This document provides an interdisciplinary unit plan exploring the topic "Is the Future Post-Human?". The 19-hour unit will engage students in Media, Language and Literature, and Science. Students will explore contemporary scientific media and art to understand implications of artificial intelligence for humanity. They will analyze representations of the future in films and artworks. Through creating a speculative film, students will demonstrate knowledge of AI concepts and implications, using scientific language. A range of learning experiences are outlined, including analyzing texts and films, discussing ethical issues, and mapping concepts to build understanding of AI.

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MYP IDU Planner 2018­19
Unit title Is the Future Post­Human? Teachers Cindy Barnsley
Subject groups Media/Language and Literature/Science
MYP Year &
Duration (hrs)
19 hours
Description For centuries, humans have imagined what technological advances might mean in the media, science fiction novels, films and art. In this unit, we
will explore contemporary scientific media and art forms to better understand what the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) could mean for the future
of humankind.
SDG link
This unit connects to SDG # 8 ­ Decent Work and Economic Growth
Inquiry: Establishing the purpose of an interdisciplinary unit
Purpose of integration
In this unit, students will explore contemporary scientific media and art forms to better understand what the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) might mean for the future
of humankind.
Key Concept(s) Related Concept(s) Global Context ( Explorations )
Relationships are the connections and associations between
properties, objects, people and ideas—including the human community’s
connections with the world in which we live. Any change in relationship
brings consequences—some of which may occur on a small scale, while
others may be far reaching, affecting large networks and systems like
human societies and the planetary ecosystem.
Innovation (Arts)
Consequences (Science)
Intertextuality (L&L)
Scientific and technical innovation
How do we understand the worlds in which we
live?
● adaptation, ingenuity and progress

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Statement of Inquiry
Scientific and technological Innovations can have far reaching consequences for human societies.
Scientific and technological advances enable societies to transform the environments in which we live.
Inquiry Questions
What teacher questions will drive these inquiries?
Factual
What is “artificial intelligence”? (I) How is it different to “natural intelligence”?
What is “artificial intelligence” augmentation?
What is “machine learning”?
What is “deep learning”?
How does a neural network mimic the human brain? (neurons fired on and off)
What is Moore’s Law? (processing power of computing)
What is “futurism”?
What are some of the key artworks/films/texts that consider the “rise of the machines”? (2001: Space Odyssey, Terminator, Ex Machina, Blade Runner,
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep)
Conceptual
How do we know what intelligence is? What is consciousness/sentience?
How have scientific innovations in real AI shaped our representations of our future?
What are some of the possible impacts of AI?
Debatable
What will be the impact of the rise of AI on future generations?
Should be are people excited/worried about AI?
Summative assessment ­ interdisciplinary performance(s) of understanding
Interdisciplinary criteria Task(s)
Criterion A—Disciplinary Grounding
● demonstrate disciplinary factual, conceptual and/or procedural

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knowledge.
Criterion B—Synthesizing
● synthesize disciplining knowledge to demonstrate interdisciplinary
understanding
Criterion C—Communicating
● Use appropriate strategies to communicate interdisciplinary
understanding effectively.
Criterion D
● Reflect on the development of their own interdisciplinary
understanding.
● Reflect on the benefits of disciplinary and interdisciplinary
knowledge and ways of knowing in specific situations.
Approaches to Learning (ATL)
How will this unit contribute to the overall development of subject­specific and general approaches to learning skills?
Critical Thinking: Analyze and Evaluate ­ Using knowledge and concepts by examining information, asking questions, thinking about possible difficulties
and developing solutions.
Action: Teaching and learning through interdisciplinary inquiry
Disciplinary grounding
Subject : Media Subject : Science Subject : Lang and Lit
MYP objective
Bii. demonstrate the application of skills and
techniques to create, perform and/or present art.
Cii. demonstrate a range and depth of
creative­thinking behaviours
Di. construct meaning and transfer learning to
new settings
MYP objective
Ai: explain scientific knowledge
D.i. explain the ways in which science is applied
and used to address a specific problem or issue
ii. discuss and evaluate the various implications
of the use of science and its application in
solving a specific problem or issue
MYP objective
Ai. analyse the content, context, language,
structure, technique and style of text(s) and the
relationship among texts

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ii. create an artistic response that intends to
reflect or impact on the world around them
iii. apply scientific language effectively
iv. document the work of others and sources of
information used.
Related concept: Innovation
Related concept: Consequences Related concept: Intertextuality
Content
How artists have represented the future
Film
Content
Ethical dimension: Students reflect on the ethical,
social, economic, political, cultural and
environmental implications of using science to
solve specific problems. Students develop a
personal,
Ethical stance on science­related issues.
Science aims: Consider science as a human
endeavour with benefits and limitations
Content
How artists have represented the future”
Speculative fiction conventions, themes, style
Disciplinary learning engagements and teaching
strategies
Representations of ideas; filmic techniques
Disciplinary learning engagements and teaching
strategies:
Di: Explain the science behind the speculative
film they are creating;
Dii: Discuss the implications of AI as they relate
to your film; you must use an understanding of AI
in general, where appropriate specific details i.e.
Moore’s Law, processing power, when we are
likely to hit the singularity, if ever?
Diii: Consistently use scientific language
effectively; using appropriate terminology for the
different types of artificial intelligence: ANI, AGI,
ASI; the concepts of neural networks, AI
techniques in general; current manifestations of
AI; augmented intelligence; what is based in
reality and what is based on your predictions;
Div: documentation of sources
Conventions of speculative fiction
Texts as a means of shaping future in the now

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Interdisciplinary learning process
Interdisciplinary learning experiences and teaching strategies
Lesson 1­2: Introduction: In this unit, students will explore contemporary scientific media and art forms to better understand what the advent of artificial
intelligence (AI) and biotechnology might mean for the future of humankind.
Predictive discussion:
What interests you about AI?
What do you hope to learn from this course?
Predict the impact you think AI will have on our future and why.
Discussion/Provocations: True or False?
Artificial intelligence is the future. Artificial intelligence is science fiction. Artificial intelligence is already part of our everyday lives.
AI too dangerous and humans should stop developing AI now.
AI is a “Faustian bargain”
AI will increase the disparity between rich and poor
We are slaves to technology because there is “no going back”.
Science fiction is a lie that tells the truth.
Science fiction not predicts the future but shapes the future.
Those whose military force has the best AI will achieve dominance over this planet.
Reading and CfU activity:
Read NYT article “A dim view of a posthuman future” .
CfU activity: Use Visible Thinking Routine (VTR) ­ 3­2­1 to check for understanding.
3 statements
2 questions
1 analogy
What is artificial intelligence? Cold Fusion Video
Questions
1. When was the term AI coined?
2. What was the original definition?
3. When can a computer demonstrate a form of intelligence?
4. What are the 7 original areas of AI?
5. How many of these 7 currently exist in AI?

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6. “Surprising”, 2016 written by AI ­ what do you think of the quality of this screenplay? Is it creative? How might we make this judgement?
7. What are the most important types of “intelligence” according to … ?
8. What is machine learning?
9. What is computer vision
10. What is natural language processing
11. What are robotics?
12. What is Pattern recognition?
13. What is Knowledge management?
14. What is the difference between “weak AI” and “strong AI”?
15. What is an “expert system”?
16. What are the three examples of AI listed?
Activity 1: What benefits are described for the possible future uses of AI.
Activity 2: Make a vocab list of any words you have never heard of with definitions
Activity 3: Connect extend challenge routine ­ PJ
Activity 4: Who’s your favourite robot and why
CfU formative task : Create a visual mind map explaining one of the questions above. Gallery walk to collectively explain “What is AI?”
Display in arts foyer
Activity 5: “Can Hal Have Feelings”
Excerpts from 2001: A Space Odyssey ­ mashup, Cindy and Ted creates synopsis
Answer the following
CfU formative task : Second brainstorm exploring what machines can’t do. The following questions may be used as discussion starters:
a. What can you do that a machine cannot?
b. Can machines feel emotions?
c. Can machines read emotions?
d. Do machines have beliefs?
e. Do machines really ‘think’?
f. Are machines self­aware?
g. Can machines adapt?
h. What is really important to our lives?
Extension: Can machines make compelling art on their own?
Magenta and Machine Learning ­ Watch Do Machines Make Art? | The Art Assignment | PBS Digital Studios
Can robots be creative? ­ Gil Weinberg

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Lesson 3: What is futurism? ( Concern with events and trends of the future or which anticipate the future).
Read: 7 Top Futurists Make Some Pretty Surprising Predictions About What The Next Decade Will Bring
Watch: What Happens When Our Computers Get Smarter Than We do?
Watch: TED Talk: The wonderful and terrifying implications of computers that can learn
Activity: Claim, Support, Question Routine
Lesson 4: What are some of the key artworks/films/texts that consider the “rise of the machines”? 2001: A Space Odyssey, Terminator, I Robot, Her,
Ex Machina, Blade Runner, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.
1. Indiewire Article
2. When sci­fi got it right: 15 films that correctly predicted the future
3. Hyper Real National Gallery Australia ­ ( From kinetic sculpture to bio art, this exhibition extends our perception of what constitutes the hyperreal.)
Students vote and then watch one of the following films: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Terminator, Ex Machina, Blade Runner
We will use these texts/s to examine the idea of human/machine binary explored in science fiction and prompt students to examine and explore their own
humanity in terms of their relationship with, and dependency on technology. (Source: When Machines go Bad )
Prep/pre­viewing activities: Read The Machine Stops by EM Forster ( It is a chilling, short story masterpiece about the role of technology in our lives.
Written in 1909, it's as relevant today as the day it was published.) and/or
Listen: Leonard Nimoy reads Ray Bradbury's "There Will Come Soft Rains" from "The Martian Chronicles"
4Cs Thinking Routine:
1. Connections : What connections can be made with previous learning or with your life?
2. Challenge : What puzzles you about this?
3. Concepts : What are the key concepts or ideas worth holding on to?
4. Changes : How has your thinking or attitude been changed?
Extension: Read an iconic spec fiction text that explores AI: List 1; List 2 , List 3 , List 4 YAL , List 5 (picked by AI experts)
Lesson 5­6­7: Watch one of the following films: The Matrix/Terminator/Her/Blade Runner/Tron/War Games
Focus questions: What is the relationship between filmic techniques, speculative fiction conventions and binary representation of humans and
machines/robots?
At the conclusion of the film, give students the worksheet Viewing film recipe (questions below). This is a synthesis­type activity requiring students to
identify and comment on how “humanity” is depicted in binary opposition to machines/robots.
The Orientation (Source: When Machines go Bad )
1. Where is the film set? (place)
2. When is the film set? (present, near future, far future)

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3. Who are the main characters?
4. What FLAWS (or weaknesses) do the main characters have?
The Complication
1. What is the complication?
2. What is ‘the other’?
3. How does the complication further reveal human weakness?
The Climax
1. Who is involved in this particular scene?
a) Who are the humans?
b) What is ‘the other’?
2. Briefly describe what happens.
3. How do the humans win or survive in this particular scene?
4. How does sound influence this particular scene? Comment on:
a) diegetic sound
b) non­diegetic sound.
The Resolution
1. How do the humans win?
2. How do the machines fail in their ultimate goal?
3. What aspect of humanity is revealed in your answer to question 1 (above)?
4. What images of humanity are you left with at the conclusion of the film?
Lesson 8: Read : “ Facebook shuts down robots after they invent their own language”.
W rite a creative writing piece that explores what might have happened if this experiment was not shut down.
Conventions of spec fiction:
­Holding up a 'mirror' to reflect societal problems.
­Explore possibilities of future implications, asking 'what if'
Predict reactions of individual or groups to new science or technology
CQ: What are some of the possible impacts of AI?
CQ: Why are people excited/worried about AI?
Lesson 9­10­11: Is Stephen Hawking right about AI?
Source 1 ­ Artificial intelligence 'could be the worst thing to happen to humanity', Stephen Hawking
Source 2 ­ Benefits and Risks of AI ­ “ Everything we love about civilization is a product of intelligence, so amplifying our human intelligence with artificial
intelligence has the potential of helping civilization flourish like never before – as long as we manage to keep the technology beneficial. “
Source 3 ­ Artificial Intelligence is Good for Society
Source 4 ­ AI Can Be Our Friend, Bill Gates

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Source 5 ­ Jack Ma on the benefits and risks of AI
CfU: Circle of Viewpoints Routine ­ Notetaking, thinking skills. ATL: Make connections between various sources of information
CfU: I used to think, Now I think ­ Process Journal ­ synthesis
Lessons 12­17:
DQ: What will be the impact of the “rise of AI” on future generations?
Performance of Understanding/Culminating Task
In groups of 2­3: scriptwriting and short film creation (nonfiction or fiction) using scientific knowledge to predict the impact of the ascendance of AI on
future societies
G(oal): Discuss the possible impact of AI on human society from a futuristic stance based on your knowledge of emerging AI
R(ole): You are an emerging futurist
A(udience): 15­25 year olds who have grown up in a technological world
S(ituation): Entry into Sundance ’s New Frontiers section
P(roduct): A short film / filmmaker’s statement discussing the science the film is based and evaluating the implications of AI now and into the future (400
words)
S(uccess criteria): IDU criteria
Possible Structure (fictional text):
• A complication
• A climax
• A resolution
Method
Lesson 14­15: Filming
Lesson 16­17: Filming/Editing
Lesson 18­19: Screening/Reflection
Teacher Reflection:
What do you see in the work? Describe the work. Withhold judgment for the time being. What do you notice? What do you think about that? Speculate
about students’ thinking: What kinds of thinking do you see? What’s going on? What does it make you wonder about students’ thinking?
Ask questions about the work. Reflect What are implications for future teaching?
Source: http://pzartfulthinking.org/wp­content/uploads/2014/09/AT_Study­Group­Protocol.pdf

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Formative assessment Differentiation
Ongoing: Process Journal tool for curating evidence of learning, sources,
documenting thinking and discussion
1. Read NYT article “A dim view of a posthuman future” .
CfU activity: Use VTR ­ 3­2­1 to check for understanding.
2. Comprehension questions: What is artificial intelligence? Cold Fusion
Video
3. Create a visual mind map explaining one of the questions above. Gallery
walk to collectively explain “What is AI?” Display in arts foyer
4. What is futurism: Activity: Claim, Support, Question Routine
5. Creative writing response to: “ Facebook shuts down robots after they
invent their own language”.
6. 4Cs Thinking Routine, Bradbury short story
7. Response to film
8. Source analysis
Circle of Viewpoints Routine ­ Notetaking, thinking skills.
I used to think, Now I think ­ Process Journal ­ synthesis
9. Script writing, feedback pre­filming
10. IDU Reflection
Varying levels of articles, videos, and sources
Pathways to focus on divergent topics of interest
Visual/oral stimuli
PJ entries can be written or audio/visual (short videos taken by students to
document their thinking/AtL development)
Resources
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/07/ai­revolution­science
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/artificial_intelligence/index.htm
https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2016/07/29/whats­difference­artificial­intelligence­machine­learning­deep­learning­ai/
https://www.hackerearth.com/blog/artificial­intelligence/artificial­intelligence­101­how­to­get­started/
https://chatbotsmagazine.com/six­ways­a­i­and­chatbots­are­changing­education­c22e2d319bbf
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/03/elon­musk­billion­dollar­crusade­to­stop­ai­space­x
https://www.cbsnews.com/videos/cbsn­on­assignment­shows­how­japan­is­using­robots­to­combat­population­decline/
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/02/science/a­dim­view­of­a­posthuman­future.html

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http://bostonreview.net/literature­culture/henry­farrell­philip­k­dick­and­fake­humans#.WmeBpDYa9AU.facebook
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/archive/artificial­intelligence­and­robotics/?utm_content=buffer2bc00&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com
&utm_campaign=buffer
https://toplink.weforum.org/knowledge/insight/a1Gb0000000pTDREA2/explore/summary
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/03/timeline­of­creative­ai
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/28/technology/paul­allen­ai­common­sense.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0uAuonMXrg&feature=youtu.be
https://www.ted.com/talks/sebastian_thrun_and_chris_anderson_the_new_generation_of_computers_is_programming_itself
https://www.ted.com/speakers/sebastian_thrun
https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/16/11/how­thrive­21st­century
Google Deep Mind
AI Podcast series: https://blogs.nvidia.com/ai­podcast/
https://www.sas.com/en_us/insights/analytics/what­is­artificial­intelligence.html
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20180215­the­designers­helping­us­embrace­robots
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/apr/03/how­babies­learn­and­why­robots­cant­compete
http://bigthink.com/paul­ratner/this­startup­plans­to­put­chips­into­human­brains­to­enhance­intelligence
https://thenextweb.com/artificial­intelligence/2018/04/12/chinese­authorities­nab­fugitive­in­a­crowd­of­50k­thanks­to­facial­recognition­ai/
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2165958­robots­dont­take­peoples­jobs­they­make­new­ones/
http://bigthink.com/news/heres­the­ai­documentary­elon­musk­thinks­is­essential­viewing
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/06/its­not­too­late­to­save­the­world­from­killer­robots
http://www.businessinsider.com/elon­musk­says­ai­could­lead­to­robot­dictator­2018­4
https://www.facebook.com/worldeconomicforum/videos/10155243734541479/
Link to Ted’s PPT
Wait But Why
Ray Kurtweil ­ Futurist
Thinking Routines
Thinking Routines in the Science Classroom
Film Resources:
• War of the Worlds, 2005, Steven Spielberg, Paramount Pictures
• I Robot, 2004, Alex Proyos, 20th Century Fox
• Bicentennial Man, 1999, Chris Columbas, Buena Vista
• The Matrix, 1999, Andy & Larey Wachowski, Warner Bros.
• Star Trek (any film or episode featuring ‘The Borg) ­ various

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• The Terminator – especially Episodes I and III – 1984, James Cameron, Orion Pictures
• 2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968, Stanley Kubrick, MGM
• THX 1138, 1971, George Lucas, Warner Bros.
• Metropolis, 1926, Fritz Lang, Lasky Corp. (Germany)
• Transformers, 2007, Michael Bay, Paramount Pictures.
Reflection: Considering the planning, process and impact of interdisciplinary inquiry
Prior to teaching the unit: During teaching: After teaching the unit:
In this unit, we aim to explore contemporary scientific
media and art forms to better understand what the
advent of artificial intelligence (AI) could mean for the
future of humankind.
The unit aims to link scientific contemporary media
writing to speculative fiction and consideration of the
possible impact of technological innovations on the
world. This connects to the aims of MYP sciences: to
“consider science as a human endeavour with
benefits and limitations”.