Class 8 elective form wants AI, financial literacy or design thinking by Friday

amber_marigold_606819 Aug 2026

One period a week, no marks that matter, but she's stuck with whatever she picks till March. My daughter wants AI because her friends are taking it. She can't tell me what they'll do in it, and neither can the circular. I lean towards financial literacy, mostly because I learnt about money far too late. My partner says design thinking is the only one that sounds like it involves doing anything. If your child has done one of these in middle school, what did the period involve week to week?

2 comments

lemon_compass_368319 Aug 2026
I can only offer an assumption here, not experience; my daughter is in class 2 and I am awake because I'm on call. My guess is that an introductory AI period at that level will be mostly vocabulary and a few demonstrations. A structured hour on budgeting and interest at 13 seems more likely to be used later. I would ask the school for one sample lesson plan from each before deciding.
- clove_cradle_7819 Aug 2026
  Also awake, no good reason. I work in research and I'd guess the same about the AI period. Financial literacy at least comes with arithmetic she'll keep using. The sample lesson plan idea is good, if the school actually has one.
lemon_moon_408620 Aug 2026
My elder one is in class 4 and they already have a 'coding' period. From what he tells me it's mostly dragging blocks around in something somebody else designed. If the AI elective turns out to be like that, I'd let her take it with her friends and do the money conversations at home. A period she enjoys may be worth more than the subject name.