How Are We Quantified By AI?

Estimated Total Time: ~4.25 hours

Summary: 

“How Are We Quantified by AI?” is a 6-lesson unit that helps students understand how data shapes the ways AI systems see, classify, and measure people. Through hands-on activities, students learn how data about individuals is collected, cleaned, organized, visualized, and used—both to describe communities and to reinforce or challenge systems of power.

Students explore how AI relies on data, examine how bias arises, and practice responsible data collection rooted in consent and care. The unit blends computer science, data literacy, and social inquiry, giving students a deep understanding of how identity and data intersect in the age of AI.

By the end of the unit, students not only build real datasets and visualizations using Google Sheets—they also reflect on how they want their identities represented and how data can be used for advocacy, empathy, and social change.

Lesson Flow

Lesson 1 — Intro to Data Activism

Students explore what “data activism” means and analyze real examples of AI bias through video and article reflection. They use a 3–2–1 framework to discuss how data drives AI decision-making.

Lesson 2 — The Daisy Model: Identity as Data

Students create personal “Daisy Models” to map aspects of their identity and discuss what data they feel comfortable contributing. They begin thinking about consent, representation, and how identity becomes data.

Lesson 3 — Cleaning & Structuring Data in Google Sheets

Students convert their Daisy Model reflections into structured data by practicing standardization and data cleaning. They build group datasets and learn how consistent formatting supports analysis.

Lesson 4 — Visualizing Data

Students combine group datasets into a full class dataset and create charts (bar, pie, line) using Google Sheets. They examine how visualization choices reveal patterns and shape narrative.

Lesson 5 — Data Drawings

Students analyze examples of artistic data storytelling, then create their own “data drawings” to represent shared identity patterns. They consider how art can make data more human-centered and empathetic.

Lesson 6 — Data, Power, and Social Systems

Students investigate how data operates in real-world systems—from social media algorithms to predictive policing—and discuss how power is reinforced or challenged through data. They reflect on responsible data use.