Localise Your Curriculum – Adapting Content with AI
A practical guide to using AI to align curriculum content with local culture, context and learner needs.
Welcome to AI for Teachers, a 12-part series designed to help you plan smarter, teach better, and make your workload more manageable. Whether you’re new to AI or already exploring what it can do, this series will guide you step by step with real examples, practical tools, and research that matters.
🧭 This is not the only way to use AI in education. The possibilities are endless. This post is simply designed to show you one approach that might work for you, your learners, and your setting.
In this post, we focus on cultural relevance. A curriculum doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Learners connect more deeply when the content reflects their lived experience, values, and local context. But adapting content to reflect this reality often takes time many teachers don’t have. AI can change that. With a few well-crafted prompts, you can rewrite, refocus, and reframe learning materials to make them feel more authentic and engaging, without starting from scratch.
✨ Whether you’re working in the UAE, the UK, India or elsewhere, these strategies support localised, inclusive curriculum design. They help build stronger engagement, deeper connections, and a curriculum that feels more meaningful for every learner.
Why This Matters: From Research to Practice
💡 Geneva Gay – Culturally Responsive Teaching (2010)
Gay demonstrated that when content connects with students’ cultures, academic outcomes improve. Cultural representation isn't an add-on, it's a driver of motivation and meaning.
How AI helps:
AI can adapt examples, rewrite texts, and reshape scenarios in seconds. That means teachers can spend more time refining and less time re-inventing.
💡 Sweller (1988) – Cognitive Load Theory
Sweller reminds us that unfamiliar contexts add extraneous cognitive load. When examples are too abstract or culturally distant, students must decode both the concept and the scenario.
How AI helps:
AI supports more efficient working memory use by helping teachers create familiar, low-load examples that preserve academic challenge.
🔍 A quick note on responsible use:
AI is a language model, not a culture model. It doesn't know your learners. Use it as a suggestion engine, but you remain the final filter.
Step-by-Step: Use AI to Adapt Content to Local Context
These five steps will help you quickly adapt existing curriculum content to be more locally relevant. They work across subjects and are especially useful in EAL and multilingual settings.
Step 1 – Identify a Culturally Distant Example
Start by selecting a piece of curriculum content that may feel disconnected from your learners. This could be a text about unfamiliar festivals, a maths problem set in a snow-covered town, or a geography case study about the British coastline. Don’t overcomplicate it, start with one lesson or example you already use.
Why this matters:
If learners can’t relate to the context, they may miss the concept. Starting with relevance builds engagement and helps create meaningful learning pathways. When students see their culture and values reflected in the curriculum, they’re more likely to feel seen, confident, and motivated to participate.
Here are some powerful ways to choose what to adapt:
Review which units trigger confusion, low engagement, or misunderstanding
Identify examples that assume Western cultural knowledge
Look for lessons where context could easily be swapped
Ask students what feels unfamiliar or unrelatable in your current materials
What to watch for:
📌 Keep the focus small and specific
Adapt one scenario or task before taking on whole units.
✅ Choose one case study, example, or task
✅ Link your selection to a key curriculum goal
✅ Note the intended learning outcome before adapting
Example prompt:
“Rewrite this Year 6 comprehension text about Florence Nightingale into one about a locally significant historical figure such as Sheikh Zayed. Keep the grammar and vocabulary suitable for EAL learners.”
Step 2 – Prompt AI to Create a Localised Version
Now that you’ve chosen your content, use AI to adapt it. Your goal is to keep the learning outcome intact but shift the context to something more culturally relevant. For example, swap a text about Westminster with one about the Majlis, or reframe a recycling unit around local habits.
Why this matters:
AI accelerates the rewriting process, letting you experiment with different contexts in seconds. It’s easier to try, edit and adapt quickly, giving you more time to refine for teaching impact.
Here are some powerful ways to structure your prompt:
Specify the age group and subject
State the intended outcome (e.g. vocabulary, comprehension, analysis)
Ask for context-appropriate figures, examples, or scenarios
Use the phrase “culturally appropriate for UAE school learners” if relevant
What to watch for:
📌 Be specific about the context you want
Generic prompts create generic results.
✅ Give a full example to adapt
✅ Include learning goals and reading level
✅ Mention your region, curriculum, or school context
Example prompt:
“Rewrite this maths problem about snow and sledding into one involving a shopping mall or desert setting, while keeping the same operation and language level.”
Step 3 – Check for Bias or Inaccuracy
AI doesn’t know what’s sensitive, respectful, or appropriate. Always follow up with a review. Check for stereotypes, inaccurate references, or assumptions that don’t align with your context or your learners.
Why this matters:
A quick adaptation is only helpful if it’s also accurate and inclusive. Teachers must retain professional oversight to ensure adapted materials still uphold cultural values, inclusivity, and relevance.
Here are some powerful ways to quality-check AI’s output:
Ask AI to check for stereotypes, assumptions, or tokenism
Prompt for a tone review – is it too casual, too academic, or patronising?
Fact-check unfamiliar terms or historical claims
Involve colleagues or cultural reps in the review process
What to watch for:
📌 Don’t rely on AI’s default voice
Biases can show up in what’s included—and what’s left out.
✅ Use clear review prompts
✅ Compare the adapted version with your school’s values and context
✅ Check references to religion, gender roles, or social norms
Follow-up prompt:
“Scan this text for cultural assumptions that might not be suitable in a UAE school context.”
⚠️ And remember – if your source material is flawed or outdated, AI may amplify the problem. We’ll explore that further in Post 4.
Step 4 – Translate or Simplify for EAL and Multilingual Learners
You can now extend your localised resource by making it accessible in other languages or simplifying it for learners still developing proficiency. Ask AI to rewrite the adapted version in Arabic, reduce its reading level, or create a bilingual glossary.
Why this matters:
Inclusivity isn’t just about culture, it’s also about access. Translating and simplifying content helps more learners connect with material without compromising challenge.
Here are some powerful ways to scaffold access:
Ask AI to reduce the CEFR level (e.g. B2 → A2)
Generate translations in Arabic or French with glossaries
Prompt for visual supports or sentence frames for EAL learners
Request multiple versions of the same task (core, stretch, support)
What to watch for:
📌 Watch for idioms and metaphors
Direct translations can miss nuance, especially in technical subjects or descriptive texts.
✅ Proofread all translations
✅ Cross-check simplified versions against your success criteria
✅ Use student voice to validate readability and tone
Example prompt:
“Translate this UAE-adapted science comprehension into Arabic suitable for a Grade 5 learner. Include 10 key vocabulary words in both English and Arabic.”
Step 5 – Build Your Localised Curriculum Bank
The final step is one of the most important. Save your adapted tasks in a shared folder with clear labels and prompts. Over time, this becomes a powerful bank of locally relevant, high-impact curriculum content that can be used across subjects and year groups.
Why this matters:
Consistency is key. A shared bank of culturally responsive materials helps new staff, teaching assistants, and curriculum leads work from a strong foundation. It also reduces the workload of constantly adapting from scratch.
Here are some powerful ways to structure your resource bank:
Create folders by year group and subject
Include both original and adapted versions
Add tags for themes, values or skills addressed
Build in student voice or teacher reflection where possible
What to watch for:
📌 Don’t let great adaptations get lost
Even the best materials are only useful if others can find and use them.
✅ Use clear naming conventions
✅ Share folders regularly with your team
✅ Keep editable formats for future updates
🗂 Pro tip: Store your exemplars in a shared folder with year group labels and AI prompts attached. This will become a go-to resource bank for new staff, ECTs and cross-phase leads.
Example prompt:
“Create a Google Drive folder structure to organise adapted resources. Include templates for colleagues to add their own with tags for year, theme and context.”
📌 Optional extension: Use your resource bank during curriculum review meetings to highlight where localisation has improved engagement. This can support textbook decisions and planning audits.
Bringing It All Together
Adapting curriculum content for local context doesn’t just improve engagement, it strengthens your whole-school curriculum. When teachers localise lessons with purpose, it builds a shared bank of culturally relevant resources, supports onboarding, and ensures lessons reflect the identities and values of your learners. Over time, this leads to stronger inclusion, greater learner connection, and fewer gaps in understanding.
As a leader or curriculum planner, you can embed this approach by:
Auditing unit plans to check for context relevance and cultural representation
Using localised exemplars in CPD sessions to drive discussion and reflection
Including adapted samples in handbooks, planning folders, or inspection evidence to show how your curriculum reflects your community
This isn’t about rewriting everything. It’s about leading simple, scalable changes that make your curriculum more responsive, representative and ready for your learners.
Teacher Voice
This example comes from a UAE English teacher working with EAL learners across Years 5–7:
“I used AI to turn a comprehension text about Parliament into one about the UAE Majlis. I then translated it into Arabic, simplified it for a lower group, and added vocabulary glossaries. The best part was seeing students make real-world links. They recognised the references and actually started asking deeper questions. That’s what curriculum is supposed to do.”
Challenge: Make It Relevant
🎯 Adapt a comprehension text - Choose a text from your curriculum that feels disconnected from your students’ context. Use AI to rewrite it with a more relevant figure, location or theme. Keep the grammar level the same and ask AI to include cultural details that will resonate with your learners.
🧠 Localise a Science or Geography example - Ask AI to replace a Western case study or example (e.g. coastal erosion in the UK) with one relevant to your country or region. Prompt AI to maintain the same scientific language but adapt the context to increase familiarity and understanding.
🤝 Co-plan a culturally responsive project - Choose a PSHE, Art or Humanities unit and ask AI to help design a cross-curricular project with cultural ties (e.g. sustainability through local architecture, or storytelling in regional traditions). Share with a colleague and trial it together.
Join the Conversation
💬 What’s one unit in your curriculum that could benefit from more cultural relevance? Try adapting it and tag a colleague who might benefit from your version.
🔁 Share your example, prompt or folder structure using the hashtag #AIForTeachers and we’ll feature standout ideas in the next issue.
Resources to Support You
🆓 Free Resource
Localisation prompt sheet + adapted UAE text example
🔐 Paid Subscriber Exclusive
Local Context Planning Pack
UAE/CBSE cultural audit checklist
Localised lesson planning template
Pre-adapted samples across English, Science and PSHE
Editable prompts for translation and visual aid support
🎓 Available now in your subscriber dashboard
AI for Teachers – Blog Series
Planning with Purpose – AI and the Curriculum Map
Use AI to map your curriculum for the year, then zoom in to plan high-impact, inclusive units.Designing for Progression – Spot Gaps and Next Steps
Track how concepts build across year groups and use AI to analyse where progression breaks down.Localise Your Curriculum – Adapting Content with AI (You are here)
Adapt units to reflect local culture and identity using translation, rewriting and cultural relevance prompts.From Idea to Impact – Planning Lessons with AI
Build full lesson sequences in minutes that reflect your curriculum intent.Stretch and Scaffold – Differentiated Tasks with AI
Generate support and challenge versions of tasks that suit the range of learners in your classroom.AI-Powered Kagan and Collaboration Tasks
Rework solo tasks into powerful peer-learning routines using cooperative structures.Picture It – Visuals, Diagrams and Dual Coding with AI
Use AI to create visual aids and diagrams to support comprehension and long-term recall.Formative in a Flash – Low-Stakes Checks with AI
Quickly create hinge questions, concept checks, and exit tickets aligned to Bloom’s and DOK.Mastery Matters – Designing Summative Assessments
Build rubrics and performance tasks that align to your learning goals and mastery models.Feedback Fast – Personalised Marking with AI
Speed up marking by creating personalised feedback that sounds like you.Data Talks – Analyse Student Work and Trends with AI
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Combine everything into a weekly planning rhythm that saves time and improves focus.
📅 Coming next: From Idea to Impact – Planning Lessons with AI
Discover how teachers are building rich, 3-part lessons in 15 minutes or less using prompt chaining and structure templates.