This study examined how elementary students experience using AI tools in environmental education, specifically focusing on creating comic strips about the survival struggle between native Lesser Kestrels and invasive Myna birds. The research took place at a certified green school in northern Israel that has been running a Lesser Kestrel conservation program since 1996, where students observed firsthand the ecological conflict as Mynas began displacing kestrels from nesting boxes.
The researchers employed a case study approach, collecting data through student reflections, drawings expressing their feelings about using AI, analysis of the completed comic strips, and questionnaires measuring attitudes toward the "4Cs" of 21st century skills. Students worked in self-selected teams to create comic strips describing the bird conflict, with freedom to choose their preferred AI and digital tools while receiving guidance from teachers trained in AI integration.
The study revealed four key themes in students' experiences. Creative thinking emerged as students used AI to generate ideas they wouldn't have conceived independently, describing the process as an "adventure" that pushed them to think outside conventional boundaries. However, students also faced challenges in communicating effectively with AI tools, requiring multiple attempts to achieve desired results. Critical thinking developed as students navigated technological problems, learned to formulate better prompts for AI, and combined different digital tools like Canva with AI-generated content. Some students struggled with these technical challenges, with about 11% unable to complete their comic strips.
Collaboration skills were strengthened through teamwork, with students learning to divide tasks, coordinate ideas, and support each other through difficulties. Yet collaboration also presented challenges when team members had conflicting ideas or failed to contribute equally. Communication skills improved through interactions with classmates, teachers, and parents, with many students reporting that the project enhanced family connections as parents became involved in the creative process.
The completed comic strips revealed sophisticated understanding of the ecological conflict, with students presenting nuanced narratives that avoided simple villain-hero dynamics. Rather than portraying Mynas as evil invaders to be eliminated, students created stories showing complex interactions, negotiation, and sometimes peaceful coexistence—reflecting the school's eco-humanistic approach that emphasizes ethics, inclusion, and systemic thinking.
The research identifies three critical factors for successful AI integration in environmental education: technological tools and AI capabilities, teacher and parent support, and an eco-humanistic educational philosophy. Teachers shifted from knowledge transmitters to guides and mentors, helping students navigate new technologies while maintaining focus on environmental values. Parent involvement proved crucial, with many families engaging in the creative process and providing additional support.
The study concludes that developing 21st century skills requires collaborative effort involving students, teachers, and parents, with technology serving as a tool rather than a solution. The eco-humanistic approach proved essential in helping students understand that complex environmental problems like invasive species cannot be solved through simple, dichotomous thinking. Instead, students learned to integrate ethical considerations, inclusive perspectives, and holistic viewpoints when addressing environmental challenges.
Environmental education practitioners should recognize that AI tools can enhance creative engagement with complex ecological issues when properly integrated with supportive teaching approaches and values-based frameworks. This combination helps students move beyond traditional environmental education focused on knowledge transmission toward collaborative, creative problem-solving that prepares them for the multifaceted environmental challenges they will face as future citizens.
The Bottom Line
This study explores how 5th grade students used artificial intelligence (AI) tools to create comic strips about the ecological conflict between the Lesser Kestrel and invasive Myna birds. Through collaborative research with 56 students at a "green school" in northern Israel, researchers found that integrating AI into environmental education successfully developed students' 21st century skills—creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication—while fostering ethical environmental citizenship. The findings suggest that AI tools, when combined with teacher support and eco-humanistic values, can transform environmental education from knowledge transmission to creative, collaborative problem-solving that prepares students for complex environmental challenges.