the thing that’s not working, ask it for another idea or five or fifty. You are among the first group
of teachers who will become experts in teaching with AI. You’re an explorer, and it’s a fun tool to get
lost with.

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Introduction CLASSROOM

Strategies Overview
The strategies in this book are organized into the following sections to help you find
the ideas you need most.

Teacher Time-Savers
In this chapter, I share some AI tools that will help you work more efficiently, spend
more time with students, and use more of your time and energy doing what you love:
teaching. I hope these clever workflows will help you find the balance you need.

Lesson-Planning Tools
There will be times when you hit a creative wall, and that’s when AI can come to your
rescue! These digital companions can bring fresh ideas to your classroom by suggesting
innovative and engaging activities tailored to your students’ needs. AI can jump-start
your teaching brain, making sure you’re never scrambling to figure out how you’re
going to teach the content.

Writing and Reading


Because AI communicates mostly through text (for now), the options available for
inventive, engaging, differentiated writing and reading strategies get their own
chapter. When ChatGPT launched, writing and reading teachers had some questions
and concerns about what it could do. In this chapter you’ll learn how to create stories
tailored for each student’s interests and the skill practice they need, how to develop
Choose Your Own Adventure–style writing and reading activities, and more.

Engaging Activities for Building Content Knowledge


This chapter highlights flexible strategies to help students build content knowledge
across disciplines and inspire engagement and inquiry. AI can help you build, adapt,
or assist lessons by creating unique data, connecting ideas and themes across content,
and giving students new ways to show their learning.

Fun Time! (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Indoor Recess)
We’ve all had those days. We’ve all had so many of those days. Something gets canceled
or announced at the last minute, you’re voluntold to sub without a plan, you and your
students return from a field trip with an hour left in the day, or you age decades during
a single indoor recess. This chapter is full of games and activities you can pull together
quickly to fill those times, build some community, and have some fun.

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AI IN THE
CLASSROOM Introduction

How to Use This Resource


On each strategy page, you’ll find an idea accompanied by prompt suggestions that you can enter into
whatever AI app you’re using. You can use the prompts exactly as they are or modify them to suit your
students’ unique needs. Almost all the strategies in this book can be expanded or adapted to fit many
grade levels and topics.

Sample prompts give you


examples of what to type
into AI to get started.

AI IN THE
CLASSROOM Teacher Time-Savers

Emergency Sub Plans Sample Prompt


This introductory Every teacher has been there: a family
text provides a emergency pops up, you get called into I am a fifth grade teacher who needs sub plans
a meeting you didn’t expect, or you just for today. I will not be able to go to school
brief description need to take some time for yourself. The or print anything. I don’t have worksheets
of the strategy. good news is that AI can create on-the- or anything else prepared. Please come up
fly lesson plans and ideas when you have with a couple of activities for math, reading,
little preparation time. By entering details writing, and social studies. Here is my schedule:
about what you’re teaching, your schedule, (insert schedule).
and other key information, you can have
workable sub plans in a fraction of the time.
You can email or share the results of the
Ideas for sample prompt here in minutes. (Remember,
applying the a bit of editing might be needed.)
strategy are
provided for
three grade
Make It Real
ranges. Be sure Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
to check out all
● Have several of these ● If you work with a team ● Middle or high school
the options! sub plans at the ready. at your school, copy students often have more
It takes only a couple of and paste your sub autonomy on days when
seconds for AI to throw plans into an editable a sub is in the classroom.
one together. document and ask your AI is a great way to create
● AI can generate lists of team to make some quick a quick list of activities
high-frequency words revisions for you. for your students to
or words with similar ● If the sub plans include complete.
sounds or phonetic activities that say, “Give ● If your students are ready
patterns. (Give me fifty examples to the class of to use AI themselves,
first grade spelling words these types of problems,” give them a prompt that
that have an a with a add a follow-up prompt will create an activity or
magical e.) asking AI to create some generate questions for
● Have AI generate example problems for them to complete.
prompts for a scene or the sub to share.
creative play scenario for
your substitute to give
students.

These notes
offer ideas to try
next, discussion Play with AI
questions, or fun I guarantee that the activities won’t be perfect the first time! This is just a quick way
to generate some ideas for your students. You can tweak them any way you like.
experiments.
18 50 Strategies for Integrating AI into the Classroom—140172 © Shell Education

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Introduction CLASSROOM

Strategies Table of Contents


Teacher Time-Savers Engaging Activities for Building
Emergency Sub Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Content Knowledge
Study Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Intro to Computer Coding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Rubrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Remixing Famous Speeches . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Writing Feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Write a Fictional Résumé . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
ChatGPT before Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Put It to Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Field Trip Prep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Interact with Famous
Announcing a Schoolwide Event . . . . . . . . . 24 Historical Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
TL;DR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Create Coding Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Student Conference Project Feedback . . . . 26 Logo Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Movie Posters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Lesson-Planning Tools Debate Prep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
On-the-Fly Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Create a New Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
On-the-Fly Comprehension . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Formal Email Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Children’s Book Magic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Sometimes You Just Need
Get That Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Practice Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Remixing for Struggling Readers . . . . . . . . . 31 Creating a Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Make Writing More Interesting . . . . . . . . . . 32 Summarize That . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
I Need Exemplars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Fun Time! (or How I Learned to Stop
Math Manipulatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Worrying and Love Indoor Recess)
Play with Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Speech! Speech! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Create a Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Spot the Bot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Creating Learning Targets/Objectives
Funny Fill-in-the-Blank Stories . . . . . . . . . . . 63
from Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Remixing Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Writing and Reading Twenty Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
AI Reader’s Theater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Trivia Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Creative Writing with Emojis . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Remixing Student Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Art and Writing Styles with AI . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Creative Writing from AI Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
A Fix for Writer’s Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Pick Your Own Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Creative Writing Prompts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Comparing Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Change the Ending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

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AI IN THE
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Emergency Sub Plans Sample Prompt


Every teacher has been there: a family
emergency pops up, you get called into I am a fifth grade teacher who needs sub plans
a meeting you didn’t expect, or you just for today. I will not be able to go to school
need to take some time for yourself. The or print anything. I don’t have worksheets
good news is that AI can create on-the- or anything else prepared. Please come up
fly lesson plans and ideas when you have with a couple of activities for math, reading,
little preparation time. By entering details writing, and social studies. Here is my schedule:
about what you’re teaching, your schedule, (insert schedule).
and other key information, you can have
workable sub plans in a fraction of the time.
You can email or share the results of the
sample prompt here in minutes. (Remember,
a bit of editing might be needed.)

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● Have several of these ● If you work with a team ● Middle or high school
sub plans at the ready. at your school, copy students often have more
It takes only a couple of and paste your sub autonomy on days when
seconds for AI to throw plans into an editable a sub is in the classroom.
one together. document and ask your AI is a great way to create
● AI can generate lists of team to make some quick a quick list of activities
high-frequency words revisions for you. for your students to
or words with similar ● If the sub plans include complete.
sounds or phonetic activities that say, “Give ● If your students are ready
patterns. (Give me fifty examples to the class of to use AI themselves,
first grade spelling words these types of problems,” give them a prompt that
that have an a with a add a follow-up prompt will create an activity or
magical e.) asking AI to create some generate questions for
● Have AI generate example problems for them to complete.
prompts for a scene or the sub to share.
creative play scenario for
your substitute to give
students.

Play with AI
I guarantee that the activities won’t be perfect the first time! This is just a quick way
to generate some ideas for your students. You can tweak them any way you like.

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Teacher Time-Savers CLASSROOM

Study Schedule Sample Prompt


As teachers, we spend a lot of time helping
our students (and ourselves) stay organized. Create a one-week study schedule for fourth
For those of us who don’t delight in creating graders to help them learn the water cycle.
calendars and schedules, chatbots can do Include specific vocabulary and activities that
the heavy lifting—and maybe give us some students can do at home for practice.
new ideas along the way.

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● Customize the week for ● AI is quite good at ● In addition to creating a
little learners in seconds: breaking down standards study schedule, AI can
ask AI to create a plan to create an aligned break up what you may
to teach your students study schedule. Include be reading in class. For
specific phonemes or an in your prompt a phrase example, tell it: We are
activities list of number like Here are the standards reading a 482-page book
games. I’m trying to teach. with 38 chapters this
● If parents are wondering ● Try asking AI to create March. My students are
how they can help their a simple weeklong study starting to read on March
child at home, ask AI guide written for fourth 2, and I’d like them to
to write a letter to my graders about how to finish by March 31. Create
preschool parents about simplify fractions (or a chapter-based reading
how they can help their whatever skill you’re schedule for my students.
children recognize basic teaching). It will make ● If your students are ready
shapes and colors over one in seconds that you to have access to AI, they
the next few weeks (or can share with a student. can ask it themselves to
whatever skill you’re create a study guide for
focusing on). them.
● Need a simple list of ● Show your students how
classroom essentials for AI can tailor their plan to
your little learners? Ask AI individual struggles. For
to create a classroom wish example: I am having a
list of items you need at hard time understanding
the start of the year. how to balance equations;
please give me a few days
of practice on that skill.

Play with AI
Have you ever seen an exercise video that offered three levels of difficulty? Similarly,
AI can give you three different schedules for three different project milestones.
You could also have it analyze your schedule from a prior day or week and look for
patterns or problems.

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AI IN THE
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Rubrics Sample Prompt


If you do a lot of projects and essays, rubrics
are an important (and time-consuming) Create a rubric for a project-based learning
piece of your work. With the right prompt assignment. In this assignment, the students
explaining the assignment and what you will design a menu for a local restaurant in
are looking to measure, a chatbot can help our downtown.
organize and write your rubric for you.

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● Use AI to create simple ● AI can help you create ● Students can make
rubrics that show where differentiated rubrics for and adapt rubrics for
a student would be on students doing different assignments that don’t
or off track for various kinds of projects or with already have them by
skills so that adults at different learning goals. feeding AI details of the
home can see ability and ● Students can help create assignment and class.
growth. their own rubrics for class ● AI can create rubrics
● Families can use AI conduct or recess to learn specific to growth or
to create practice for how rubrics work. mastery areas specific
students at home based to each student, or for
on rubrics that include differentiated groups.
prompts to use.
● Create a simple rubric
for families to use while
reading at home that
contains things to listen
for (such as consonant
blends) while their child
reads out loud.

Play with AI
What parts of your school day could use their own rubrics? Could your students help
decide what gets measured and what prompts to use?

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Teacher Time-Savers CLASSROOM

Writing Feedback Sample Prompt


Secondary teachers grading 150 essays and
spending only ten minutes on each will Read this essay and tell me which score it
need twenty-five hours to give feedback. has earned for organization and mechanics.
The math on giving feedback isn’t difficult, Explain how well it used proper mechanics and
but it is difficult to imagine how teachers tone for a middle school essay.
manage to do anything else with their time.
Using AI can cut back on the time you spend
giving feedback while freeing you up to give
specific, personalized attention to each piece
of writing.

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● Do quick skill checks on ● Students can have AI ● Students can have AI
student writing, focusing check for specific areas check for specific areas
on the specific skill you’re of focus or have it give of focus or have it give
teaching. (For example, feedback based on a feedback based on a
ask if a piece of student rubric. rubric.
writing is matching ● Get a meta-analysis of ● Get a meta-analysis of
subject-verb agreement student writing by asking student writing by asking
or using commas well.) for feedback on a class’s for feedback on a class’s
● Have AI create individual worth of writing at once. worth of writing at once.
or whole-class feedback
based on student writing
(review for concepts or
skills that are missing in
most students’ writing).
● After examining your
student writing, ask AI for
some reteaching for your
students about a writing
skill they need to practice.

Play with AI
Writing is a great way to play with AI in your classroom. Have AI write an essay on
the same topic you’ve assigned students to write about and have students give it
feedback. Use an AI station to let students ask questions and have conversations
with AI about their topic or their writing. See if students can work together to
improve their grades from an AI grader.

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AI IN THE
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ChatGPT before Me Sample Prompt


It’s easy to create a question-and-answer
chatbot for students to use when they’re Fifth graders will ask you questions about how
confused. Set up a station in your classroom a bill becomes a law in the US Congress. After
with an AI chat window and direct the AI to students type in their questions, write your
answer questions in a way that your students answers in a way that a fifth grader could
will understand. You can limit or broaden the easily understand.
scope of the answers as you like by changing
or adding to your prompt.

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● Type questions from your ● Set up an AI station with ● During research time,
curious young students specific instructions to students could access an
into the AI. Read the answer only questions AI station to ask for help
answers aloud. about the topic of a on specific questions
● Give adults at home links certain lesson. or to direct them to
and directions to do ● Set up an AI station as resources.
similar activities at home. one of a few stations ● Students working on
● You can keep track where students get complex topics can
of student questions information on a topic, use an AI station to get
through the day and with others being books, information, clarification,
have AI organize and a recorded interview, an or feedback when you
email them to parents. image, or a song. are working with other
(Many AI platforms have students.
an email function you
can set up.)

Play with AI
Play with your prompts to push students toward deeper thinking or applying the
information in some way. Tell AI to answer students in a way that links information
from at least two subjects, or that tells students where to find answers without
giving them.

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AI IN THE
Teacher Time-Savers CLASSROOM

Field Trip Prep Sample Prompt


When you’re planning a field trip, AI can
help you with last-minute communications, I am planning a (grade level) field trip to
checklists, permission slips, and updates. It (location). Help me come up with some
can also help you get your students ready for classroom activities that my students can do
the experience by providing sample learning beforehand to get them ready for the trip.
activities. AI is a great place to ask for advice
on how best to support students who
struggle in certain environments.

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● Use a chatbot to come up ● A few weeks before a ● A few weeks before
with ideas that combine field trip, input your your trip, ask a chatbot
current lessons with current areas of study about the place and
an upcoming trip. For and any information focus of the experience.
example: Recommend about your planned trip It may provide you with
some books for first for ideas about how they information or narratives
graders about visiting a may match. that are engaging to
farm. ● Use an AI image students but hard to find.
● Use an image generation generation app to ● Use AI to find ideas
AI app to help students engage students in for ways the field trip
imagine and talk about discussions about what can connect with what
what they might see or to do and not do while students are learning in
experience. off campus. various classes.
● Use AI to create safety
protocols or checklists
for specific locations. For
example, ask AI, What
should students do and
not do when visiting a
farm?

Play with AI
Tell AI your plans for the trip and ask it if you forgot anything, if there are any
other ideas to make it better, or if there are things you could do beforehand to
help your students get the best experience. You could also ask for fun games to
play on the bus.

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AI IN THE
CLASSROOM Teacher Time-Savers

Announcing a Sample Prompt


Schoolwide Event Write an email to the staff at our school about
Some days there’s just too much going on the homecoming parade. It is taking place
to sit down and focus on writing a concise, on Saturday, November 5, at 10:00 a.m. The
professional email to your colleagues or cost for the event is free. If students want to
your community. By entering the specific participate in the parade, they should get to
information you need, a chatbot can write school on Saturday morning by 8:00 a.m.
the information for you in an email. You can
even tell it the tone and length you’d like.

Make It Real
To Homes To Colleagues To
Other Professionals
● Ask AI to write a letter ● Writing concise messages
that is inclusive of many can be more time- ● When you’re
kinds of families and consuming than writing communicating with
cultures. long ones, but people professionals outside
● If you don’t have access are more likely to read your building, it’s
to a human translator, AI shorter messages. Use AI important to do so in a
can provide translations to condense your writing. professional way. Try a
of content into all few different AI prompts
your students’ home to get the tone right.
languages.

Play with AI
If your colleagues share your sense of humor, you can ask AI to write your email to
sound like a pirate or a musical or a presidential speech. If your email is important,
consider asking AI to review your draft email by asking it a few questions about what
the main point and tone of your draft seem to be, or how you could make it better.

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Teacher Time-Savers CLASSROOM

TL;DR Sample Prompt


The abbreviation TL;DR means “too long;
didn’t read.” Got some professional Summarize this text in three bullet points, show
development reading that you were me one quote that seems most interesting, and
definitely going to do for the last two weeks tell me any important facts or data.
. . . but you didn’t, and the debrief meeting
is in twenty minutes? A coworker keeps
sending you long articles that you’d love
to read deeply, but you don’t have time to
do more than skim? Copy and paste the
text into an AI chatbot and ask it to provide
a summary.

Make It Real
Research Studies Books Email Chains
● Ask AI for a broad ● Asking for a summary ● You can catch up quickly
summary of the study is a great start, but an on a long email chain by
and to be pointed to AI chatbot can also lead copying and pasting it
specific sections that are you to parts of a book into a chatbot and asking
most important. that most people discuss for a summary.
● If you’re up for a full or that should be read
read of something, AI closely.
can still be helpful. Give
it the article and ask it
questions as you read.

Play with AI
Looking to really stir things up? Ask AI for good counterarguments from sources that
may disagree with whatever you’re being asked to read. Be sure to double-check any
links or research you get.

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AI IN THE
CLASSROOM Teacher Time-Savers

Student Conference Sample Prompt


Project Feedback Read this rubric. (Insert rubric.) I am about to
Two hundred students hand in some writing have you give feedback on some student work
all at once, and you have writing conferences using the rubric. Explain to me why you grade
planned for tomorrow. Of course you’ll read each piece as you do. (Copy and paste student
all the work eventually, but you don’t have writing into the chatbot one at a time.)
enough time before tomorrow. If you copy
and paste a piece of writing into AI and
ask it to give some key points of feedback,
you can lay a foundation on which to start
your conference.

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● For written feedback ● AI can handle giving ● If your students are
being provided to massive amounts confident in using AI
parents, use AI to of feedback, but for themselves, teach them
check for buzzwords or students at this age, how to get feedback
education vocabulary too much feedback on on their writing before
that you may need to their projects can be they submit it to you.
explain or exclude. overwhelming. Instruct (Students could even
● Use a chatbot to shape the chatbot to keep the include that feedback in
a few key pieces of data feedback simple. the document they turn
into meaningful feedback ● Take time to talk with in for you to see.)
to parents in a clear, students individually ● Incorporate AI feedback
welcoming email. about what they need to into students’ process by
● Framing feedback in a improve in their writing. copying and pasting it
positive way is crucial at into shared documents
this age. Have a chatbot as they are writing and
provide multiple ways to revising so they can see
let students know they it without switching
did a great job. between the doc and an
AI website.

Play with AI
Students can practice presenting their ideas to AI and explain why they think they
should get a certain spot on a rubric versus another, using examples. A conversation
about writing quality and effectiveness is a great way for students to investigate
their own work.

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Lesson-Planning Tools CLASSROOM

On-the-Fly Science Sample Prompt


It’s no secret that it’s often difficult to get
all the materials you need exactly when In my classroom, I have hundreds of pencils,
you need them, especially when studying crayons, markers, plastic wheels, notebook
science ideas that are best explored by paper, Bunsen burners, rubber bands, tape,
hands-on labs and experiments. With that in and other classroom supplies. Come up with a
mind, why not put AI to work with what you lesson using these materials to help my eighth
already have in your classroom? By entering graders understand Newton’s second law of
the materials available and the topics or skills motion.
you are looking to teach, AI chatbots can
give you a list of ideas or a whole lesson plan
to try.

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● Keep it simple! Maybe ● Have students bring in ● If you have access to
you’re teaching your one or two objects from different materials in your
students about how to home that they want to chemistry lab, include
record the temperature “donate to science.” List those in your prompt as
or weather every day for all the objects in the AI well.
a month. AI can quickly prompt and see what ● Teach students the
give you information activities it creates for importance of using
about similar data you. whatever materials are
from different years or ● Most AI has a “regenerate available to complete a
different places. response” button. Don’t task. They can ask the
● By telling AI where you be afraid to use it if you chatbot: If we don’t have
live and the time of year, don’t think the chatbot’s ______, what else can we
it can give you ideas ideas teach the desired use?
about how students can standard or skill in the ● If your school already
explore the world outside most efficient way. has a listing of available
and what scientific science supplies, copy
processes they are likely and paste those into
to find. your prompt.

Play with AI
Instead of being practical, be boundless. Ask AI what sorts of experiments it would
do to explore a topic or hypothesis if money, time, or scale were not important. Can
any of your students top the AI’s idea with their own boundless experiment design?

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On-the-Fly Sample Prompt


Comprehension Write three paragraphs about fossils. Afterward,
When you need a reading comprehension come up with three multiple-choice questions
piece with questions, it’s best to align and an essay prompt about what you wrote.
the questions to your students’ interests Write the questions for fourth grade students.
and experiences if possible. The right AI
prompt can quickly generate a passage and
questions to suit your students.

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● While many of the littlest ● Before creating the ● If there’s certain
learners may not be reading comprehension vocabulary that you want
able to read just yet, you passage, poll your class your students to include
can ask AI to generate about what topics they in the essay or multiple-
a passage specific to may be interested in: the choice question, include
their interests at an history of video games, that as part of your
appropriate read-aloud the origins of basketball, prompt.
level. the story of the Apollo ● If you need examples
● Have AI create a person- missions, and so forth. of an essay question
alized comprehension ● The essay question can response, try a prompt
story that includes some also be about whatever similar to: Now create
of the first names of the skill you’re currently three example student
students in your class. working on with your responses.
This will help keep them students: identifying
engaged and focused. theme or tone, finding
● Even if the students in metaphors, and the like.
your classroom are not All you have to do is tell
ready to read just yet, the AI, and it’ll do it.
you can still have the
AI write a story from
student suggestions that
the students can enjoy
listening to.

Play with AI
Getting AI to produce writing is pretty easy, but can you shape your prompts
and directions just right to get AI to write well? What does it take to make a story
interesting because of the writing, not just the topic?

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Children’s Book Magic Sample Prompt


If you need a quick and engaging lesson
without much prep time, you can use AI Turn this text into a children’s book with no
to give students step-by-step instructions, more than three sentences on each page.
boundaries, and suggestions on how to Please include illustration suggestions for each
create their own book. This could be done page: (copy a student’s story, informational
with a piece of a student’s writing, a story text, or other story here).
idea brainstormed by the class, or a piece of
information you want students to engage
with. Give AI specific directions about how
many words or sentences per page and how
specific you want the image descriptions
to be, so students can read, share,
and compare.

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● Have your students work ● Use this activity to ● Partner with an
in groups to reillustrate remind students that elementary school
a book you’ve read the AI’s suggestions are teacher whose
aloud to the class. Ask just that—and that the students are working
AI to come up with illustrations can be about on short stories. Have
suggestions for what whatever the students your students create
could be shown on each like. AI is meant to assist, illustrations for a
page. not take over, the creative children’s book based
● Turn this into an activity process. on those stories and use
students could do at ● Put students into groups the AI for assistance if
home with their families. and have each group needed.
If a parent is struggling create an illustration ● Use AI to quickly convert
to come up with an idea before a story is even a classic novel into a
for an illustration, show written. Have one group children’s book. Ask it for
them how AI can help. member write up a illustration suggestions
description of each scene. for each page, then have
Type those descriptions your students illustrate.
into the chatbot and ask ● Use the ideas AI
it to write a story using generates as a guide, not
these descriptions. a command.

Play with AI
Can you tell when something like this is written by AI? Can your students? If you
show them a group of stories, how many can pick out the AI author?

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AI IN THE
CLASSROOM Lesson-Planning Tools

Get That Data Sample Prompt


Need some data in a table for your students
to analyze? From basic math to physics, AI I’m a tenth grade physics teacher who needs
can quickly create a data source relevant data about different objects’ terminal velocity.
to your lesson. Try different prompts and Create a table with twenty objects that I can
directions to fine-tune, and don’t forget copy and paste onto a spreadsheet. Include the
that if AI provides something that isn’t objects’ sizes and weights in the table.
quite right, you can ask it to try again with
revised directions.

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● AI image generators can ● AI can quickly create ● Secondary math and
quickly give you images tables for inventory of science classes can use
showing objects, letters, stores or other real-world unique AI-created data
and numbers. applications for math sets for different groups
● Use AI image generators practice. of students.
to create pictures for ● Students can practice ● Students can analyze
lunch menu items (or to using data to support the AI data to see where
combine all the options arguments (such as numbers do or don’t
into funny monster food) which basketball player make sense, using their
for students to track data is the best or which state own background and
on what the school is has the most severe content knowledge to
serving each day. weather) by having the spot AI mistakes.
AI find supporting (or
countering) evidence.
● While studying a place or
places, ask AI to give you
a table showing distances
from there to different
landmarks.

Play with AI
After you have a data set, ask AI for a set of questions to help students analyze the
numbers. What happens when you ask AI to extrapolate on data to boundaries
beyond what you’re capable of analyzing in the classroom?

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Remixing for Sample Prompt


Struggling Readers Keep the content of this piece of writing the
Do you have a student who is struggling same but rewrite it at (student’s reading level).
with reading a piece that is above their OR My kindergarten students need to practice
reading level? Copy and paste the text into a the /ch/ phoneme. Can you write a children’s
chatbot, and ask AI to rewrite it using simpler book about dogs that uses it on every page
vocabulary, to make it shorter, to add bullet- using one-syllable words?
pointed main ideas before the reading, or to
include a translation.

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● Use the chatbot to create ● Students struggling ● Quickly differentiate
quick children’s books with specific reading required informational
for practicing specific skills can practice on AI- texts for students across
letter sounds or high- created stories that are content areas.
frequency words. personalized to student ● Use AI to check texts
● Play around with an AI interests and needs. for possible vocabulary
image generator to come ● AI can help differentiate words, replace or remove
up with pictures that required texts for antiquated language,
represent words starting students with different and find spots where
with the same letter of reading levels. certain perspectives are
the alphabet. See if your being misrepresented or
students can figure out ignored.
which letter the images
represent.

Play with AI
Can students design their own stories that they would enjoy reading? If they create
the prompt and watch the story written for them, does that do something to the
reading experience?

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AI IN THE
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Make Writing Sample Prompt


More Interesting Rewrite this paragraph to make it easier to read
Have a piece of informational text that you and include references to popular video games:
know your class is going to despise reading? (insert text from 1917 book).
Use AI to make it more appealing. Do you
have a class or student obsessed with a
certain book, celebrity, band, or movie? AI
can rewrite an essay on photosynthesis with
references to their favorite things, or in the
style of their favorite character (which can be
as entertaining for the things it gets wrong
as it is for the things it gets right).

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● Quickly write or rewrite ● Quickly write ● Engage students in
stories to include the informational texts on complex ideas and
names of your students, science, social studies, difficult reading by
their interests, or or other topics. AI inserting references
whatever the current can help you create that are meaningful or
class fascination is. interdisciplinary text that amusing to them.
● Add images to a story includes reading skills, ● Have students read texts
by inputting story lines topics, or vocabulary with AI and debate with
or directions into an AI from other areas. the chatbot about issues
image generator. ● Write fun short stories for and ideas in the reading.
● Send home links for each student that include
families to access AI and their topics of interest
instructions on what to and class inside jokes
type so families can use and match them to their
chatbots to create read- reading ability.
aloud stories.

Play with AI
Creative prompts get creative results: Rewrite this article on the US Supreme Court to
make it rhyme in iambic pentameter. OR Compare the first ten presidents to superheroes,
but leave out the hero names so my class can try to guess them.

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I Need Exemplars Sample Prompt


Students often do better on an assignment
when you can provide examples of a Read this essay question and give me some
successful effort. But for some projects, high-quality, grade-level responses that I
sharing student examples from past years can share with my students: (copy and paste
doesn’t work for privacy reasons. For those question here).
situations, for first-time projects, or when
you’ve accidentally deleted years of files
(oops), AI can come to the rescue with new
and anonymous examples.

Make It Real
Grades 2–5 Grades 6–8 Grades 9–12
● Create three levels of the ● Write an example in real ● Practice peer editing
same writing, showing time with the class. Have using non–peer-written
a great, a good, and students look in the examples so that no
a needs-more-work writing for elements and student’s work is singled
example to illustrate the structure they will need out.
writing skills students will to replicate, as well as ● To help students who
work on. those to avoid. are struggling with an
● Including the phrase ● Use AI to generate an essay, AI can take their
“but write it like a second essay on a topic and have topic and thoughts and
grader” will help make students work in small create an outline with
the piece sound a little groups on improving starter sentences and
more realistic. the essay to create show them examples of
● Ask AI to include exemplars. how it could look (using
common errors that a a completely different
second grader would topic for examples).
make.

Play with AI
What kind of writing assignment can you come up with that AI can’t do well? How
can you shape the use of AI as a writing tool rather than a writing replacement?

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AI IN THE
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Math Manipulatives Sample Prompt


Sometimes you need some math
manipulatives for a lesson, especially when What are eight random cards from a standard
you’re trying to teach a lesson on theoretical deck of fifty-two?
probability. But what if you don’t have
enough to share, want to switch things up,
or want to make stations where students
explore different kinds of real-world
number examples?

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● Use AI image generators ● Set up AI stations on ● Students can use AI to
(page 9) to create devices around the room, help create probability
counting, adding, and each offering a different models for a complex
subtracting visuals kind of manipulative that system, then “run” a
specifically designed for students need to gather simulation. For example,
your students. data from. they could tell it to guess
● Send home links to ● Give students a coin to sports performance
access the AI you use flip twenty times and based on previous stats
in class and prompts track the results, then or the likelihood of
that work well so that do the same with an AI making it through an
students can practice “coin” and compare. imaged obstacle course.
at home with their ● Have AI make a template
grown-ups. for a vacation budget to
a few places suggested
by students, then have
them do their own for
a vacation they want
to take.

Play with AI
Using AI tools, can your students invent a game? What happens when you create
your own manipulatives that break the laws of physics or reality?

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Play with Language Sample Prompt


Whether it’s idioms, secret passwords, or
replacing one of those phrases your students I am a tenth grade teacher, and I am trying to
are saying that you just can’t take hearing teach my students about idioms. Create some
one more time, AI is great at randomly new idioms in English that my class and I can
generating phrases that are both unique and use for the remainder of the school year.
believable. Sharing language that is unique
to your group is also a great way to build
community and belonging.

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● Highlight a letter of the ● Show students common ● Generate a list of
alphabet each day by idioms from many common idioms for
asking AI to give a list of different cultures and see your region. Assign each
three words beginning what kind of list they can student one of those
with the letter, then come up with on their idioms and see if they
having students add to own. They may find it’s can trace it back to its
the list throughout the hard to recognize their origins. This is also a
day. own idioms because they good time to show the
● Create a word-of-the- feel “normal.” difference between
day game by asking AI ● Give students a script popular myths and
what common word using multiple imagined sourced information.
you should use today, idioms created by AI and ● Have students create
and what movements, see if they can guess idioms using modern
gestures, or facial what the idioms mean. beliefs or habits.
expressions students
should make when they
hear the word.

Play with AI
When AI invents an idiom, can it also invent a history for it? How much of that
history seems true or false? Can it predict idioms (or even slang) for the future or
create idioms for fictional places?

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AI IN THE
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Create a Budget Sample Prompt


It can be challenging to find genuine and
realistic math examples for students to look Imagine that I am a local small-business owner
at and learn from. And many adults wish who sells (insert goods here). Create a yearly
they’d learned more financial literacy when budget with expected income and expenses
they were in school. Why not consider using on a table that I can copy and paste into a
AI to generate some sample budgets for spreadsheet.
your class to analyze? Simply copy and paste
them onto a document or spreadsheet once
they’re done.

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● Ask an AI image ● Ask students to imagine ● If you want your students
generator to create one thing they would to become familiar with
pictures of items with love to add to the school. specific economic terms,
their cost on them (or (Waterslide? Trampoline AI can do that for you!
even with pictures of room?) Use AI to Just ask it to include
currency included) for create a budget for the those terms in a budget.
students to explore in a improvement and to help ● After your students
“class store.” make a plan for how long analyze a sample budget,
● Asking AI for some it would take to raise what changes would they
creative fundraising ideas the money or how many make? Copy and paste
for preschoolers will candy bars they would the AI budget into a
create an extensive list. need to sell. document you share with
The best part? You can ● Use an AI budget as a them and let them edit
ask it to follow up and springboard for students away.
write a letter to parents to create their own. Give ● Each student can have
letting them know about them a business idea and a personal finance
the fundraiser. see how they can change discussion with AI by
or adapt their budget to telling AI their goals, and
fit their idea. then they can start a plan
for how to earn and save
to achieve them.

Play with AI
If a student in your class has an entrepreneurial mindset and already has goals and
plans for their own business, show the student how AI can not only create a budget,
but can also create a plan for growing a small business.

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Creating Learning Sample Prompt


Targets/Objectives I am an eighth grade teacher. I am putting our
from Standards learning objects each week on the board for
my students to see. This week is “Describe how
It’s easy to spend a lot of time translating gravitational forces always attract and explain
among standards, objectives, and learning how these forces depend on the mass of the
targets. Whether you need to get a few objects involved.” Take the following standards
aligned targets on the board quickly before and turn them into relevant “I can” statements
an observation, communicate with parents that my students will understand: (insert
about an upcoming unit, submit lesson plans, standards).
or build a standards-based rubric, you can use
AI to cut down the time you spend searching
for and rephrasing the standards that fit.

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● You can speed up the ● Need a checklist of ● If your students are using
process of deconstructing what you’ll be teaching AI themselves, show
standards for your district throughout the year? them how they can copy
curriculum documents by Copy and paste all your and paste a standard into
asking AI to deconstruct reading standards into a it and ask for example
the following standards: chatbot and ask it to turn questions for them to
(copy and paste the these into a checklist. practice and review.
standards). ● Have AI create a ● If you’re an art teacher
● For the parents of simplified version of the and need examples of
students in your standards that you can different styles, motifs, or
classroom who want to pass out to students at art periods for students
know what their child the start of each unit. to master standards,
will be learning this year, ● Struggling to find simple create some using an
copy and paste all the examples? Copy and image generator app.
standards and ask AI to paste a standard into
simplify their language AI and ask it to give an
for parents. example question focused
on the skill the standard is
trying to teach.

Play with AI
Struggling with a lesson idea? Need to reteach a standard? Copy and paste that
standard into a chatbot and ask it to come up with some review activities and games
that are centered on this standard.

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AI IN THE
CLASSROOM Writing and Reading

AI Reader’s Theater Sample Prompt


Have your students develop their
performance skills by having AI craft a script Write the script for the first scene of a three-
for them. After the script is written, throw scene play. There will be students named
it up on the screen and have your students ______, ______, ______, and ______ in the play.
do a table read. With a little tweaking, the The play will take place in a ______ grade
AI can make a script with parts at different classroom with a teacher named ______. It is
reading levels, that balances the amount that a typical day in the classroom when all of a
each character speaks, or that uses specific sudden ______.
vocabulary words.

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● If your students are ● While this activity is ● Once the play is written,
unable to read, you and/ meant to simulate a table copy and paste it into a
or other adults can read read in which actors document that you share
the parts and have the simply read their parts, with groups of students.
students act out what students can get up and Have them edit and
they hear. walk around the room to revise the play before
● Add make sure the play is perform the parts as well. performing it.
written at the first grade ● Add some more parts ● “But what would it look
reading level to the end of to your play. If you like with . . . ?” If there’s
the prompt. include the phrase add an interesting character
● Don’t be afraid to tweak stage directions or add a in a book that your class
the play. Model for humorous narrator to the is reading, challenge
students the editing and prompt, you never know the students to figure
revising process. what you might get. out a way to bring that
● If a student in your class character into the play.
has already done some
creative writing, copy and
paste it into the AI. Tell
it to use this writing as an
example for the play.

Play with AI
Students don’t have to perform the play immediately after it is created. Have them
submit prompt ideas to you at the end of a school day, and have the AI write the
play after school or during your planning period.

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Creative Writing with Emojis Sample Prompt


Asking an AI to write five classic fairy tales using
only emojis produces some interesting results! Tell the story of the three little pigs using only
Can you figure out what stories are represented emojis.
by the emojis below?

1.

2.

3.

Try this activity with your class, and see how many of the emoji tales they can identify in small
groups. Next, pick a well-known story or film (maybe one that your class has read or watched
together) and see if the students can retell it using emojis. Then, challenge students to write a
personal story using traditional words and emojis.

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● Students can arrange ● Connect this strategy to ● Instead of having
printed emojis into a another story. Ask your students retell just one
story. They can tell their students, “What emojis personal event, have
own version, then plug do you feel best tell the them write a string of
the emojis into AI and story?” emojis that they feel
have it make a story. ● Have students write represent who they are.
● You can make some a separate paragraph ● As a review for a social
great connections to explaining the reasons studies unit or novel,
sequencing by asking why they chose the have students create
students, “Which of these emojis they did. What emoji stories that
picture stories best retells does each one represent? represent key scenes
what we just read?” ● After you do a read- or events (while not
● Encourage families to try aloud, show the students representing traumatic
this activity at home. how they can retell its or tragic events), or ask
events using emojis. students to identify those
created by AI.

Play with AI
Challenge your students to tell a personal story with only emojis and see if the class
can figure out what happened from the symbols each student used.

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AI IN THE
CLASSROOM Writing and Reading

Art and Writing Styles Sample Prompt


with AI Create images in the style of van Gogh, but of
Using an AI image generator, create some dogs in space.
images in the style of a particular artist and
have students respond to them, or use an
AI text generator to create passages in the
styles of writers you have read and see if
students can guess who each passage is
emulating, with evidence.

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● If you use a list of ● Younger students could ● AI offers a way to create
vocabulary words, ask respond to each image in many examples of a
the AI to create an the form of a descriptive particular artist’s style.
image that also has the paragraph. Ask students Have students write,
word in it. Students can to write a paragraph discuss, or draw their
practice writing the word using the five senses: “If reactions to what is right,
from the image or fill in you were standing inside what is wrong, or what
sentences based on a few this work of art, what could be added.
different image/word would you feel, taste, ● Ask AI to create an image
combinations. smell, hear, and see?” in the style of a period,
● Ask AI to create art ● Challenge your students such as impressionism,
using a primary color to re-create the artwork and see if students can
you are teaching (and using objects from recognize the style.
the secondary colors it around the house. ● Use AI to create examples
creates). of “flipping” writing
styles from different
authors or situational
dialects. Have students
try their own (such
as college admission
essays that sound like
documentary narration).

Play with AI
Play a game of AI telephone. Have one student create an image prompt for AI. The
next student writes a description of the AI-created image, then feeds their writing into
AI to see what new image it creates. How are the two pictures similar and different?

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Creative Writing from Sample Prompt


AI Art Create images in the style of van Gogh, but of
Using an AI image generator, create some dogs in space. Give me five pairs of creative
images in the style of a particular artist or writing prompts for seventh graders about dogs
according to certain parameters and have in space. Have the pairs include both opinion
students use the image as a way to get their and short story prompts.
creative writing started.

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● Have the students tell ● Have students come up ● Add some humor to
the story aloud instead of with the image prompts some classic literature.
writing it out. using only similes or Ask AI to re-create x but
● Challenge the students using descriptive words with y. For example, re-
to draw a picture about about all five senses. create Romeo and Juliet,
what happens next in a ● Keep a box in your but with hamsters.
story after showing them classroom where ● Create images of
something generated students can drop different scenes that
by AI. off suggestions for AI involve more than one
● Create a series of images art they want to see person. Have students
that could happen generated for a story write about what is
sequentially. Working prompt. Whenever you happening from the
with your students in do this activity, reach in point of view of different
small groups, ask them and pull out a couple of people.
to put the images in suggestions. ● Have students practice
the order that they feel ● Pair up your students their descriptive writing
makes the best story. and turn this into a by writing out a detailed
collaborative writing scene and having other
activity where each students draw it. Then,
student is responsible see what the AI does with
for a different part of the the same description.
story.

Play with AI
Show your class some very realistic AI images. Ask them, “What does it mean when
pictures can be faked so easily? What about the artists whose work was used to
build the AI engines?”

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AI IN THE
CLASSROOM Writing and Reading

A Fix for Writer’s Block Sample Prompt


Any teacher who uses writing in the room
has experienced coaching a student through A fifth grader is trying to come up with some
writer’s block. The student is just not sure ideas about what should happen next in
where their creative writing piece should go their story. Give me five to ten ideas for what
next. You may have your own bag of tricks could happen next in this story: (paste student
to offer some ideas, but those aren’t always writing here).
enough. A chatbot can pick up where you
leave off.

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● If your students are not ● Share a real-life ● Focus on how this
yet ready for individual example from your activity is meant to be
writing, turn this into a own experience. Talk used for creating ideas
whole-class activity. about a time when you and not the writing itself.
● Keep the story going! experienced writer’s ● Ask the AI to write twenty
Create one continuous block and how you could possible ways that this
piece of writing and have used AI to help you story (insert unfinished
add to it every day. Ask continue the story. fiction text here) could end
students what they want ● Remember that and share the results with
to see happen in the generating new and fresh students.
story next. ideas is hard, especially ● Ask the AI to give
● Ask AI for a list of words for students in these suggestions for fixing
that all have a particular grade levels. writer’s block.
skill you are working on ● AI shouldn’t be the only
(digraphs, for example) place that students
and have a student create turn to for help. Share
a story that uses them. classmates’ work to see
if that helps inspire a
student who’s stuck.

Play with AI
Have AI write every other sentence of a story, or every third. Or how about writing a
play where the AI writes for half the characters, and your student writes for the other
half? Or the AI could create half a conversation. Interactive writing may just be the
start your stuck student needs.

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Writing and Reading CLASSROOM

Pick Your Own Plot Sample Prompt


Have students create a story where the
reader picks the plot. At the end of every Act as if you are an adventure game that we
paragraph, the students must offer a choice will play together. Stay in character throughout
about what happens next in their story. the game. Don’t refer to yourself in any way.
It can be challenging to find high-quality If I need to give you instructions outside the
examples of such stories. Luckily, chatbots game, I will use curly brackets to indicate them.
are quite good at creating these! Try the Otherwise, stick to the game and the elements
sample prompt here as a class to start, of the fantasy world we’ll be exploring.
and your chatbot will become a pick-your-
own-plot game. Let your students decide
where the story is going to take place. After
finishing the class story, tell your students
they’ll be creating a pick-your-own-plot story
of their own.

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● Turn this activity into ● Have students create a ● Have older students
a lesson about the slideshow of their stories create a pick-your-own-
importance of making and add images that are plot book for elementary
good choices. Ask your linked to subsequent students and pass it out
students, “How can a slides with directions like to teachers in the district.
choice affect the rest of this: “If you want to open ● Take it to the next level
your day?” the door, click here. If you and have your students
● Is it a student’s birthday? want to turn around and design an escape room
Ask the AI to make walk away, click here.” based on the story they
that student the main ● While interactive create.
character and hero in the electronic stories are
story. fun, students could also
● Ask the AI to focus the create them with pencil
story on an emotion you and paper.
are learning about.

Play with AI
Can your AI be a gamemaster for a role-playing game during a student club, recess,
or end-of-day treat? You bet. Could you create a character with your class and have
AI assume that character for conversation? Absolutely.

© Shell Education 50 Strategies for Integrating AI into the Classroom—140172 43


AI IN THE
CLASSROOM Writing and Reading

Creative Writing Prompts Sample Prompt


If you do regular journaling or free writing
time with your students, you know it helps Give me five opinion-based creative writing
to offer ideas to get them started, and you prompts for second graders.
know that some days, finding the right idea
can be especially tough. AI can help on those
days. After entering the sample prompt here,
you can always ask AI for five more ideas, for
five ideas about a specific topic, for five ideas
that all use a certain setting, and so forth.

Make It Real
Grades PK–1 Grades 2–5 Grades 6–12
● Young prereading ● Pick a student to write ● Start each class with a
students can practice the prompt into the new list of prompts, or
orally telling stories when chatbot or image creator create prompts related
given multiple prompts to ask for the writing to current events, class
to choose from. prompt for that day. topics, or calendar
● Have students draw ● Have students practice events.
pictures to tell their writing about real or ● Make the prompts
stories. imagined experiences increasingly harder by
● Use AI to generate age- by asking for a list of having the AI create
appropriate opinion prompts that start with new rules for the writing
topics for students to write about a time when assignment.
choose from and to . . . and having students ● Ask the AI for a list of
give models on how to choose. writing prompts that
state an opinion with ● Use AI to start a dialogue give students symbols or
supporting reasons. and have students take metaphors to use.
over in their own writing.

Play with AI
Once your class has picked a prompt and started writing, have the chatbot write a
story using the same prompt. Competitive students may enjoy trying to “beat the
bot” with their writing.

44 50 Strategies for Integrating AI into the Classroom—140172 © Shell Education


Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
Pendant cinq jours et cinq nuits, la descente du fleuve continua
et la méthode de Mac Trigger, afin de bien inculquer au chien-loup la
civilisation, se poursuivit par trois autres rossées, qui lui furent
administrées à terre, et par un recours supplémentaire au supplice
de l’eau.
Le matin du sixième jour, l’homme et la bête atteignirent Red
Gold City et Mac Trigger campa près du fleuve. Il se procura une
chaîne d’acier, s’en servit pour attacher solidement Kazan à un gros
piquet, puis coupa lanière et muselière.
— Maintenant, dit-il à son prisonnier, tu ne seras plus gêné pour
manger. Je veux que tu redeviennes fort et aussi féroce que
l’Enfer… L’idée que je rumine vaut toute une cargaison de fourrures !
Oui, oui, c’est un riche filon qui bientôt remplira mes poches de
poussière d’or. J’ai déjà fait cela, et nous le referons ici. Par la grâce
de Dieu ! Voilà enfin un riche atout dans mon jeu !
XXVI
LE PROFESSEUR WEYMAN DIT SON
MOT

Deux fois par jour, désormais, Sandy Mac Trigger apportait à


Kazan de la viande fraîche. Il ne lui donnait ni poisson, ni graisse, ni
bouillie à la farine, mais seulement de la viande crue. Il lui rapporta
un jour, de cinq milles de distance, les entrailles encore chaudes
d’un caribou, qu’il avait été tuer tout exprès.
A ce régime reconstituant, Kazan ne tarda pas à recouvrer la
santé et à se refaire de la chair et des muscles. Mac Trigger ne le
battait plus, et c’était Kazan qui l’accueillait, au bout de sa chaîne, en
grondant et en découvrant ses crocs.
Un après-midi, Sandy amena avec lui un autre homme. Kazan
bondit soudain sur l’étranger, qui s’était approché d’un peu trop près,
et qui sauta en arrière, avec un juron étouffé.
— Il fera l’affaire, grogna-t-il. Il est plus léger de dix à quinze
livres que mon danois. Mais il a ses crocs et la rapidité… Avant qu’il
ne touche le sol, ce sera un beau spectacle !
— Touche le sol… rétorqua Mac Trigger. Je te parie vingt-cinq
pour cent de ma part de bénéfices que ma bête n’aura pas le
dessous.
— Tope là ! dit l’autre. Combien de temps encore avant qu’il ne
soit en forme ?
Sandy réfléchit un moment.
— Une semaine… Il n’aura pas avant tout son poids.
L’homme acquiesça de la tête.
— Ce sera donc pour aujourd’hui en huit, au soir.
Et il ajouta :
— Cinquante pour cent de ma part, que mon danois tuera ton
champion.
Sandy Mac Trigger regarda longuement Kazan.
— Je te prends au mot, dit-il finalement.
Et secouant la main de l’étranger :
— Je ne pense pas qu’il y ait, d’ici au Yukon, un seul chien qui
soit capable de venir à bout de ce métis de loup.
L’heure était à point pour offrir aux gens de Red Gold City une
fête de ce genre. Ils avaient bien, pour se distraire, le jeu et les
tripots, quelques rixes de temps à autre et les joies de l’alcool. Mais
la présence de la Police Royale avait mis un frein à l’excès de ces
divertissements. Comparée à celle que l’on menait, à plusieurs
centaines de milles vers le nord, dans la région de Dawson [38] la vie
était austère et plate à Red Gold City.
[38] Ville du Klondike.

L’annonce du combat organisé par Sandy Mac Trigger et par le


tenancier du bar, Jan Harker, fut accueillie par de multiples bravos.
La nouvelle s’en répandit, sous le manteau, à vingt milles à la ronde
et agita toutes les cervelles.
Au cours de la semaine qui précéda la rencontre, Kazan et le
gros danois furent, dans une arrière-pièce du bar, exhibés chacun
dans deux cages de bois, construites tout exprès.
Le chien de Harker était un métis de grand danois et de mâtin.
Né dans le Northland, il avait porté le harnais et tiré les traîneaux.
La fièvre des paris commença. Ils étaient pour le danois, dans la
proportion de deux à un.
Parfois ils montaient à trois contre un. Les gens qui risquaient sur
Kazan leur argent et leur pain étaient d’anciens familiers du
Wilderness. Ils savaient ce qui signifiait, comme force et comme
endurance, l’éclat rougeâtre qui luisait aux yeux du chien-loup.
Un vieux trappeur, devenu mineur, confiait, à voix basse, à
l’oreille de son voisin :
— C’est pour celui-ci que je ferai ma mise. Il battra le danois à
plate couture. Le danois n’aura pas son savoir-faire.
— Mais il a le poids, répliquait l’homme, qui doutait. Regarde-moi
ses mâchoires et ses épaules…
— Regarde toi-même, interrompit le vieux trappeur, les pattes
trop faibles de ton champion, sa gorge tendre et trop exposée aux
crocs du chien-loup, et la lourdeur de son ventre. Pour l’amour de
Dieu, camarade, crois-m’en sur parole ! Ne mets pas ton argent sur
le danois !
D’autres hommes prirent part à la discussion, qui tenaient chacun
pour une des deux bêtes.
Kazan, tout d’abord, avait grondé vers toutes ces faces qui
l’entouraient. Puis il avait fini par se coucher dans un coin de la
cage, la tête entre ses pattes, et il regardait les gens, maussade et
silencieux.
Le soir du combat, la grande salle du bar de Jan Harker se
trouva complètement déblayée de ses tables. Surélevée sur une
plate-forme de trois pieds de haut, une grande cage, de dix pieds
carrés, autour de laquelle des bancs avaient été rangés, occupait le
milieu de la pièce. La partie supérieure de cette cage était ouverte
et, au-dessus, pendaient du plafond deux grosses lampes à pétrole,
munies de réflecteurs.
Trois cents spectateurs, qui avaient payé chacun cinq dollars
d’entrée, attendaient l’arrivée des deux gladiateurs.
Le gros danois avait été introduit le premier dans la grande cage.
Il était huit heures du soir lorsque Harker, Mac Trigger et deux autres
hommes apportèrent dans la salle, à l’aide de forts brancards de
bois passés en dessous d’elle, la cage où était Kazan.
Le danois, qui clignotait des yeux sous la lumière crue des
réflecteurs, en se demandant ce qu’on lui voulait, dressa les oreilles
lorsque le chien-loup fut introduit près de lui.
Mais Kazan ne montra pas ses crocs et c’est à peine s’il se raidit
sur ses pattes, pendant quelques instants. Ce chien, qu’il ne
connaissait pas, lui était indifférent. Le danois ne bondit, ni ne
grogna. Kazan non plus ne l’intéressait point.
Il y eut parmi le public un murmure de désappointement. Le gros
danois tourna son regard vers les trois cents faces de brutes qui
l’entouraient et parut les examiner curieusement, en se dandinant
sur ses pattes. Kazan fit de même.
Un rire de dérision se mit à courir sur les lèvres de cette foule
étroitement tassée dans la salle, et qui était venue là pour un
spectacle de mort. Des cris d’animaux, et des quolibets partirent à
l’adresse de Mac Trigger et de Harker, et une clameur grandissante
s’éleva, qui réclamait la bataille promise ou le remboursement du
prix des places.
La figure de Sandy était pourpre de mortification et de rage. Sur
le front de Harker les grosses veines bleues s’enflaient comme des
bourrelets, au double de leur grosseur normale.
Le tenancier du bar montra le poing à la foule et hurla :
— Vous êtes bien pressés, tas d’idiots ! Laissez-les prendre
contact ! Patience, s’il vous plaît !
Le tumulte s’apaisa et les yeux se reportèrent à nouveau vers la
cage. Kazan était venu, en effet, se placer en face de l’énorme
danois et celui-ci avait commencé à dévisager Kazan.
Puis le chien-loup s’avança imperceptiblement. Avec prudence, il
se préparait à bondir sur son adversaire, ou à se jeter de côté, s’il y
avait lieu. Le danois l’imita. Leurs muscles à tous deux se raidirent.
On aurait pu, dans la salle, entendre maintenant le vol d’une
mouche. Sandy et Harker, debout près de la cage, respiraient à
peine.
Les deux bêtes, pareillement splendides, les deux lutteurs de tant
d’impitoyables batailles, allaient sans nul doute, par la cruelle
volonté des hommes, livrer leur dernier duel. Déjà les deux animaux
s’affrontaient.
Mais, à ce moment, que se passa-t-il en eux ? Est-ce O-se-ki, le
Grand Esprit des Solitudes, qui opéra dans leur cerveau et leur fit
comprendre que, victimes de la barbarie humaine, ils avaient l’un
envers l’autre un impérieux devoir de fraternité ?
Toujours est-il qu’à la seconde décisive, alors que toute la salle,
haletante, s’attendait à une mutuelle prise de corps, imminente et
féroce, on vit le gros danois lever lentement sa tête vers les lampes
à pétrole et esquisser un bâillement.
Harker, qui voyait son champion offrir ainsi sa gorge aux crocs de
Kazan, se mit à trembler de tous ses membres et à proférer d’affreux
blasphèmes. Kazan pourtant ne bondit pas. Le pacte de paix avait
été mutuellement scellé entre les deux adversaires qui, se
rapprochant l’un de l’autre, épaule contre épaule, parurent regarder
avec un immense dédain, à travers les barreaux de leur prison, la
foule à nouveau furieuse.
Ce fut, cette fois, une explosion de colère, un mugissement
menaçant, pareil à celui d’un ouragan. Exaspéré, Harker tira de l’étui
son revolver et coucha en joue le gros danois.
Mais, par-dessus le tumulte, une voix s’éleva.
— Arrêtez ! jeta-t-elle d’un ton de commandement. Arrêtez au
nom de la loi !
Il y eut un silence soudain et toutes les figures se retournèrent
vers la voix qui parlait.
Deux hommes étaient montés sur des tabourets et dominaient
les assistants.
L’un était le sergent Brokaw, de la Police montée du Nord-Ouest.
C’est lui qui avait parlé. Il tenait sa main levée, pour ordonner
attention et silence. L’autre était le professeur Paul Weyman. Ce fut
lui qui, protégé par la main levée du sergent, prit ensuite la parole.
— Je donnerai, dit-il, aux propriétaires cinq cents dollars pour ces
chiens.
Il n’y eut personne dans la salle qui n’entendît l’offre ainsi faite.
Harker regarda Sandy. Leurs deux têtes se rapprochèrent.
— Ils ne veulent pas se battre, continua celui qui était survenu, et
ils feront d’excellents chiens de traîneaux. Je donnerai aux
propriétaires cinq cents dollars.
Harker fit un geste indiquant qu’il voulait parler.
— Donnez-en six cents ! Oui, six cents, et les deux bêtes sont à
vous.
Le professeur Paul Weyman parut hésiter. Puis il acquiesça de la
tête.
— Je paierai six cents, affirma-t-il.
La foule recommença à grogner. Harker grimpa sur la plate-
forme qui supportait la cage.
— Je ne suis point responsable, clama-t-il, pas plus que le
propriétaire du chien-loup, s’ils n’ont pas voulu se battre ! S’il est
toutefois, parmi vous, des gens assez peu délicats pour exiger le
remboursement de leur argent, on le leur rendra à la sortie ! Mais
nous sommes innocents de ce qui se passe. Les chiens nous ont
roulés, voilà tout.
Paul Weyman, accompagné du sergent, s’était frayé un chemin
jusqu’à la cage et, tout en sortant de sa poche une liasse de billets,
dont il compta trois cents à Jan Harker et trois cents à Sandy Mac
Trigger, il dit à mi-voix, aux deux bêtes qui le considéraient
curieusement à travers les barreaux :
— C’est un gros prix, un énorme prix que je paie pour vous, mes
petits amis… Mais vous me serez utiles pour poursuivre mon voyage
et bientôt, j’espère, nous serons les meilleurs camarades du monde.
XXVII
SEULE DANS SA CÉCITÉ

Bien des heures après que Kazan fût tombé sur la rive du fleuve,
sous le coup de fusil de Sandy Mac Trigger, Louve Grise attendit
que son fidèle compagnon vînt la retrouver. Tant de fois il était
revenu vers elle qu’elle avait confiance dans son retour. Aplatie sur
son ventre, elle reniflait l’air et gémissait de n’y point découvrir
l’odeur de l’absent. Mais, de tout le jour, Kazan ne reparut point.
Le jour et la nuit étaient depuis longtemps semblables pour la
louve aveugle. Elle sentait pourtant, par un secret instinct, l’heure où
les ombres s’épaississaient, et que la lune et les étoiles devaient
briller sur sa tête. Mais, avec Kazan à côté d’elle, l’effroi de sa cécité
n’était plus pareil. Le même abîme des ténèbres ne lui semblait pas
l’envelopper.
Vainement elle lança son appel. Seule lui parvint l’âcre odeur de
la fumée qui s’élevait du feu allumé par Mac Trigger sur le sable. Elle
comprit que c’était cette fumée, et l’homme qui la produisait, qui
étaient la cause de l’absence de Kazan. Mais elle n’osa pas
approcher trop près ses pas ouatés et silencieux. Elle savait être
patiente et songea que, le lendemain, son compagnon reviendrait.
Elle se coucha sous un buisson et s’endormit.
La tiédeur des rayons du soleil lui apprit que l’aube s’était levée.
Elle se remit sur ses pattes et, l’inquiétude l’emportant sur la
prudence, elle se dirigea vers le fleuve. L’odeur de la fumée avait
disparu ainsi que celle de l’homme, mais elle percevait le bruit du
courant, qui la guidait.
Le hasard la fit retomber sur la piste que, la veille, Kazan et elle
avaient tracée, lorsqu’ils étaient venus boire sur la bande de sable.
Elle la suivit et arriva sans peine à la berge, à l’endroit même où
Kazan était tombé et où Mac Trigger avait campé.
Là son museau rencontra le sang coagulé du chien-loup, mêlé à
l’odeur que l’homme avait, tout à côté, laissée sur le sable. Elle
trouva le tronc d’arbre auquel son compagnon avait été attaché, les
cendres éteintes du foyer, et suivit jusqu’à l’eau la traînée laissée par
le corps de Kazan, lorsque Mac Trigger l’avait tiré demi-mort,
derrière lui, vers la pirogue. Puis toute piste disparaissait.
Alors Louve Grise s’assit sur son derrière, tourna vers le ciel sa
face aveugle et jeta vers Kazan disparu un cri désespéré, tel un
sanglot que le vent emporta sur ses ailes. Puis, remontant la berge
jusqu’au plus prochain buisson, elle s’y coucha, le nez tourné vers le
fleuve.
Elle avait connu la cécité, et maintenant elle connaissait la
solitude, qui venait y ajouter une pire détresse. Que pourrait-elle
faire ici-bas, désormais, sans la protection de Kazan ?
Elle entendit, à quelques yards d’elle, le gloussement d’une
perdrix des sapins. Il lui sembla que ce bruit lui arrivait d’un autre
monde. Une souris des bois lui passa entre les pattes de devant.
Elle tenta de lui donner un coup de dent. Mais ses dents se
refermèrent sur un caillou.
Une véritable terreur s’empara d’elle. Ses épaules se
contractaient et elle tremblait, comme s’il avait fait un gel intense.
Épouvantée de la nuit sinistre qui l’étreignait, elle passait ses griffes
sur ses yeux clos, comme pour les ouvrir à la lumière.
Pendant l’après-midi, elle alla errer dans le bois. Mais elle eut
peur et ne tarda pas à revenir sur la grève du fleuve, et se blottit
contre le tronc d’arbre près duquel Kazan enchaîné avait dormi sa
dernière nuit. L’odeur de son compagnon était là plus forte
qu’ailleurs et, là encore, le sol était souillé de son sang.
Pour la seconde fois, l’aube se leva sur la cécité solitaire de
Louve Grise. Comme elle avait soif, elle descendit jusqu’à l’eau et y
but. Quoiqu’elle fût à jeun depuis deux jours, elle ne songeait point à
manger.
Elle ne pouvait voir que le ciel était noir et que dans le chaos de
ses nuages sommeillait un orage. Mais elle éprouvait la lourdeur de
l’air, l’influence irritante de l’électricité, dont l’atmosphère était
chargée, et qui s’y déchargeait en zigzags d’éclairs.
Puis l’épais drap mortuaire s’étendit, du sud et de l’ouest, jusqu’à
l’extrême horizon, le tonnerre roula et la louve se tassa davantage
contre son tronc d’arbre.
Plusieurs heures durant, l’orage se déchaîna au-dessus d’elle,
dans le craquement de la foudre, et accompagné d’un déluge de
pluie. Lorsqu’il se fut enfin apaisé, Louve Grise se secoua et, sa
pensée toujours fixée vers Kazan qui était bien loin déjà à cette
heure, elle recommença à flairer le sable. Mais l’orage avait tout
lavé, le sang de Kazan et son odeur. Aucune trace, aucun souvenir
ne restaient plus de lui.
L’épouvante de Louve Grise s’en accrut encore et, comble de
misère, elle commença à sentir la faim qui lui tenaillait l’estomac.
Elle se décida à s’écarter du fleuve et à battre le bois à nouveau.
A plusieurs reprises, elle flaira divers gibiers qui, chaque fois, lui
échappèrent. Même un mulot dans son trou, qu’elle déterra des
griffes, lui fila sous le museau.
De plus en plus affamée, elle songea au dernier repas qu’elle
avait fait avec Kazan. Il avait été constitué par un gros lapin, dont
elle se souvint qu’ils n’avaient mangé que la moitié. C’était à un ou
deux milles.
Mais l’acuité de son flair et ce sens intérieur de l’orientation, si
puissamment développé chez les bêtes sauvages, la ramenèrent à
cette même place, à travers arbres, rochers et broussailles, aussi
droit qu’un pigeon retourne à son colombier.
Un renard blanc l’avait précédée. A l’endroit où Kazan et elle
avaient caché le lapin, elle ne retrouva que quelques bouts de peau
et quelques poils. Ce que le renard avait laissé, les oiseaux-des-
élans et les geais des buissons l’avaient à leur tour emporté. Le
ventre vide, Louve Grise s’en revint vers le fleuve, comme vers un
aimant dont elle ne pouvait se détacher.
La nuit suivante, elle dormit encore là où avait dormi Kazan et,
par trois fois, elle l’appela sans obtenir de réponse. Une rosée
épaisse tomba, qui aurait achevé d’effacer la dernière odeur du
disparu, si l’orage en avait laissé quelques traces. Et pourtant, trois
jours encore, Louve Grise s’obstina à demeurer à cette même place.
Le quatrième jour, sa faim était telle qu’elle dut, pour l’apaiser,
grignoter l’écorce tendre des saules. Puis, comme elle était à boire
dans le fleuve, elle toucha du nez, sur le sable de la berge, un de
ces gros mollusques que l’on rencontre dans les fleuves du
Northland et dont la coquille à la forme d’un peigne de femme ; d’où
leur nom.
Elle l’amena sur la rive avec ses pattes et, comme la coquille
s’était refermée, elle l’écrasa entre ses dents. La chair qui s’y
trouvait enclose était exquise et elle se mit en quête d’autres
« peignes ». Elle en trouva suffisamment pour rassasier sa faim. En
sorte qu’elle demeura là durant trois autres jours.
Puis, une nuit, un appel soudain sonna dans l’air, qui l’agita d’une
émotion étrange. Elle se leva et, en proie à un tremblement de tous
ses membres, elle trottina de long en large sur le sable, tantôt
faisant face au nord, et tantôt au sud, puis à l’est et à l’ouest. La tête
rejetée en l’air, elle aspirait et écoutait, comme si elle cherchait à
préciser de quel point de l’horizon arrivait l’appel mystérieux.
Cet appel venait de loin, de bien loin, par-dessus le Wilderness. Il
venait du Sun Rock, où elle avait si longtemps gîté avec Kazan, du
Sun Rock où elle avait perdu la vue et où les ténèbres qui
l’enveloppaient maintenant avaient, pour la première fois, pesé sur
ses paupières. C’est vers cet endroit lointain, où elle avait fini de voir
la lumière et la vie, où le soleil avait cessé de lui apparaître dans le
ciel bleu, et les étoiles et la lune dans la nuit pure, que, dans sa
détresse et son désespoir, elle reportait tout à coup sa pensée. Là,
sûrement, s’imaginait-elle, devait être Kazan. Alors, affrontant sa
cécité et la faim, et tous les obstacles qui se dressaient devant elle,
tous les dangers qui la menaçaient, elle partit, abandonnant le
fleuve. A deux cents milles de distance était le Sun Rock, et ç’était
vers lui qu’elle allait.
XXVIII
COMMENT SANDY MAC TRIGGER
TROUVA LA FIN QU’IL MÉRITAIT

Kazan, durant ce temps, à soixante milles vers le nord, était


couché au bout de sa chaîne d’acier et observait le professeur Paul
Weyman, qui mélangeait dans un seau, à son intention, de la
graisse et du son.
Le gros danois, à qui la moitié du repas était destinée, était
couché pareillement, à quelques pieds de Kazan, et ses énormes
mâchoires bavaient, dans l’attente du festin qui se préparait.
Le refus de ces deux superbes bêtes de s’entre-tuer pour le
plaisir de trois cents brutes, assemblées tout exprès, réjouissait
infiniment le digne professeur. Il avait dressé déjà le plan d’une
communication sur cet incident.
Ce fut le danois que Paul Weyman commença par servir. Il lui
apporta un litre environ de la succulente pâtée et, tandis que,
remuant la queue, le chien la malaxait dans ses puissantes
mâchoires, il lui donna sur le dos une chiquenaude amicale.
Son attitude fut toute différente quand il se dirigea vers Kazan.
Très prudemment il s’avança, sans vouloir, cependant, paraître avoir
peur.
Sandy, qu’il avait longuement interrogé, lui avait conté l’histoire
de la capture de Kazan et la fuite de Louve Grise. Paul Weyman ne
doutait pas que le hasard ne lui eût fait retrouver la même bête qu’il
avait eue déjà en sa possession et à qui il avait rendu la liberté.
Tout en estimant que lui redonner cette liberté était devenu
inutile, puisque sa compagne sauvage avait disparu, à tout jamais
sans doute, le professeur s’efforçait, de tout son pouvoir, d’obtenir
les bonnes grâces de Kazan.
Ces avances demeuraient sans succès. Elles n’amenaient dans
les yeux du chien-loup aucune lueur de reconnaissance. Il ne
grognait pas à l’adresse de Weyman et ne tentait pas de lui mordre
les mains lorsqu’elles se trouvaient à sa portée. Mais il ne
manifestait nul désir de devenir amis. Le danois gris, au contraire,
s’était fait rapidement familier et confiant.
Parfois, sous un prétexte ou sous un autre, Mac Trigger venait
rendre visite à la petite cabane de bûches, qu’en compagnie d’un
domestique habitait Paul Weyman, au bord du Grand Lac de
l’Esclave, à une heure environ de Red Gold City.
Alors Kazan entrait en fureur et tirait sur sa chaîne par bonds
frénétiques, afin de se jeter sur son ancien maître. Ses crocs ne
cessaient pas de luire et il ne se calmait qu’en se retrouvant seul
avec le professeur.
Un jour, comme la même scène s’était renouvelée, Sandy Mac
Trigger dit à Paul Weyman :
— C’est un stupide métier que d’essayer de s’en faire un
camarade !
Puis il ajouta brusquement :
— Quand démarrez-vous d’ici ?
— Dans une huitaine, répondit le professeur. Les premières
gelées ne vont pas tarder. Je dois rejoindre le sergent Conroy et ses
hommes au Fort du Fond-du-Lac, le 1er octobre.
— Comment effectuez-vous ce voyage ?
— Une pirogue viendra me chercher avec mes bagages et, en
remontant la Rivière de la Paix, m’emmènera d’ici au Lac
Athabasca [39] .
[39] Le Lac Athabasca, sur lequel se trouve le Fort du
Fond-du-Lac, est situé, comme nous l’avons dit, au sud
du Grand Lac de l’Esclave. La Rivière de la Paix relie les
deux lacs. La distance est de 350 kilomètres.

— Et vous emporterez avec vous tout le bazar qu’il y a dans cette


cabane ? Je pense que vous emmenez aussi les chiens…
— Oui.
Sandy alluma sa pipe et, d’un air indifférent en apparence, quel
que fût l’intérêt visible que ce dialogue faisait luire dans son regard :
— Ça doit coûter chaud, tous ces voyages, monsieur le
professeur ?
— Le dernier qui a précédé celui-ci m’est revenu à environ sept
mille dollars. Celui-ci en coûtera dans les cinq mille. Mais j’ai
diverses subventions.
— Bon Dieu de bon Dieu ! soupira Sandy. Alors vous partez dans
huit jours ?
— A peu près.
Sandy Mac Trigger se retira, avec un mauvais sourire au coin de
la lèvre.
Paul Weyman le regarda s’en aller.
— J’ai dans l’idée, dit-il à Kazan, que cet homme ne vaut pas
cher. Peut-être n’as-tu pas tort de toujours vouloir lui sauter à la
gorge. Il aurait apparemment désiré que je le prenne pour guide.
Il plongea ses mains dans ses poches et rentra dans a cabane.
Kazan, s’étant couché, laissa tomber sa tête entre ses pattes, les
yeux grands ouverts. L’après-midi était déjà fort avancé. On était
bientôt à la mi-septembre et chaque nuit apportait avec elle les
souffles froids de l’automne.
Le chien-loup regarda les dernières lueurs du soleil s’éteindre
dans le ciel du Sud. Puis les ténèbres s’étendirent rapidement.
C’était l’heure où se réveillait son désir farouche de liberté. Nuit
après nuit, il rongeait la chaîne d’acier. Nuit après nuit, il avait
regardé la lune et les étoiles, et, tandis que le grand danois dormait
allongé tout de son long, interrogé l’air pour y saisir l’appel de Louve
Grise.
Le froid, cette nuit-là, était plus vif que de coutume, et la morsure
aiguë et glacée du vent de l’est agitait Kazan étrangement. Il lui
allumait dans le sang ce que les Indiens appellent la « frénésie du
froid ». Les nuits léthargiques de l’été s’en étaient allées et le temps
se rapprochait des chasses enivrantes, interminables. Kazan rêvait
de bondir en liberté, de courir jusqu’à épuisement, avec Louve Grise
à son côté.
Il fut en proie, toute la nuit, à une agitation extraordinaire. Il se
disait que Louve Grise l’attendait et il n’arrêtait pas de tirer sur sa
chaîne, en poussant des gémissements plaintifs. Une fois, il entendit
au loin un cri qu’il imagina être celui de sa compagne. Il y répondit si
bruyamment que Paul Weyman en fut tiré de son profond sommeil.
Comme l’aube était proche, le professeur se vêtit et sortit de la
cabane. Il remarqua aussitôt la froideur de l’air. Il mouilla ses doigts
et les éleva au-dessus de sa tête. Par le côté des doigts qui s’était
aussitôt séché, il constata que le vent était remonté au nord. Il se mit
à rire sous cape et, allant vers Kazan :
— Ce froid, mon vieux ! va détruire les dernières mouches. Dans
quelques jours, nous serons partis. La pirogue qui nous emmènera
doit être en route…
Au cours de la journée, Paul Weyman envoya son domestique à
Red Gold City, pour quelques emplettes, et il l’autorisa à ne rentrer
que le lendemain matin. Lui-même s’occupa à faire ses préparatifs
de voyage, à emballer ses bagages et à classer ses notes.
La nuit qui suivit fut calme et claire. Tandis que Weyman dormait
à l’intérieur de la cabane, dehors, le grand danois en faisait autant,
au bout de sa chaîne. Seul, Kazan ne faisait que somnoler, son
museau entre ses pattes, les paupières mi-closes.
Quoiqu’il fût moins agité que la nuit précédente, il redressait la
tête, de temps à autre, en humant l’air.
Soudain, le craquement d’une brindille sur le sol le fit sursauter. Il
ouvrit tout à fait les yeux et renifla. Un danger immédiat était dans
l’air. Le gros danois continuait à dormir.
Quelques minutes après, une forme ombreuse apparut dans les
sapins, derrière la cabane. Elle approchait prudemment, la tête
baissée, les épaules ramassées. Pourtant, à la lueur des étoiles,
Kazan ne tarda pas à reconnaître la face patibulaire de Sandy Mac
Trigger. Il ne bougea pas, suivant l’usage du loup, et feignit de ne
rien voir, de ne rien entendre.
Mac Trigger, cette fois, n’avait à la main ni fouet, ni gourdin. Mais
il tenait un revolver, dont le canon poli scintillait imperceptiblement. Il
fit le tour de la cabane, à pas silencieux, et arriva devant la porte,
qu’il se préparait à enfoncer d’un bref et violent coup d’épaule.
Kazan épiait tous ses mouvements. Il rampait sur le soi, en
oubliant sa chaîne. Chaque once de force de son corps puissant se
rassemblait sur elle-même pour bondir.
Il bondit, et l’élan fut tel qu’un des anneaux d’acier, plus faible
que les autres, céda, avec un bruit sec. Avant que Sandy Mac
Trigger eût eu le temps de se retourner et de se mettre en garde, le
chien-loup était à sa gorge.
Avec un cri d’épouvante, l’homme chavira et, tandis qu’il roulait
sur le sol, la voix grave du gros danois qui tirait sur sa chaîne,
gronda en un tonnerre d’alarme.
Paul Weyman, réveillé, s’habillait. Sur la terre sanglante, le
bandit, atteint mortellement et la veine jugulaire tranchée, se tordait
dans son agonie.
Kazan regarda les étoiles qui brillaient au-dessus de sa tête, les
noirs sapins qui l’entouraient. Il écouta le murmure du vent dans les
ramures. Ici étaient les hommes. Là-bas, quelque part, était Louve
Grise. Et il était libre.
Ses oreilles s’aplatirent et il fila dans les ténèbres.
XXIX
L’APPEL DU SUN ROCK

Les oreilles rabattues, la queue basse et pendante sur le sol, le


train de derrière à demi écrasé, comme celui du loup qui se sauve
craintif devant le péril, Kazan fuyait à toute vitesse, poursuivi par le
râle de la voix humaine de Sandy Mac Trigger. Il ne s’arrêta pas
avant d’avoir parcouru un bon mille.
Alors, pour la première fois depuis des semaines, il s’assit sur
son train de derrière et poussa vers le ciel un vibrant et profond
appel, que les échos répétèrent au loin.
Ce ne fut pas Louve Grise qui répondit, mais, la voix du gros
danois. Paul Weyman, penché sur l’immobile cadavre de Sandy Mac
Trigger, entendit le hurlement du chien-loup. Il prêta l’oreille, en
écoutant si l’appel se renouvellerait. Mais Kazan était, déjà,
rapidement reparti.
L’air vif et froid qui, par-dessus les immenses Barrens, lui arrivait
de l’Arctique, les myriades d’étoiles qui luisaient au-dessus de sa
tête dans le vaste ciel, le bonheur enfin de la liberté reconquise, lui
avaient rendu toute son assurance et excitaient encore l’élasticité de
sa course.
Il galopait droit devant lui, comme un chien qui suit, sans que rien
ne l’en détourne, la piste de son maître.
Contournant Red Gold City et tournant le dos au Grand Lac de
l’Esclave, il coupa court à travers bois et buissons, plaines,
marécages et crêtes rocheuses, en se dirigeant vers le Fleuve Mac
Farlane. Lorsqu’il l’eut atteint, il entreprit aussitôt d’en remonter le
cours, quarante milles durant. Il ne doutait point que, de même que
Louve Grise l’avait souvent attendu, elle ne l’attendît encore, à la
même place, sur la berge où lui-même avait été capturé.
Au lever du jour, il était arrivé à son but, plein d’espoir et de
confiance. Il regarda autour de lui, en cherchant sa compagne, et il
gémissait doucement, et remuait la queue. Louve Grise n’était point
là.
Il s’assit sur son derrière et lança dans l’air son appel du mâle.
Nulle voix ne lui répondit. Il se mit alors à flairer et à chercher
partout.
Mille pistes s’entre-croisaient et, toute la journée, il les suivit à
tour de rôle. Toujours sans succès. Aussi vainement il renouvela,
plusieurs fois, son appel.
Un travail semblable à celui qui s’était opéré chez Louve Grise se
produisit dans son cerveau. Sans doute celle qu’il cherchait et qui
avait disparu, il la retrouverait dans l’un des lieux où tous deux
avaient vécu.
Il songea tout d’abord à l’arbre creux, dans le marécage
hospitalier où s’était écoulé l’hiver précédent. Et, dès que la nuit
embrumée eut envahi le ciel, il reprit sa course. O-se-ki, le Grand
Esprit, se penchait sur lui et dirigeait ses pas [40] .
[40] On sait que, comme le loup, le chien est
susceptible de parcourir, sans se perdre, des distances
considérables et d’y suivre une direction fixe vers le but
qu’il s’est assigné. On a vu des chiens qui, lors des
campagnes de Napoléon, avaient accompagné des
soldats jusqu’en Russie et à Moscou s’en revenir seuls à
travers toute l’Europe, leur maître étant mort, et regagner,
en France ou en Italie, leur ancien domicile.

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