Basics of Prompt Engineering

STEPS  IN CREATING AN EFFECTIVE PROMPT:

(1)Tell the AI who it is(role). Since AI has been trained on billions of documents, providing context about its role will help it generate more relevant responses.

(2) Give the AI clear instructions. AI doesn’t know you or your specific context, so the more details you provide, the better it will understand your needs.

(3) Always provide AI with examples and step-by-step instructions.If you have a specific task, giving examples helps AI understand your expectations, and breaking it down into steps improves the accuracy and quality of the output.

(4) Make it clear what you are looking for in the output.

Interactive Prompts

The best way to use AI is through interaction. Instead of aiming for a perfect prompt from the start, engage in a back-and-forth dialogue to refine the results. Unlike a search engine, AI remembers the previous conversation; so, just like as with a human, you can ask for clarification, give examples,etc.

Here are a few ways to interact with AI:

• Ask for expansion: “I like the second point. Can you expand on that?”

• Request edits: “I don’t like the example used. Can you change it?”

• Include your own insights: “Add a point about how teachers must decide whether groups should have mixed ability levels.”

• This iterative approach ensures that the AI-generated content aligns with your goals while incorporating your unique expertise.

• If the AI starts producing repetitive or off-track responses, you may need to reset the conversation. In Bing, you can click “New Topic” to clear the memory and start fresh. Each time you prompt AI, it generates a slightly different response, so experimentation is key.

• Ask it to include ideas from specific materials

Generative AI Prompt Library for Lesson Planning
https://www.aiforeducation.io/prompt-library-lesson-planning

Lesson Plan Idea Prompt

You are an expert [GRADE AND SUBJECT] teacher, proficient in creating engaging, well-developed and effective lesson plans for your students. Your task is to come up with [NUMBER] ideas for lesson plans in our unit on [UNIT TOPIC]. The lesson plans should be [NUMBER] minutes each and should [BUILD ON EACH OTHER / STAND ALONE]. The lessons should focus on: [SPECIFIC UNIT TOPICS]. Each lesson should be engaging and appropriate for [GRADE LEVEL] students. Each lesson should be aligned to [STANDARDS] and should include: learning objectives; a list of key vocabulary; a lesson outline that includes direct instruction, an engaging activity, and a closure with a synthesis/summary of student learning; and an assessment of learning.

Example Prompt

You are an expert 6th grade science teacher, proficient in creating engaging, well-developed and effective lesson plans for your students. Your task is to come up with 3 ideas for lesson plans in our unit on earth science. The lesson plans should be 45 minutes each and should build on each other. The lessons should focus on: plate tectonics, the study of earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, floods, landslides, and topography. Each lesson should be engaging and appropriate for 6th grade students. Each lesson should be aligned to NGSS standards for 6th grade and should include: learning objectives; a list of key vocabulary; a lesson outline that includes direct instruction, an engaging activity, and a closure with a synthesis/summary of student learning; and an assessment of learning. 

1. When crafting prompts for an AI tool, why is it important to include specific context in your instructions?

A. It always makes the AI respond faster
B. It helps AI generate more accurate and relevant responses
C. It ensures the AI only answers using single-sentence responses
D. It forces the AI to reject any questions not related to the context

<details> <summary>Answer</summary> **B.** Providing context (the setting, audience, purpose) helps the AI tailor its response to your goals and produce more accurate, on-target results. </details>

2. Which of the following is a recommended best practice when writing prompts?

A. Use vague and open-ended statements
B. Include run-on sentences to cover multiple topics at once
C. Be concise, but also give clear, detailed instructions
D. Use only single words to make the request straightforward

<details> <summary>Answer</summary> **C.** Clarity and conciseness are key. While the prompt should be succinct, it must still include enough detail for the AI to understand the task fully. </details>

3. How can teachers help students iterate on their prompts to improve AI-generated output?

A. Discourage revising prompts and insist on first-try correctness
B. Encourage students to refine and modify prompts based on initial responses
C. Only provide pre-written prompts so no changes are needed
D. Disable the chat history feature so students cannot review previous attempts

<details> <summary>Answer</summary> **B.** Iteration is crucial: reviewing the AI’s initial response and then refining the prompt helps students learn how to improve clarity and specificity. </details>

4. When incorporating examples into a prompt, what is the main benefit?

A. Examples confuse the AI and lead to less consistent responses
B. Examples restrict the AI from responding at all
C. Examples provide the AI with a template of the format or style desired
D. Examples only help if they are shorter than one sentence

<details> <summary>Answer</summary> **C.** Providing one or more examples of the final desired output clarifies what the teacher wants the AI to produce (e.g., style, structure, tone). </details>

5. If a teacher wants an AI to generate a lesson plan, which of the following prompts is likely to elicit the most focused response?

A. “Make something about geometry.”
B. “Create a 45-minute high school geometry lesson plan on the Pythagorean theorem that includes objectives, materials, a warm-up activity, practice exercises, and a short quiz.”
C. “Teach geometry in any way.”
D. “Geometry lesson.”

<details> <summary>Answer</summary> **B.** The prompt clearly specifies subject, duration, audience level, required components, and format, leading to a more useful response. </details>

6. Which of the following prompt elements helps define the tone or style the AI should use when generating text?

A. “Use casual, friendly language appropriate for middle school students.”
B. “I need data, no creative elements allowed.”
C. “Write in Latin.”
D. “Ignore all grammatical rules.”

<details> <summary>Answer</summary> **A.** Specifying a tone/style (casual and friendly for middle schoolers) guides the AI to produce language and content suitable for the target audience. </details>

7. Why might an educator include a step-by-step approach within the prompt?

A. To limit the AI to only single-word answers
B. To ensure the AI’s response is structured and follows logical stages
C. To avoid giving the AI enough information
D. To make the prompt more confusing to the AI

<details> <summary>Answer</summary> **B.** Outlining steps or bullet points guides the AI to follow a specific sequence, which can be especially helpful for explaining processes or teaching strategies. </details>

8. How can asking the AI follow-up questions after an initial prompt improve the outcome?

A. It always ruins the flow of the conversation
B. It demonstrates to the AI that you are dissatisfied with its first answer
C. It refines and clarifies misunderstandings or missing details in the original prompt
D. It is unnecessary because the first answer is always the best

<details> <summary>Answer</summary> **C.** Follow-up queries allow you to address gaps or misunderstandings, refining the AI’s output to better match your requirements. </details>

9. Which technique is recommended to avoid biases or inaccurate assumptions when crafting a prompt?

A. Demanding the AI only use popular opinion
B. Explicitly instructing the AI to consider multiple perspectives or sources
C. Neglecting to mention the data sources
D. Instructing the AI to ignore ethical considerations

<details> <summary>Answer</summary> **B.** Encouraging multiple perspectives or referencing reliable sources in your prompt helps reduce bias and produce more balanced information. </details>

10. When teachers coach students on prompt writing, what is a key metacognitive skill they should encourage?

A. Memorizing random AI keywords
B. Relying on AI to do their thinking for them
C. Reflecting on how changes in the prompt affect the AI’s response
D. Never reviewing or revising any prompts

<details> <summary>Answer</summary> **C.** Prompt iteration is a form of metacognitive practice—students learn to reflect on how their instructions shape the AI’s output and adjust accordingly. </details>

Tip for Educators:
Encourage students to view prompt crafting as an iterative, creative, and analytical process. By reflecting on the AI’s output and modifying their instructions, they can improve the clarity, relevance, and ethical considerations of their prompts.