The Prompt: Your method of interacting with the AI. It can be a request, a question, a snippet of text, or an example.

The Output: The information or creative work the AI produces in response—such as a lesson plan, a text summary, an email, or a quiz.

To ensure AI outputs are accurate and relevant, use the five building blocks of the PARTS model.

AI is highly versatile. You can use it to generate content, summarize documents, extract data into tables, translate languages, or edit tone. To get the best results, consider these two advanced strategies:

1. The Power of Examples

Including examples helps the AI understand the "vibe" or complexity you want.

Without Examples: "Write three field trip tasks." (Result may be too generic).

With Examples: "Write three field trip tasks. Example: Watershed Selfie—Take a photo and write a caption personifying the river."

2. Chain-of-Thought (COT)

Tell the AI to "think step-by-step." This forces the model to process logic before jumping to a conclusion, which is excellent for problem-solving or explaining complex topics.

Pro-Tip: Prompting is iterative. If the first answer isn't perfect, don't start over! Simply reply with a follow-up like, "Make that shorter," or "Add more humor."

AI can occasionally "hallucinate" (make things up) or reflect biases. Always use your professional judgment to ask:

Accuracy: Are the facts and dates correct?

Bias: Is the content inclusive and neutral?

Relevancy: Does this actually meet my students' specific needs?

Adapt and Augment

Don't just "copy and paste." Make the output your own by:

Fact-checking dates, formulas, and historical events.

Personalizing the voice to match your classroom culture.

Organizing the layout to fit your school's specific templates.

Talk Naturally: Speak to the AI like a colleague. Use full sentences.

Be Specific: Instead of "Write a quiz," try "Write a 5-question multiple-choice quiz on photosynthesis for 7th graders."

Provide Context: Mention what your students already know or what materials you have available (e.g., "We only have basic household supplies for this experiment").