How can you use Gemini in your lessons?

Here's a lesson plan we've made using gemini

Mystery Solvers: Uncovering Secrets with AI

Level: B1 Secondary School Students Time Allotment: 40 minutes Materials:

• Computers/Tablets/smartphones with internet access for each group (or pairs).

• Access to Google Gemini.

• Whiteboard or projector.

• Markers.

• Optional: Simple "mystery" props (e.g., a fake old map, a picture of a strange object, a "secret" note).

Learning Objectives: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Use Gemini to generate creative ideas and scenarios.

• Practice asking speculative questions and forming hypotheses.

• Develop descriptive language for a mysterious situation.

• Collaborate to create a short, engaging mystery story or scenario.

Warm-up activity

T shows stds of pictures of mysterious or unusual objects like a blurry old photo, an antique musical box, an old and rusty key, an old pocket watch, among others. Then T asks  stds  the following question: what do you think it is? where could it come from? What's its story? and T writes a few key words on the board as a brainstorming.

Pre-task activity

T tells Stds that they are going to work with Gemini to solve a Mystery. To do so, T demonstrates how Gemini works by creating prompts based on the warm-up item. For example: If using an old and rusty key: “Gemini, imagine this old and rusty key. What does it  open? Where is the lock hidden? What kind of mystery is connected to it?” T emphasizes that Gemini  can provide ideas, character, settings and plot twists, but Sts are the mastermind of the mystery. 

While-task activity

T tells students that they are going to get their own starting point. To do so, they are going to use Gemini to develop a short and intriguing mystery scenario of the story. T prepares 3 cards with different “mystery prompts” and sticks them on the board. For example: 

• The Abandoned Diary: "You find an old, dusty diary in an unexpected place. The last entry is strange and unfinished: 'The shadow... at midnight... in the old mill...' What happened? Who wrote it? Where is the old mill?"

• The Disappearing Object: "A valuable object (e.g., a historical artifact, a rare book, a unique piece of art) suddenly vanishes from a locked room. There are no signs of forced entry. How did it disappear? Who took it?"

• The Message in a Bottle: "You discover a message in a bottle on the beach. It contains only a cryptic drawing and five seemingly random words. What do they mean? Who sent the message, and why?"

In groups of 3 or 4 sts they have to use Gemini to carry out the following steps:

• Step 1: Choose one mystery prompt.

• Step 2: Brainstorm initial ideas for their mystery.

• Step 3: Use Gemini to expand their ideas. Prompt examples: 

  • "Suggest three possible reasons why the diary entry was unfinished."

  • "Create three possible suspects for the disappearing object and their motives."

  • "What kind of person would send a cryptic message in a bottle?"

  • "Describe a mysterious old mill for a story."

  • "Give me three strange clues related to a missing object."

• Step 4: Develop a brief mystery scenario (not a full story, just the setup and a few key clues/questions). They should focus on who, what, where, when, and why this mystery is intriguing.

• Step 5: Prepare to present their mystery to the class, making it sound exciting and open-ended.

Post-activity

Each group has to present their mystery. After the presentations, T encourages the whole class to ask 1-2 speculative questions like: Do you think the suspect was a ghost? Could the message be a treasure map? What if the diary was a trap? to engage their critical thinking skill.