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Overview

This lesson teaches students how AI responds to different types of prompts and how prompt engineering might be able to help them generate additional information.

Grade level

6-12

Estimated time

50-minutes

Materials

You can find a supplemental vocabulary list here.

Objectives

Students will be able to:

• have a basic understanding of prompt engineering and the significance of specificity.
• practice structuring AI prompts using the R.A.P.S. (Role, Audience, Purpose, Specifics) method.
• analyze AI generated responses for accuracy, bias and credibility.
• develop at least one strategy for verifying AI generated information.

Warm-up activity

Discussion questions

As a class, discuss the following questions:

• What do you do when you use a generative AI tool and don't get the result you want? (Answer — Refine the prompt.)
• How might asking specific questions improve the output? (Answer — More details can yield a better output.)
• Why should you always verify what a generative AI tool created? (Answer — Hallucinations and misinformation can occur.)

Main activity

Display these guiding questions while viewing the "Finding facts with generative AI search" video and have students answer on a sheet of paper along the way.

• What are the four parts of an effective AI prompt using the R.A.P.S. method? (Answer — Role, Audience, Purpose, Specifics.)
• Why should you always ask AI for sources when gathering information? (Answer — AI could provide inaccurate information.)
• What is an AI hallucination, and how can you recognize one? (Answer — When AI outputs a result that might sound believable/true, but is not.)
• Why is it important to fact-check generative AI responses before using them? (Answer — It could be wrong.)

Review the answers to the questions above and discuss your school’s AI usage guidelines.

For example, discuss:

• Under what circumstances are students are able to use AI tools, if any?
• Under what circumstances are AI tools not allowed?

Debrief

As a class, discuss the following:

1. How might R.A.P.S improve the quality of generative AI outputs? (Answer — It gives a structure that helps with generating an ideal output.)
2. How might informing A. of its audience improve its responses? (Answer — By causing the AI tool to adjust the tone and complexity of its output.)
3. What would happen if you left out one part of R.A.P.S.? (Answer — The response could be too vague or inaccurate to use.)

• What sources or tools could you use to check generative AI outputs? (Answer - trusted websites, academic resources, or trusted media sources.)

Extension activities

• Ask students to write a weak AI prompt (e.g., “How do I make a game?”).
  • Then ask them to apply R.A.P.S. to improve their prompt.
  • Compare AI responses before and after using R.A.P.S. and share with the class.

Standards

Common Core

Reading Informational Text
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.1, RI.6.2, RI.6.4;
RI.7.1, RI.7.2, RI.7.4;
RI.8.1, RI.8.2, RI.8.4;
RI.9-10.1, RI.9-10.2, RI.9-10.4;
RI.11-12.1, RI.11-12.2, RI.11-12.4

Writing
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1b, W.6.2d, W.6.7;
W.7.1a-e, W.7.2a-b, W.7.7;
W.8.1a-c, W.8.2a-c, W.8.7;
W.9-10.1a-d, W.9-10.2a-d, W.9-10.7;
W.11-12.1a-c, W.11-12.2a-d

Speaking and Listening
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.1a-d, SL.6.4;
SL.7.1a-d, SL.7.4;
SL.8.1b-d, SL.8.4;
SL.9-10.1a-d, SL.9-10.4;
SL.11-12.1b-d, SL.11-12.4

Language
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.4, L.6.6;
L.7.4, L.7.6;
L.8.4, L.8.6;
L.9-10.4, L.9-10.6;
L.11-12.4, L.11-12.6

ISTE Standards for Students
ISTE 1.2 Digital Citizen
ISTE 1.3 Knowledge Constructor

These videos and lessons were developed by the Poynter Institute’s MediaWise and the Teen Fact-Checking Network in partnership with PBS News Student Reporting Labs. This partnership has been made possible through our collaboration with the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation.

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