SciFi Short Story & Artificial Intelligence Movie Analysis AI Google Drive & PDF

Tap into students' interest in artificial intelligence tools, like ChatGPT and DALL-E, and teach them how to “read” a movie in just the same way that we closely read literature. This five-day lesson begins with a study of Brian Aldiss’ short story, “Supertoys Last All Summer Long,” and continues will a full-movie viewing and analysis of A.I. Artificial Intelligence, a 2001 film directed by Steven Spielberg and inspired by Aldiss' science fiction short story.

After analyzing Aldiss’ futuristic tale of a supertoy (robot boy) who wants only the love of his human mother, share Spielberg’s compelling AI film with your students and guide their study of the movie with analytical questions designed to get them thinking deeply and connecting the material to today's world as we witness the rapidly evolving nature of artificial intelligence.

Please note that Spielberg’s film, A.I., is rated PG-13 and includes a lover-robot character named Gigolo Joe; there are a few sexually suggestive moments in the film, but there’s no nudity or sex scenes. As with all materials, you should preview the film before you show it to your class to ensure it’s appropriate for your students and community. Access to the film is not included in this download, but copies of the film can accessed through various streaming sites. Links to access to the Aldiss story, "Supertoys Last All Summer Long," at third-party websites are included.

Also, if you're not interested or able to share the A.I. movie with your classes, the short story materials also work as a 45-minute stand-alone lesson.

All student handouts are included in both PDF and Google Drive format.

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