Reactive vs. Thinking Agents

This worksheet is designed for students in Grades 5, 6, and 7 to deepen their understanding of how different types of AI agents make decisions. Students read an informational passage explaining the differences between reactive agents, which respond immediately to the present situation, and thinking agents, which plan ahead and evaluate possible outcomes before acting. After reading, learners answer short-response questions that require explanation, comparison, and use of evidence from the text. The activity strengthens comprehension, written explanation, and analytical thinking while introducing important distinctions in AI system design.

Learning Goals

• Compare & Contrast Informational Text (Grades 5-7) – Students explain similarities and differences between reactive and thinking agents.
• Written Explanations with Evidence – Learners support answers using details and examples from the passage.
• Understanding AI Agent Types – Students identify how decision-making varies across AI systems.
• Organized Thinking & Clarity – Learners practice writing clear, complete responses that explain ideas logically.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to support ELA informational reading and technology literacy standards.
• Conceptual Depth – Moves beyond definitions to focus on reasoning, planning, and system behavior.
• Short-Response Focus – Encourages deeper processing rather than simple recall.
• Flexible Classroom Use – Suitable for independent work, small groups, discussion-based lessons, or assessment.
• Builds AI Literacy Progression – Expands on basic AI agent concepts with meaningful comparison.

This printable worksheet helps students develop a clearer understanding of how AI systems differ in complexity and decision-making style. Learners practice explaining ideas in their own words, comparing systems thoughtfully, and using text evidence to support reasoning. Ideal for classroom or homeschool use, this no-prep activity strengthens informational reading, critical thinking, and foundational knowledge of artificial intelligence in a structured, student-friendly format.

This worksheet is part of our AI Agents collection.