How can you tell they’ve got it: AI and the Environment?

If they’ve got it, you’ll see things like: Explain that training AI models uses a lot of electricity and water; Give at least two examples of AI being used to help the environment; Describe the trade-off between AI's environmental cost and its environmental benefits. Or just try it together: Could your child explain that AI needs a lot of energy to work but can also be used to help protect the environment, and discuss whether the trade-off is worth it?

Computing Artificial Intelligence Ages 9–11

AI and the Environment

Your child knows training AI uses a lot of energy and water. But AI can also help the planet. It can predict weather or track forests.

In curriculum terms

AI needs huge amounts of energy and water to train; data centres and their environmental cost; but AI can also help — predicting weather, monitoring deforestation, optimising energy; trade-offs

Ages are typical, not deadlines — follow your child’s pace. How to help at home →

How to tell they’ve got it

Tick these off as you see them — no test required.

Explain that training AI models uses a lot of electricity and water
Give at least two examples of AI being used to help the environment
Describe the trade-off between AI's environmental cost and its environmental benefits

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Try this together

Could your child explain that AI needs a lot of energy to work but can also be used to help protect the environment, and discuss whether the trade-off is worth it?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on

Machine Learning Basicsages 7–9Must understand training requires computation before grasping its environmental cost

Climate Change Basicsages 9–11Cross-domain: climate change awareness (Weather & Climate) enriches understanding of AI's environmental costs and benefits

Designing Fair AI Rulesages 9–11Responsible design thinking extends to environmental considerations

AI and the Environmentthis skill · ages 9–11

Unlocks

The Future of AIages 9–11Environmental trade-offs inform future AI decisions

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Where this fits in the official school curriculum — our best automated guess, not yet checked by a person.

Show candidate curriculum codes · 2 NSW

Australian Curriculum v9 candidate

This skill sits outside the F–6 Australian Curriculum — no candidate code matched (v0.1).

NSW syllabus codes & stages only

ST3-DAT-01low confidenceScience and Technology K-6 · Stage 3

ST3-DDT-02low confidenceScience and Technology K-6 · Stage 3

These are candidate alignments generated by semantic matching — machine-suggested and unreviewed (v0.1), not official or verified mappings. For official curriculum content see australiancurriculum.edu.au, curriculum.nsw.edu.au and f10.vcaa.vic.edu.au. Don’t rely on them for registration or compliance purposes.

Nearby on the map

AI and Fairness in Decisionsages 9–11 AI and the Future of Workages 9–11 AI Data Collection and Privacyages 9–11 Bias in AI Systemsages 9–11

All Artificial Intelligence skills →