AI Literacy for Kids: The Five Big Ideas, Explained for Parents
What kids in K-5 should understand about artificial intelligence, using the Five Big Ideas from the AI4K12 initiative, with kitchen-table activities for each one.
· 4 sources cited
45+ free STEM courses · K to 12 Rocket & Raven
STEM courses for kids who think out loud.
Coding, science, engineering, math and AI literacy, from kindergarten through high school. Short daily lessons on a tablet, phone or computer, with hands-on labs that use things you already have. Every course is 100% free, start to finish: no card, no trial, nothing locked.
Pick by grade.
Every series is built for short attention spans: a short lesson a day, five days a week, for 12 weeks.
Every grade
Two series that grow with your kid from kindergarten to Grade 12.
Kindergarten to Grade 5
Read-aloud help for younger kids, hands-on labs with things you already have.
Science
Science Launch
Hands-on science, K to Grade 5. Free.
Engineering
Builder's Lab
Engineering build challenges, K to Grade 5. Free.
Astronomy
Astronomy Year
Backyard sky missions, K to Grade 5. Free.
Human body
Body Lab
Senses, bones, heart and lungs, K to 2 and Grades 3 to 5. Free.
Gardening
Grow It
Seeds, roots, leaves and bees, K to 2 and Grades 3 to 5. Free.
Outdoor science
Backyard Explorer
Birds, bugs, plants and seasons outside, with a field guide for your region, K to 2 and Grades 3 to 5. Free.
How things work
Everyday Machines
Zippers, locks, faucets, switches, fridges and elevators opened up, K to Grade 5. Free.
How bikes work
Bike Shop
Forces, gears, brakes and a safe pre-ride check, Grades 3 to 5. Free.
Computers
Inside the Machine
What a computer is made of and how to fix the small stuff, Grades 1 to 2 and 3 to 5. Free.
Grades 6 to 8
Every middle-school science and math domain, plus reading and writing.
Weather and climate
Weather Lab
A home weather station, storms, fronts and the climate record from real data, Grades 6 to 8. Free.
Chemistry
Matter Lab
A kitchen-table chemistry bench: atoms, density, mixtures, reactions and a design project, Grades 6 to 8. Free.
Physics
Sports Physics
A backyard physics field: speed, forces, gravity, energy, collisions and a landing-pad design project, Grades 6 to 8. Free.
Life science
Cells and Systems
A kitchen-windowsill life-science lab: cells, body systems, senses, photosynthesis, growth and a growing-station design project, Grades 6 to 8. Free.
Earth and space science
Earth and Space
A porch-step space lab: day and night, Moon phases, eclipses, seasons, gravity, the scale of the solar system, rocks, deep time and a solar-system model design project, Grades 6 to 8. Free.
Math
Ratios and Data
A kitchen-table math lab: ratios, rates, percents, fractions, decimals, negative numbers, proportional relationships, statistics, probability and a Data Fair, Grades 6 to 8. Free.
Math
Expressions and Equations
A garage-corner algebra workshop: powers, variables, equations on a coat-hanger balance, inequalities, slope, linear functions, systems, scientific notation and a Puzzle Night, Grades 6 to 8. Free.
Math
Geometry and Measurement
A garage design studio: area, nets, volume, scale drawings, circles, angles, slides, flips, turns, the Pythagorean theorem and a cardboard clubhouse Build Day, Grades 6 to 8. Free.
English language arts
Reading and Writing
A porch newsroom: evidence, theme, plot and character, word choice, point of view, arguments, and writing a story, an explanation and an argument for Press Day, Grades 6 to 8. Free.
Grades 9 to 12
High-school math from Algebra 1 to Statistics, plus computer science and Python.
Math
Algebra 1
A garage-loft workshop: equations, functions, systems, exponents, polynomials, factoring, quadratics and lines of best fit, for a ramp course and a bottle rocket, Grades 9 to 12. Free.
Math
Geometry
A theater scene shop: constructions, rigid motions, congruence, proof, similarity, trigonometry, circles, coordinates and volume, for the set of the spring show, Grades 9 to 12. Free.
Math
Algebra 2
A greenhouse restored for Open House: complex numbers, polynomials, rational and radical equations, exponentials, logarithms, the unit circle, probability and inference, Grades 9 to 12. Free.
Math
Precalculus
A boathouse readied for Regatta Day: the complex plane, binomials, rational functions, trig identities and equations, conics, vectors, matrices and expected value, Grades 9 to 12. Free.
Math
Statistics
A fun run organized from the data up: shape, center and spread, the normal model, two-way tables, lines of fit and correlation, samples and simulation, probability, random variables and expected value, Grades 9 to 12. Free.
Computer science
Intro to Computer Science
Design, code, test and launch a paper app for a Moon greenhouse, Grades 9 to 10. Paper labs, no software needed. Free.
Data science
Data and Society
Run a community survey by hand, graph it honestly and weigh privacy and bias, Grades 9 to 12. Paper labs, no software needed. Free.
Programming
Python Programming
Build a rover simulator with classes, grids, sorting and recursion, then read it in Java, Grades 11 to 12. Free.
About Rocket & Raven
Rocket & Raven is the STEM imprint of Lantern Learn. We make free online courses kids actually finish, with short daily sessions, room to draw and explain, and grown-up notes you can read in two minutes. Rocket, Raven and Nova, the crew's AI companion drone, lead the younger courses; Comet and Wren, the older crew, lead the high-school ones.
Every week is mapped to the standards it practices: CSTA for computer science, NGSS for science and the Common Core for math and English language arts. Facts come from standards bodies, government agencies, museums and universities, and hands-on labs use things most homes already have.
Questions families ask
What does it cost?
Nothing. Every course is 100% free, start to finish: every week and every lesson, not a preview, with no card. A free parent account saves each kid's progress.
Does my kid need a tablet or computer?
Yes. Every course is online, so it needs a tablet, phone or computer with a web browser. Most days are short exercises: putting steps in order, tracing a short program, filling in an answer. Some days include a drawing or an offline challenge. Code Crew Grade 6 and up is different: students write and run Python on a computer, and a grown-up installs Python once in week 1.
Which grades are live?
Every grade from kindergarten through Grade 12. Code Crew coding and AI Explorers run from kindergarten up. Kindergarten to Grade 5 also has Science Launch, Builder's Lab, Astronomy Year, Body Lab, Grow It, Backyard Explorer, Everyday Machines, Bike Shop and Inside the Machine. Grades 6 to 8 have science, math, and reading and writing courses. Grades 9 to 12 have Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Precalculus, Statistics, Intro to Computer Science, Data and Society and Python.
Which Code Crew grade should my kid start with?
Start with your kid's current grade. Kindergarten needs no reading: every prompt is read aloud. Grade 1 and Grade 2 use short typed program lines that kids answer by tapping. Grade 3 expects a kid who can read a sentence on their own. Grades 4 and 5 use real Python that kids read, trace and complete on the page. Grade 6 and up is for kids who already know what a loop is.
Are these aligned to the standards?
Yes. Each week is mapped to the standards it practices: the CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards for Code Crew and AI Explorers, the NGSS performance expectations for the science courses, and the Common Core State Standards for the math and the reading and writing courses. Each course page lists them. We don't claim endorsement by CSTA, NGSS or Common Core.
How long does each lesson take?
Most lessons take about 10 to 15 minutes, Monday to Friday, for twelve weeks. Middle- and high-school sessions run longer. Each Code Crew week ends with an optional Crew Quest, and each Science Launch week ends with a Launch Lab the family does together.
How does the online course work?
Each day shows kid-friendly exercises such as drag-to-reorder and tap-to-answer. Many are checked right away, with a hint before the answer. Open-ended exercises, like drawings, are saved for a grown-up to look at. It works on iPad, Android and desktop browsers.
Why "Rocket & Raven"?
Rockets launch. Ravens think. Both work.
From the Rocket & Raven blog
Is My Kindergartner Ready for Coding?
What coding looks like at five, the signs a child is ready to start, and how to pick tools and routines that fit a kindergartner instead of shrinking down a big-kid course.
· 5 sources cited
Unplugged Coding Activities You Can Do at Home
Sequencing, loops and debugging with cups, clay, sandwiches and a clapping game. Screen-free coding practice for kids in kindergarten through grade 3.
· 4 sources cited
What Computational Thinking Means for a 5 to 8 Year Old
Computational thinking is a way of solving problems, and young children use it long before they touch a computer. Here is what it looks like at ages 5 to 8 and why it reaches well past coding.
· 5 sources cited
Start today, free.
Every week opens without signing in. A free parent account just saves each kid's progress.