Unit 7 AI Literacy • Years 8–11 • Vocabulary activity • Print-ready

AI & Tech Crossword Puzzle

Use this crossword to practise and consolidate key vocabulary from Unit 7. Complete the puzzle using the clues below, then try the glossary-matching and te reo Māori extension.

Ingoa / Name

Akomanga / Class

Rā / Date

Best for

End-of-topic consolidation, starter activity for lesson review, or early-finisher extension in any Unit 7 lesson.

Kaiako use

Pair with the AI & Tech Glossary handout for support. Model how to use a clue length to narrow down options before students begin independently.

Ākonga use

Work through across clues first, then use any letters you have to help with the down clues. Use the word bank if you get stuck.

Linked next step

Use with AI & Tech Glossary (Bilingual) and AI Bias Detection Lab.

Free vocabulary activity, premium extension support

Use this crossword as the base vocabulary task, then open Te Wānanga if you want a bilingual version, a different difficulty level, or a vocabulary quiz built from your class's results.

Adapt this in Te Wānanga Open Creation Studio Compare teacher plans

Ngā Whāinga Akoranga / Learning Intentions

We are learning to recall and apply key vocabulary from AI and digital technology.
We are learning to connect technical AI terms to their definitions and real examples.
We are learning to use te reo Māori terms alongside English equivalents for digital concepts.

Paearu Angitu / Success Criteria

I can complete the crossword using key AI and technology vocabulary from the unit.
I can explain the meaning of at least five terms without looking at my notes.
I can identify at least two te reo Māori equivalents for AI terms.

1. Complete the crossword

Use the clues below. Clue numbers in brackets show how many letters the answer has. Use the word bank if you get stuck.

Across

1. A step-by-step set of rules a computer follows to solve a problem (9 letters)
4. Unfair preference or prejudice baked into an AI system (4 letters)
6. Raw facts and figures fed into an AI model (4 letters)
7. The moral principles that guide decisions about right and wrong (6 letters)
9. The right to keep personal information confidential (7 letters)
10. The result an AI system produces after processing input (6 letters)

Down

2. Type of network in AI that is loosely inspired by the human brain (6 letters)
3. A trained AI system that can make predictions (5 letters)
5. The process of teaching an AI by showing it many examples (8 letters)
8. Relating to data stored or sent as electronic signals (7 letters)

Word bank (optional support)

ALGORITHM • BIAS • DATA • DIGITAL • ETHICS • MODEL • NEURAL • OUTPUT • PRIVACY • TRAINING

2. Glossary matching

Match each term on the left to its definition on the right by writing the correct letter in the answer column.

Term	Letter	Definition
Algorithm	A	Keeping personal information safe from unwanted access
Bias	B	The result produced by an AI after it processes data
Data	C	A system of rules a computer uses to complete a task
Ethics	D	Raw facts and figures — the input material for AI
Model	E	The moral principles that guide fair decision-making
Neural network	F	An AI system trained on data to make predictions
Output	G	Unfair treatment of certain groups built into AI systems
Privacy	H	A type of AI inspired loosely by the structure of the brain
Training	I	Relating to information stored or sent as electronic signals
Digital	J	Teaching an AI system using large amounts of example data

3. Extension: Te reo Māori digital vocabulary

In te reo Māori, new words for technology are often coined deliberately by language experts and communities. Naming things in te reo Māori is not just translation — it embeds a cultural perspective and relationship with the concept. For example, pūkaha (algorithm) carries the sense of systematic organisation rooted in natural order, while tukutuku raraunga (data transmission) connects data to the idea of passing something carefully from one place to another.

English term	Te reo Māori equivalent	What the reo term suggests about the concept
Algorithm	Pūkaha
Data	Raraunga
Bias / unfairness	Matawhānui (broad perspective) / Whakaaro takakē
Privacy	Tūmataiti
Digital	Matihiko

Choose one te reo term from the table. Write 2–3 sentences explaining what the Māori word suggests about the concept that the English word does not.

Hononga Marautanga / Curriculum Alignment

This vocabulary activity supports the Digital Technologies learning area — building the technical language students need to engage critically with AI systems and their ethical implications. Students demonstrate understanding of how digital technologies are designed, used, and governed. Key Competencies addressed: Using Language, Symbols, and Texts (technical vocabulary acquisition) and Thinking (making connections between concepts).

Digital Technologies Years 8–11 Unit 7 AI Literacy

Aronga Mātauranga Māori

From a mātauranga Māori perspective, te ingoa — the name — carries meaning and responsibility. When we name things in te reo Māori, we are not simply translating: we are asserting that this knowledge belongs within a Māori worldview and should be understood through Māori values. Encouraging students to use te reo Māori equivalents alongside English AI terms is a small but meaningful act of language revitalisation in the context of digital citizenship. The word raraunga (data) comes from the root rau (to gather, to collect), which suggests data as something carefully gathered — not simply extracted. This framing aligns naturally with values of kaitiakitanga and careful stewardship of information.

Resources already provided / Ngā Rauemi Hono

What to print: one copy per student. Use the word bank for support learners; extension learners can attempt the crossword without the word bank before attempting the te reo extension.

AI & Tech Glossary (Bilingual) — bilingual reference for all unit vocabulary
AI Bias Detection Lab — apply vocabulary in a structured investigation
Algorithm Literacy: How AI Makes Decisions — deepen understanding of algorithms
Guided Inquiry Phase 3 — analysis scaffold
AI Ethics and Bias — conceptual overview

Pathways from here

Tīmata — Starter Paerewa — On-level Tūāpae — Extension

Tīmata: Use the word bank and glossary. Focus on completing the crossword accurately.
Paerewa: Complete the crossword, the glossary match, and write one te reo sentence.
Tūāpae: Complete all sections and write a paragraph connecting three of the terms to a real AI example from Aotearoa.

Curriculum alignment

Digital Technologies — Progress Outcome: Students understand how digital systems store, represent, and transmit data and consider the ethical implications of digital technologies on society.
Digital Technologies — Progress Outcome: Students can identify and describe the key components of digital systems and how they interact.