Home
Adventure 7: AI Superpower (MCP Tools)
What if AI could pick its own tools and solve problems without you telling it every step? Welcome to the world of Tool Calling and the Model Context Protocol!

Adventure 1

Today's Mission
Give AI Superpowers
Understand Tool Calling
Learn how AI decides which tools to use
Master MCP Protocol
Discover the universal AI-tool language
Install MCP Servers
Set up real tools for AI to use
Create Custom Tools
Build your own AI superpowers

Adventure 1

The Big Mystery Question
❓
If AI could choose its own tools without you specifying which one to use, what would happen?
Think about it: Right now, you tell AI exactly what to do step-by-step. You write instructions like "first do this, then do that." But what if AI was smart enough to figure out which tools it needs on its own?
Would it be more powerful? More dangerous? More helpful? Let's find out!

Adventure 1

Act 1: AI Without Hands and Feet
Let's start with an analogy. Current AI is like a super-smart brain that can talk, but it has a big problem...
Has a Brain
AI models are incredibly intelligent and can understand complex questions
Can Talk
AI generates text responses and has conversations with you
But No Hands or Feet!
AI can't actually DO things in the real world—it can only suggest what to do

Adventure 1

The Weather Example
Remember when we wanted AI to get weather information? Let's think about how that actually worked.
1
User Asks
"What's the weather like today?"
2
AI Responds
"I can't check the weather"
3
We Create SKILL.md
Write step-by-step instructions for AI
4
AI Follows Steps
Uses our script to get weather
This works, but imagine having 100 different tools. Would you write 100 different SKILL.md files? That's a lot of work!

Adventure 1

Discussion Time
Pair & Share: The Manual Problem

Turn to your partner and discuss (3 minutes):
  • What problems might happen if we need to write instructions for 100 different tools?
  • How much time would that take?
  • What if a tool gets updated—what happens to our instructions?
Be ready to share one insight with the class!

Adventure 1

The Tool Calling Revolution
Tool Calling changes everything. Instead of you telling AI every single step, AI gains the power to make its own decisions about which tools to use. Let's compare the old way and the new way.

Adventure 1

Traditional Way vs. Tool Calling
❌ Traditional Method
User asks question
↓
AI generates text response
↓
We write a script with exact steps
↓
Script executes action
↓
Result comes back
Problem: You're the middleman for everything!
✅ Tool Calling Method
User asks question
↓
AI analyzes what's needed
↓
AI chooses the right tool
↓
Tool automatically executes
↓
AI receives and explains result
Magic: AI has independence!

Adventure 1

Key Difference: AI Gets Control
Before Tool Calling
You are the boss. You tell AI: "Use this tool, with these exact parameters, in this exact order." AI is just following your commands like a robot.
After Tool Calling
AI becomes the boss. You give AI a goal, and it figures out: "To solve this, I need tool A, then tool B, with these parameters." AI thinks for itself!

Adventure 1

Real Example: Search Request
Without Tool Calling
User: "Help me search for the latest Python tutorials"
AI: "Sorry, I don't have the ability to browse the internet. I can only provide information from my training data."
💔 Dead end. User is disappointed.
With Tool Calling
User: "Help me search for the latest Python tutorials"
AI thinking: I need to search the web... [automatically calls web_search tool]
AI: "I found 3 excellent tutorials: 1) Real Python's Advanced Course 2) FreeCodeCamp's 2024 Guide 3) Python.org Official Docs"
✨ Problem solved automatically!

Adventure 1

Checkpoint Question
Quick Check: Do You Get It?

Raise your hand if you can answer:
In one sentence, what's the main difference between traditional AI commands and Tool Calling?
(Hint: Think about who makes the decisions)
Don't worry if you're still a bit confused—we're going to see this in action soon, and it'll all click into place!

Adventure 1

Act 2: The MCP Protocol Mystery
Now that we know AI can call tools on its own, here's the next question: How does AI know HOW to use all these different tools? Enter MCP—the Model Context Protocol!

Adventure 1

What Is MCP?
The Full Name
Model Context Protocol
A universal standard for AI-tool communication.
Think of It Like HTTP
  • HTTP = How web browsers talk to websites
  • MCP = How AI talks to tools
Just like every website uses HTTP so browsers know how to load them, every tool uses MCP so AI knows how to use them!

Adventure 1

Why Do We Need a Standard?
Imagine you walk into 10 different restaurants, and each one has a completely different way of ordering food. One uses a menu, one uses hand signals, one requires you to speak in rhymes! That would be chaos, right?
1
The Problem
Every tool has its own unique interface and commands
2
MCP Solution
All tools follow the same "menu format"
3
The Result
AI learns once, uses all tools forever!

Adventure 1

How MCP Works: Step-by-Step
01
User Makes Request
"Help me find files on my computer"
02
AI Recognizes Need
"I need a file searching tool"
03
MCP Server Provides Menu
Here are available tools: list_files, search_files, read_file
04
AI Selects Tool & Parameters
"I'll use search_files with pattern='*.txt'"
05
MCP Executes & Returns
Runs the command, gets results back
06
AI Delivers Answer
"I found 3 text files: notes.txt, homework.txt, ideas.txt"

Adventure 1

The Magic of Standardization
Here's what makes MCP so powerful: Once a tool follows the MCP standard, it can work with ANY AI that understands MCP. It's like giving AI a universal translator!
Universal Compatibility
Tools work with all MCP-enabled AIs
Plug & Play
Install a tool once, use it everywhere
Easy to Expand
New tools work immediately without retraining

Adventure 1

Group Discussion
Think-Pair-Share: Protocol Power

Step 1 (1 min): Think individually
What other things in life use "protocols" or standards to make things work together?
Step 2 (2 min): Share with your partner
Compare your ideas and come up with 2-3 examples
Step 3 (3 min): Class shares
Groups share their best example
Examples might include: USB cables, phone chargers, traffic lights, electrical outlets!

Adventure 1

Act 3: Hands-On Time!
Enough theory—let's actually install and use MCP tools! We're about to give your AI its first real superpower. Get ready to type some commands and watch the magic happen.

Adventure 1

Activity 1: Install Your First MCP Server
We're going to install the "filesystem" MCP server, which lets AI interact with files and folders on your computer. Follow along carefully!
Step 1: Navigate
cd ~/clawd
This takes you to the clawd folder
Step 2: Install
openclaw mcp add filesystem
This installs the filesystem tools
Step 3: Restart
openclaw restart
This activates the new tools
Wait for everyone to complete these steps before moving on!

Adventure 1

Test Your Installation
Now let's test if it worked! Try these commands one at a time and observe what happens.
Test 1: List Files
openclaw agent --message "Show me what files are in my home directory"
Expected result: AI will list all your files and folders
Test 2: Read Content
openclaw agent --message "Read the contents of SOUL.md"
Expected result: AI will display the text inside that file

🎉 Success Check: If you see file names or file contents, congratulations! Your AI now has filesystem superpowers!

Adventure 1

Troubleshooting Station
Common Installation Problems
Error: Command not found
Problem: You're not in the right folder
Fix: Make sure you ran cd ~/clawd first
Error: Permission denied
Problem: Your user doesn't have the right access
Fix: Try adding sudo before the command
Tools not working after install
Problem: You forgot to restart
Fix: Run openclaw restart again

Adventure 1

Install More Superpowers!
The filesystem tool is just the beginning. Let's add two more incredibly useful tools: web search and calculator. These will let your AI search the internet and do math!
Web Search Tool
openclaw mcp add web-search
Lets AI search the internet for current information
Calculator Tool
openclaw mcp add calculator
Lets AI perform complex mathematical calculations
Don't forget to run openclaw restart after installing!

Adventure 1

Checkpoint Activity
Test All Your Tools

Challenge (5 minutes): Try asking your AI to do these things:
  1. "Search the web for the latest news about AI"
  1. "Calculate 347 × 892 + 56"
  1. "List all Python files in my current directory"
Success criteria: Your AI should use different tools for each request without you telling it which tool to use!

Adventure 1

Act 4: Create Your Own Tools
Now for the really exciting part—you're going to create your own custom MCP tool from scratch! This is where you become a true AI tool creator. We'll build a simple but useful tool: a random number generator.

Adventure 1

Why Create Custom Tools?
Solve Unique Problems
Build tools for tasks specific to your needs that don't exist yet
Learn by Creating
Understanding how tools work by building them yourself
Share with Others
Your custom tools can help the entire community
Unlimited Possibilities
If you can code it, AI can use it!

Adventure 1

Activity 2: Build a Random Number Generator
We're going to create a tool that generates random numbers. This will teach you the basic structure of any MCP tool. Follow the instructions your teacher provides, and we'll build it together step-by-step.
What You'll Learn
  • How to structure an MCP tool
  • How to define tool parameters
  • How to return results to AI
  • How to register your tool
Tool Specifications
Name: random_number_generator
Purpose: Generate random numbers
Parameters: min, max, count
Returns: List of random numbers

Adventure 1

Test Your Custom Tool
Once you've created your random number generator tool, it's time to see if it works! Try this command:
openclaw agent --message "Generate 5 random numbers between 1 and 10"
Watch for AI Thinking
You should see AI recognize it needs your custom tool
Check the Parameters
AI should automatically set min=1, max=10, count=5
Verify the Output
You should get 5 numbers all between 1 and 10
Try different requests! Ask for different ranges and quantities to make sure it's working correctly.

Adventure 1

Group Brainstorm
Dream Up New Tools

In groups of 3-4 (5 minutes):
Brainstorm ideas for other custom tools you could create. Think about:
  • What tasks do you do repeatedly that could be automated?
  • What would make your life easier?
  • What fun or creative things could AI help with?
Write down your top 3 tool ideas to share!

Adventure 1

Act 5: The Chain Reaction Challenge
Here's where things get really interesting. What happens when AI needs to use multiple tools together to solve one problem? Let's find out with a complex challenge!

Adventure 1

The Ultimate Combo Test
We're going to give AI a task that requires it to orchestrate multiple tools in sequence. This is called "chain calling" and it shows AI's true autonomous power.
openclaw agent --message "Help me do the following:
1. Generate 5 random numbers
2. Write the results to a new file called results.txt
3. Calculate the average value
4. Report the final answer"
Let's break down what should happen...

Adventure 1

What's Happening Behind the Scenes
The AI has to think strategically: "First I need random numbers, then I need to save them somewhere, then I need to calculate, then I need to report back." It's making a plan and executing it autonomously!

Adventure 1

Observe AI Orchestration
When you run the combo test, pay attention to these details:
1
Tool Selection
Does AI choose the right tools in the right order?
2
Data Passing
Does AI pass results from one tool to the next correctly?
3
Error Handling
If something fails, does AI try an alternative approach?
4
Final Report
Does AI summarize everything clearly at the end?

Adventure 1

Partner Discussion
Reflect on Autonomy

Discuss with your partner (3 minutes):
Think about what you just witnessed:
  • How is this different from traditional programming?
  • What could go wrong if AI has this much control?
  • What safeguards should we put in place?
Be ready to share one concern and one benefit!

Adventure 1

Common Mistakes & Debugging
Mistake: Tool not found
Symptom: AI says it doesn't have access to a tool you installed
Cause: Tool wasn't registered properly or system wasn't restarted
Fix: Run openclaw mcp list to see installed tools, then openclaw restart
Mistake: Wrong parameters
Symptom: Tool runs but gives unexpected results
Cause: AI is choosing parameters incorrectly
Fix: Be more specific in your request about what values you want
Mistake: Tools execute in wrong order
Symptom: Steps happen out of sequence
Cause: Your request wasn't clear about the sequence
Fix: Number your steps clearly: "First do X, then do Y, finally do Z"

Adventure 1

🏅 Achievement Unlocked!
🦸 Superpower Giver
You gave AI the ability to use tools independently
🔧 Tool Creator
You built your own custom MCP tool from scratch
🔗 Chain Master
You watched AI orchestrate multiple tools in sequence
⚙️ MCP Architect
You understand how the Model Context Protocol works

Adventure 1

Quick Knowledge Check Quiz
Let's see what you remember! Answer these 5 questions honestly—no pressure, this is just for your own learning.
What does MCP stand for?
What's the main difference between traditional AI commands and Tool Calling?
Name two MCP tools we installed today.
What command do you run after installing a new MCP tool?
True or False: With Tool Calling, you must tell AI exactly which tool to use for every task.

Adventure 1

Quiz Answers
1
Answer
Model Context Protocol - The standard that allows AI and tools to communicate
2
Answer
AI makes its own decisions about which tools to use instead of you specifying every step
3
Answer
Any two of: filesystem, web-search, calculator, or your custom random number generator
4
Answer
openclaw restart - This activates the newly installed tools
5
Answer
False! That's the old way. With Tool Calling, AI chooses tools automatically based on your goal

Adventure 1

Homework Challenges
Ready to take your skills further? Here are three homework challenges that will push your understanding to the next level.
Challenge 1: Mood Journal
Create a custom MCP tool that records your daily mood. It should save entries with timestamps and allow you to view past entries.
Challenge 2: Explore Open Source
Find an open-source MCP server on GitHub, install it, and write a short report about what it does and how it works.
Challenge 3: Safety First
Research and write: If AI can call paid APIs, what safety measures should be in place? Consider cost limits, permissions, and approval workflows.

Adventure 1

Exit Ticket: Reflection Time

Before you leave, write down:
  1. One new thing you learned today that surprised you
  1. One question you still have about MCP or Tool Calling
  1. One way you might use custom AI tools in your own projects
Hand this to your teacher or post it in the class discussion board!

Adventure 1

Next Up: The Grand Finale!
🎓
You've mastered Tool Calling and MCP. You've given AI superpowers and created your own tools. Next adventure, we're putting EVERYTHING together—all seven adventures combined into one epic structured learning system!
Get ready to build something truly amazing. See you in the final chapter!
Adventure 7 Complete
Final Challenge Next

Adventure 1