How It Works — TopKpop.io AI Super Sleuth

The Experience

Four Steps to Crack the Case.

The AI Super Sleuth game is a 4-week professional development experience designed for K-8 educators. Participants learn AI tools by using them — creating real artifacts that they can take directly back to their classrooms. The K-Pop mystery narrative is the engine that makes the learning irresistible.

Step One

Register Your Team

Teams of 2-4 educators register together. Each team chooses a team name and designates a team captain. Registration is open until the game start date — which is set by your school or district administrator. Once registered, your team receives access to the investigation portal and the first briefing from Anna Im.

Step Two

Complete the Treasure Troves

Each Monday morning for three weeks, a new Treasure Trove unlocks. Your team completes the mission — creating AI-generated artifacts including idol avatars, promotional posters, multilingual song lyrics, AI music tracks, and AI-integrated lesson plans. All deliverables are submitted directly through the TopKpop.io portal. No social media account required.

Step Three

Collect the Clues

Embedded within each Treasure Trove are clues pointing to the saboteur's identity. Teams must read carefully, analyze the evidence using AI tools, and build their case over the four weeks. The clues reward educators who engage deeply with the AI tools rather than rushing through the missions.

Step Four

Make the Final Accusation

On Day 22, the Final Accusation form unlocks. Each team names their suspect and submits their evidence. On Day 25 — the Final Reveal — the saboteur is unmasked. If any team correctly names the saboteur, the correct team with the highest score wins — even over a team with more total points who guessed wrong. If no team correctly names the saboteur, the team with the highest total score wins. Points alone will not crown a champion.

Who This Is For

Built for Educators.

The AI Super Sleuth game was designed specifically for the K-8 educator community. Every mission produces artifacts that participants can use immediately in their own classrooms — making this professional development that pays dividends long after the game ends.

K-8 Teachers

Kindergarten through 8th grade classroom teachers who want to bring AI tools into their instruction through a story-driven, culturally rich learning experience. Leave with lesson plans, AI-generated artifacts, and the confidence to teach AI literacy tomorrow.

Principals & Admins

School leaders and district administrators who need calibrated context for evaluating teacher use of AI — and a scalable, engaging way to build AI literacy across their entire instructional staff. The game can be run district-wide with teams from multiple schools competing together.

Instructional Aides

Instructional coaches and aides ready to deepen their understanding of AI-integrated pedagogy through hands-on, mission-based challenges. Build a personal toolkit of AI strategies you can use in any classroom, any grade level. No prior AI experience required.

The Scoring System

The Oracle of the Rubric.

The Oracle of the Rubric is the most pedagogically sophisticated piece of the TopKpop.io experience. It is not just a score generator — it is a model for formative assessment and AI evaluation literacy. Understanding how the Oracle works is essential for every Detective Recruit.

Why the Oracle Matters

"The Oracle externalizes quality criteria. It teaches educators not just how to use AI — but how to evaluate AI output against explicit standards. That is the skill that transfers to every classroom."

Submit via Portal. Upload your completed artifact (avatar, poster, lyrics, lesson plan) through the TopKpop.io portal. No social media required.

Oracle Evaluates. The Oracle of the Rubric — a Custom GPT trained on the TopKpop.io scoring rubric — analyzes your work against explicit quality criteria. It evaluates visual quality, cultural authenticity, multilingual accuracy, and pedagogical rigor depending on the Trove.

Receive Formative Feedback. The Oracle returns detailed feedback before your score is locked. This is the formative revision cycle — the same process you will teach your students. Read the feedback, revise your work, and resubmit.

Optional: Share on Instagram. After submission and scoring, you may share your work with peers in the private, opt-in TopKpop.io Instagram community. This is never required for scoring and is entirely optional.

The Pedagogical Model

The Oracle models the same formative feedback cycle that great teachers use in their classrooms. By experiencing it as a learner, educators gain the vocabulary and confidence to apply rubric-mediated feedback in their own instruction — and to teach students how to evaluate AI output critically.

Game Timeline

The Full 32-Day Arc.

The game runs for 32 days from the start date set by your administrator. The start date can be any Monday — and the entire schedule auto-calculates from there. Games can be launched at any time with as little as two weeks' notice.

Pre-Game

Registration

Before Day 1

Week 1

Trove 01 Opens

Day 1 — Monday

Week 1 Bonus

Early Submission Prize

Submit before Week 1 ends

Week 2

Trove 02 Opens

Day 8 — Monday

Week 3

Trove 03 Opens

Day 15 — Monday

Week 4

Final Accusation

Day 22 — Sunday 7 PM

Day 25

The Reveal

Saboteur Unmasked

Prizes & Recognition

Earn Along the Way

Prizes are awarded at each Trove milestone and at the Grand Finale. You earn points throughout the game — but remember: the winner is the team with the correct Final Accusation AND the highest score. You can lead the leaderboard and still lose if you name the wrong suspect.

Week 1 Bonus Prize

🏆

Early Submission Award

Teams that submit Trove 01 before the end of Week 1 earn an early submission bonus prize. Check your email within 48 hours of submitting.

Trove 01 Prize

K-Pop Identity Award

Awarded to the team with the highest-scoring avatar and poster. Prize details announced at game launch.

Trove 02 Prize

Evidence Song Award

Awarded to the top-scoring evidence song or karaoke video. School Bonus Prize for MyKaraoke.Video submissions.

Trove 03 Prize

Lesson Plan Award

Awarded to the highest-scoring AI-integrated lesson plan. Recognized in the TopKpop.io educator community.

Grand Prize — Day 25

WIN

AI Super Sleuth Champion

Awarded to the team with the correct Final Accusation AND the highest total score. If no team correctly names the saboteur, the highest-scoring team wins. Prize includes appetizers & a round of drinks at The Preservation Room + a $250 Disney Gift Card + AI Super Sleuth Champion certificate.

Classified Briefing

Mission Intel.

Everything you need to know before accepting the mission.

Intel Request 01

Who is this for?

TopKpop.io is professional development for teachers, principals, instructional coaches, and support staff in grades K–8. No prior AI experience required. No students involved. This is your mission.

Intel Request 02

Is it free?

Yes — completely free for all participants. Every AI tool used in the game has a free tier. No subscriptions, no purchases, no school budget required.

Intel Request 03

How much time does it take?

Approximately 3–4 hours per week, self-paced. No in-person meetings required. The entire investigation can be completed from home, on your own schedule. Collaboration with your team is encouraged but flexible.

Intel Request 04

What AI tools will I learn?

Across the three Treasure Troves you will use: ChatGPT (Custom GPTs for rubric feedback and lesson design), OpenArt AI (idol avatar and promotional poster creation), Suno AI (music generation), MyKaraoke.Video (music video production), and the Oracle of the Rubric — a custom-built AI evaluator trained on the game’s scoring criteria.

Intel Request 05

Is this ISTE aligned?

Yes. TopKpop.io is aligned to ISTE Standards for Educators (2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 2.6). Completion certificates document your alignment for professional portfolios.

Intel Request 06

What are the prizes?

Gift cards are awarded to the top-scoring team at the end of each Treasure Trove. The team that correctly identifies the saboteur and wins the full investigation takes home the grand prize: appetizers & a round of drinks at The Preservation Room — Fullerton’s hidden speakeasy — plus a $250 Disney Gift Card (redeemable at Disneyland Resort or Disney Store). The stakes are real.

Prize has no cash value and may not be redeemed for cash, substituted, or transferred. Non-transferable. Subject to availability. Void where prohibited. California Business & Professions Code §§ 17539–17539.5 applies.

How It Works.