From Chixulub to Chatbots: A New Way to Learn Word Roots

So hear me out—this is the tale of how students are using AI image generators to learn Greek and Latin roots in English.

It all started with a science project I’ve been working on for the past year. If you’ve been following me, you know I’ve been up to my ears in my new AP Art History curriculum. One of the most exciting aspects of this project has been my use of generated narrations—professional-level audio that explores visual and contextual analysis of artworks, along with key themes like cultural exchange. These narrations are embedded directly into the Google Slide lessons for teachers to use. I even offer teacher instructions as audio narrations instead of printed guides. Teachers can simply press play and listen—no need to stop and read.

Using AI this way is still relatively novel on Teachers Pay Teachers, and it’s opened up a new path for digital lesson design. But because I’ve been so focused on launching the AP Art History and Film Study product lines, some of my science lessons have taken a back seat—especially one I designed for our fifth graders. That lesson explores the Chixulub asteroid and how Earth gradually returned to life after the impact. Really, it’s about the sun’s role in bringing life back to the planet. I created two complete science lessons for fifth grade teachers to use, and now that it’s the end of July, I’m determined to wrap them up.

But I didn’t stop there—I wanted to create a companion lesson that tied into both ELA and science.

Back during the COVID years, I ran small online learning groups for fifth graders. It was a challenging time to be in education, but I learned a lot about how computer literacy shapes the way kids learn. Out of necessity, I created elaborate animated PowerPoints that taught students how to break down Greek and Latin roots in English. The course turned out to be a hit.

Now, I want to push that idea even further.

I designed a brand-new lesson where students randomly select three Greek affixes—a mix of prefixes, roots, or suffixes. Then, they must infer what a made-up word might mean based on those elements. Here’s the twist: they use a school-approved AI image generator to create an image of the word based on their inference. Finally, they share their images with the teacher, who leads a discussion about the meaning of those roots by interpreting the visuals.

Instead of starting with definitions, students start with imagination. The class then has to work backward, interpreting the roots and affixes through the lens of student-created images. It flips the traditional model of teaching Greek and Latin roots on its head.

To make this lesson easy for teachers to implement, I included a narrated teacher guide—just hit play and go. Slide three provides a detailed example of how to do the assignment, so students can plug in their headphones and follow along independently. From there, they’re ready to create and explore.

But I realized I needed to offer more than just the image generation activity. So I added 15 slides that introduce common Greek and Latin affixes every fifth grader should know. This gives students essential background knowledge and helps reinforce root word skills in a way that’s interactive, creative, and standards-aligned.

This activity was designed to complement the Chixulub science lesson or to be used in ELA classes at the same time. My goal is for students to see how Greek and Latin roots connect not only to language but also to science—bridging disciplines in a meaningful way.

What do you think? Is this lesson idea a bust—or a breakthrough? I’d love to hear your thoughts.