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Transitioning to AI Discoveries from CS Discoveries

If you've been teaching CS Discoveries (CSD), AI Discoveries (AID) is designed to build on that experience, not replace it. This article walks you through what's changing, what's staying the same, and what you need to do to get started.

Why the transition?

CS Discoveries has been a strong foundation for middle school CS education. AI Discoveries is its natural evolution. The world students are entering is shaped by AI, and they need more than general CS literacy to navigate it; they need the foundational fluency to understand how AI works, where it can fail, and why the choices behind it matter.

AI Discoveries keeps what made CSD work: a welcoming classroom culture, creative project-based learning, and accessibility for teachers without a formal CS background. What's new is an explicit AI focus woven throughout, updated standards alignment (2026 CSTA Standards and the TeachAI AI Literacy Framework), and new tools that support both students and teachers in the classroom.

What to expect in 2026–27

2026–27 is a transition year, intentionally designed to ease you in. Most of what you'll teach is familiar CSD content, with targeted additions that bring in the AI focus. The full AID curriculum, with all units new or significantly revamped, releases in May 2027. For now, here's what the 2026 version of AI Discoveries includes:

  • A brand-new first unit: Thinking Critically About AI replaces CSD Unit 1. This is the most significant change: every student begins by investigating real AI systems, examining bias and misinformation, and building a shared framework for responsible AI use that carries through the rest of the course.
  • Resequenced CSD units: The rest of the 2026 course consists of familiar CSD units, but with the AI and Machine Learning unit moved up to Unit 2 so AI concepts come earlier and anchor the rest of the year.
  • Web Lab: The Web Development unit has been updated with a new version of Web Lab.
  • AI Tutor for students: In the programming units (Web Development, Game Development, Music Lab), students have access to an AI Tutor that gives real-time, personalized support as they code, helping them get unstuck without doing the thinking for them. All interactions with the AI Tutor are stored securely and automatically deleted after 90 days; the AI Tutor does not use student interactions to train third-party models.
  • AI Teaching Assistant for teachers: An embedded TA tool provides real-time support for lesson planning, differentiation, and pacing.

Between October 2026 and April 2027, new units will be released as betas for teachers to preview and begin using ahead of the full launch. Stay tuned for more information!

Getting ready to teach

Before the 2026–27 school year:

During the year:

  • Watch for beta releases of new AID units between October 2026 and April 2027; these are available for you to preview and use ahead of the full 2027 launch

For the 2027–28 school year:

  • The fully revamped curriculum launches in May 2027, along with a complete self-paced PL suite for all units
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