AI&DT
CBSE Curriculum · 2026+
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A teacher's orientation

Computational
Thinking &
Artificial Intelligence

A ninety-minute walk through CBSE's newest curriculum mandate — what it is, why it matters, and how to bring it into your classroom without writing a line of code.

Hosted by Aditya Vikram Singhania · AI & Digital Thinking team · Educational Initiatives (Ei) makers of ASSET & Mindspark
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Session 90 min · live workshop
02 Chapter I · Foundations

A definition, decoded

What is
computational
thinking?

A way of approaching problems that has very little to do with computers — and everything to do with breaking complexity into pieces a mind (human or machine) can handle.

“ CT is not coding. Coding is one of many ways to express it.

01

Decomposition

Break a big problem into smaller, solvable parts.

02

Pattern Recognition

Spot what's similar to what you've solved before.

03

Abstraction

Focus on what matters. Ignore the noise.

04

Algorithms

Write a clear, repeatable sequence of steps.

03 Chapter I · Foundations

CT is not
coding.

The most common misconception we hear from teachers, principals, and parents. Let's settle it on slide three.

What CT is

Thinking like a computer scientist

  • Breaking problems down
  • Spotting patterns
  • Writing precise instructions
  • Debugging — finding the broken step

Can be taught with paper, puzzles, stories — no screen needed.

/
What coding is

One way to express that thinking

  • A language (Scratch, Python, JS…)
  • A tool, not a worldview
  • Introduced later, gradually
  • Optional in the primary years

CBSE: Classes 3–5 use games & puzzles. Code arrives later.

Unplugged demo

Ask a teacher to write the algorithm for making a cup of tea. Watch sequencing, debugging, and abstraction emerge in real-time — without a single keystroke.

04 Chapter I · Foundations

CBSE's own learning outcomes

From
Class 3
to Class 8
— how the
pillars evolve.

Same four pillars all the way through. What changes is the complexity, the abstraction, and the data students reason about.

Pillar 01

Decomposition

Classes 3–5

Break problems with 2–3 clues drawn from number names, 3-D objects, place value, money.

↓
Classes 6–8

Factors, ratios, percentages; multi-step distributions with multiple variable conditions.

Pillar 02

Pattern Recognition

Classes 3–5

Spot 1–2 changes in number/shape/letter sequences; progressive patterns with multiple shifts.

↓
Classes 6–8

Mixed operations, cyclic and alternating behaviour, algebraic patterns with variables and functions.

Pillar 03

Abstraction

Classes 3–5

3-D viewpoints, flips, rotations, mirror images, symmetry; progressively more layered transformations.

↓
Classes 6–8

Cross-sections, nets, scale reasoning, powers and divisibility, generalisation across number systems.

Pillar 04

Algorithmic Thinking

Classes 3–5

Step-by-step rules for sequences and grid movement, elaborate conditions, multi-layered chronological logic.

↓
Classes 6–8

Conditional branching, grid pathfinding, if–then / either–or / must / must-not reasoning.

Source · CBSE CT & AI Curriculum for Classes 3–8 (2026–27 framework) · 50 hours/year in Classes 3–5, 100 hours/year in Classes 6–8
05 Chapter II · Assessment

Assessment in three buckets

How do you
test a way
of thinking?

ASSET AI&DT

ASSET AI&DT is a diagnostic, not a textbook. It probes how students reason about machines, data and information — with puzzles, scenarios, and questions that cannot be Googled.

Bucket 01

Artificial Intelligence

Training data, bias, prompting, model limits.

Bucket 02

Digital Literacy

Privacy, ethics, evaluating information, online safety.

Bucket 03

Computational Thinking

Decomposition, patterns, algorithms, abstraction.

Grade coverage
Lvl 1 Gr 3–4 · 30 Qs Lvl 2 Gr 5–6 · 35 Qs Lvl 3 Gr 7–8 · 35 Qs Lvl 4 Gr 9–10 · 35 Qs
06 Question 01 / 13 ·
07 Question 02 / 13 ·
08 Question 03 / 13 ·
09 Chapter III · The CBSE flow

A progression, not a subject

Woven
across
every
subject.

CBSE recommends 50 hours/year in Classes 3–5 and 100 hours/year in Classes 6–8 — integrated into the subjects you already teach.

  1. Classes 3–5 50 hrs/yr

    Preparatory Stage

    Puzzles · games · stories

    • Sequencing & spatial puzzles
    • What smart devices can & can't do
    • Online safety basics

    Minimal screen time. CT lives in Maths & EVS.

  2. Classes 6–8 100 hrs/yr

    Middle Stage

    Data · prompts · ethics

    • Multi-step algorithms, data filtering
    • Effective prompting, training data
    • Cyber-citizenship, source evaluation

    Light coding ideas appear here for the first time.

  3. Classes 9–10 project led

    Secondary Stage

    Bias · systems · privacy

    • Algorithmic state-tracking
    • Face-recognition bias, LLM control
    • Email logic, data privacy, claims

    Real-world AI & civic-tech debates.

10 Chapter III · The CBSE flow

AI in Classes 6–8 · the actual syllabus

20 hours
a year.
Real AI,
no hype.

The middle-stage AI curriculum isn't "use ChatGPT in class." It's a deliberate ladder — from what is AI to build, evaluate, reflect.

Class 06 · Foundations

What AI actually is

  • AI vs automation — the difference matters
  • Everyday AI — suggestions, voice, recommendations
  • Data types & how machines organise them
  • Patterns & decisions from data
  • Digital responsibility, first principles

20 hrs · taught with examples, not jargon

Class 07 · Domains

How AI sees, reads, talks

  • Domains — classification, regression, computer vision, NLP, chatbots
  • AI in industries — healthcare, education, transport, communication
  • Data visualisation & basic analysis
  • Bias awareness in real models

20 hrs · interdisciplinary projects connect each domain to a subject

Class 08 · Build & reflect

The AI project lifecycle

  • Define problem → collect data → test AI tools → reflect
  • Hands-on with no-code AI tools (Teachable Machine, etc.)
  • Fairness & bias identification strategies
  • Responsible AI — privacy, misinformation, social impact

20 hrs · capstone projects, ethics framework

By Class 8

Students understand how AI uses data to decide, can identify bias and ethical issues, and have built something with real tools. That's the floor — not the ceiling.

11 Question 04 / 13 ·
12 Question 05 / 13 ·
13 Question 06 / 13 ·
14 Chapter III · Assessment

How CBSE wants you to grade this

Assess
the
thinking,
not the
recall.

CBSE prescribes a deliberate mix of formats — explicitly designed to reward applied reasoning, ethical judgement, and creativity over memorised answers.

Classes 3–5 · Preparatory

Observe more than test

Short written tests — logic puzzles, sequencing tasks
Interactive group activities — sorted, debated, defended
Teacher Observation Journal — document how each child reasons, not just the answer
No high-stakes summative paper at this stage
Classes 6–8 · Middle

Apply, build, defend

Written tests — concept questions, scenario reasoning
Practical exams — hands-on tasks, no-code tool demos
Thematic projects — AI project lifecycle from problem to reflection
Reflective journals & group discussions — ethical reasoning, peer challenge
CBSE’s own line

“ Reward the ability to apply knowledge, creativity, and ethical reasoning — not rote memorisation.

15 Question 07 / 13 ·
16 Question 08 / 13 ·
17 Question 09 / 13 ·
18 Chapter IV · Workshop · Unplugged

Three you can run tomorrow

No screens. All thinking.

01 10 min

Human Robot

Algorithms · Debugging

One student is the "robot." A partner gives verbal instructions to draw a shape on the board. Watch the class shout "Bug!" when a step is ambiguous. That's debugging.

Maths · EVS · Language
02 12 min

Sort the Snacks

Pattern · Abstraction

Hand out a mixed pile of objects (or pictures). Students invent a rule to sort — then swap rules with another group. Same data, different "algorithm." A perfect intro to how AI classifies.

Science · Art · EVS
03 15 min

Story-Map a Process

Decomposition

Pick anything: brushing teeth, planting a seed, ordering food. Decompose it into a flow on chart paper, then ask another team to follow it literally. Surface every unstated assumption.

Language · Social Studies
“ CBSE explicitly recommends games and puzzles — not code — for young classes.
19 Chapter IV · Workshop · On-screen

Where the
thinking gets
playable.

Mindspark AI&DT bundles 30+ classroom-ready scenarios. Bias detection, optimisation puzzles, prompt-craft, machine-learning trainers — each gamified, each aligned to a CT or AI skill.

30+ modules 3–10 grades HTML5 · works on any device

Digital Literacy

Bias Busters

Compare image captions to uncover hidden bias.

 AI · Prompting

Poster Prompter

Craft a prompt to generate the right poster.

 Machine Learning

Data Trainers

Train a tiny model. Watch what good (and bad) data does.

 Optimisation

Knapsack Puzzle

Fit the most value into a fixed bag. Algorithms made tactile.

 AI · Recommenders

Behind the Feed

See how a recommender decides what your feed shows.

 Digital Safety

Cyberbullying Decoder

Spot escalation. Practice intervening as a bystander.

Click any tile to launch the live module — great for classroom demos.

20 Question 10 / 13 ·
21 Question 11 / 13 ·
22 Question 12 / 13 ·
23 Question 13 / 13 ·
24 Chapter V · In your school

From slide deck to staff room

Practical
tips
for week one.

  1. 01

    Start with what you teach already

    Find one logic puzzle, one pattern, one classification exercise inside next week's lesson plan. That's your CT lesson. No new period needed.

  2. 02

    Form a cross-subject pod

    Maths + Science + Language — three teachers, one slot per week. Trade activities. Far easier than reinventing alone.

  3. 03

    Use ASSET as a diagnostic, not a grade

    Run the assessment once a term. The report tells you where students reason well and where they slip — per skill, per grade.

  4. 04

    Treat AI as content, not threat

    Use ChatGPT screenshots in English class. Have students fact-check the model. The kids learn evaluation; you reclaim the homework conversation.

  5. 05

    Ethics belongs in Social Studies

    Bias, privacy, surveillance — these are civics topics now. Don't outsource them to the "tech teacher".

25 Chapter V · Resources

A short pre-flight check

Are you
ready
on Monday?

A six-item checklist. Tick three of these and you've already implemented more than most schools.

  • ✓

    One CT activity in next week's plan

    Could be a 10-minute puzzle in the morning circle.

  • ✓

    One unplugged demo prepared

    Human Robot, Sort the Snacks, or your own.

  • ✓

    Cross-subject buddy identified

    One colleague who'll trade activities with you monthly.

  • ✓

    ASSET pilot conversation

    One grade band booked for a diagnostic this term.

  • ✓

    Mindspark trial set up

    One class with access. Track adoption for 4 weeks.

  • ✓

    Ethics discussion this term

    One Social Studies / Language lesson on bias, privacy, or AI ethics.

Pull these from aidt.site · ASSET AI&DT brochure · Mindspark module library · Curricular framework
THINKERS
26 Finale · Q&A

A reminder, for the road

We are not
creating
programmers.

We are
creating
thinkers.

Next steps

Run an ASSET AI&DT pilot for one grade band this term.
Try Mindspark on one class for four weeks. We'll handle the rest.

Get in touch aidt.site info@ei.study Ei Educational Initiatives
27 Parting note

Two small asks before you go

Thank
you.

If a single idea here was useful, take 60 seconds to tell us. If it sparked something bigger, come build it with hundreds of other CBSE teachers in our community.

Hosted by Aditya Vikram Singhania AI & Digital Thinking · Ei aditya.singhania@ei.study
01 · Tell us what worked

60-second
feedback

Feedback form QR code

Anonymous · 6 questions · no email required. Helps us decide what to ship next.

02 · Join the community

C4C
Champions for Computing

C4C WhatsApp community QR code

A WhatsApp community for teachers building CT & AI.
Lesson swaps · live AMAs · early curriculum drops.

See you at the next workshop. Until then — start small, share loud.

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