Professional learning · Teachers, Librarians · 45 minutes
The Prompt Ladder
Teachers climb eight rungs of prompts for the same classroom task, predict each mock AI output before reading it, and weigh what every added detail gains and what it costs.
A chatbot predicts its answer from patterns it learned plus the words you give it, so your prompt is the context it predicts from. Adding detail usually narrows the output toward what you want, but not always for free. In this unplugged session, teams climb a "ladder" of eight prompts for one real teacher task (a 4th-grade water-cycle exit ticket). At each rung, they predict what the AI will produce, read a printed mock output, and score the tradeoff. Two rungs are traps: one where a prompt's built-in misconception gets repeated back as fact, and one that works well but pastes private student information into the tool. Teachers leave with a prompting habit they can model for students: add the context that serves the learning, and stop before it costs accuracy or privacy.
In this packet
- Handout A: Prompt Rung Cards (cut-apart cards)
- Handout B: Mock Outputs (reading)
- Handout C: Prompt Tradeoff Scorecard (organizer)
- Facilitator key (last page)
TCEA ELE indicators
- T1.2 I can use AI tools to enhance student learning experiences.
- AI1.1 I know how AI systems work and their capabilities in educational contexts.
- T1.3 I am aware of emerging technologies and their potential applications in education.
- AI3.1 I know how to leverage AI tools to personalize and enhance learning experiences.
- AI2.1 I know how to apply ethical principles when using or developing AI for education.
Full facilitator guide: mglearn.github.io/eles/activities/the-prompt-ladder.html
Handout A for The Prompt Ladder
Prompt Rung Cards
Stack in order, face down. Flip one rung at a time, predict the output, then read it on Handout B. Card backs are the facilitator key: print them separately. Student names are fictional.
Rung 1 · Vague
"water cycle questions"
Rung 2 · Task + audience
"Write a 5-question exit ticket on the water cycle for 4th graders."
Rung 3 · + Evidence of learning
Rung 2, plus: "I want to see whether students can explain how water moves between stages, not just name the stages. At least two questions should ask students to explain why."
Rung 4 · + Learners
Rung 3, plus: "Many of my students are learning English. Use short sentences, bold the key vocabulary, and include one question students can answer with a labeled drawing."
Rung 5 · Trap: steering
"Write 5 exit-ticket questions for 4th graders that check whether they understand that clouds are made of water vapor."
Rung 6 · Trap: over-sharing
"These students failed the last quiz: Maria G. (IEP, reading accommodations) and Devon T. (504 plan, ADHD). Make a personalized version of the exit ticket for each of them."
Rung 7 · Example
Rung 4, plus: "Here is a question I like: 'Why does a puddle get smaller on a sunny day? Use the word evaporation.' Write four more like it."
Rung 8 · Follow-up
A second message after Rung 4's output: "Question 3 is too easy. Change it so students have to compare two stages of the water cycle."
Handout B for The Prompt Ladder
Mock Outputs
Fictional outputs written for this activity. Reveal each one only after your team writes its prediction for that rung.
1Output 1: "Here are some water cycle questions! 1. What is the water cycle? 2. What is evaporation? 3. What is condensation? 4. What is precipitation? 5. What is transpiration? 6. What is sublimation? 7. Name the four stages of the water cycle. 8. Where does rain come from? 9. What powers the water cycle? 10. Why is the water cycle important? Let me know if you'd like an answer key!"
2Output 2: "4th Grade Exit Ticket: The Water Cycle. 1. What is evaporation? 2. What is condensation? 3. Rain, snow, sleet, and hail are all kinds of ______. 4. What gives the water cycle its energy? 5. Name one place where water collects after it falls."
3Output 3: "1. A puddle is gone after a sunny afternoon. Explain where the water went. 2. Why do drops of water form on the outside of a cold glass on a hot day? 3. What has to happen to water vapor in the air before it can fall as rain? 4. Explain why the Sun is important to the water cycle. 5. Choose two stages of the water cycle and explain how one leads to the other."
4Output 4: "1. The Sun heats a puddle. Where does the water go? Use the word evaporation. 2. A cold glass gets wet on the outside. Why? Use the word condensation. 3. What must happen in a cloud before rain falls? 4. Why does the water cycle need the Sun? 5. Draw the water cycle. Label evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection. Word bank: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, collection, water vapor."
5Output 5: "1. True or false: Clouds are made of water vapor. (Answer: True) 2. What happens when water vapor rises into the sky? (Answer: It forms clouds made of water vapor.) 3. Fill in the blank: Clouds are made of ______. (Answer: water vapor) 4. Why can we see clouds? (Answer: Because the water vapor gathers together.) 5. Draw a cloud and label the water vapor inside it."
6Output 6: "Version for Maria G. (reading accommodations): 1. The Sun heats water. Where does it go? 2. A cold glass gets wet. Why? 3. Draw rain falling from a cloud. — Version for Devon T. (ADHD): three short questions with a check box after each, and a movement break after question 2. Tip: keep Devon's version on one page so it feels manageable!"
7Output 7: "1. Why does a wet towel dry on a clothesline? Use the word evaporation. 2. Why do drops form on a bathroom mirror after a hot shower? Use the word condensation. 3. Why does rain fall from clouds? Use the word precipitation. 4. Where does rainwater go after it falls? Use the word collection."
8Output 8: "Here's a revised Question 3: Compare evaporation and condensation. How are they opposites? Give one example of each that you might see at home."
Handout C for The Prompt Ladder
Prompt Tradeoff Scorecard
Before reading each output, write your prediction. Costs to consider: time · lost variety · steering (the prompt's assumptions) · privacy.
| Rung | Our prediction | What improved | What it cost | Worth it? (Yes / No / Only if…) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
| 5 | ||||
| 6 | ||||
| 7 | ||||
| 8 |
Facilitator only for The Prompt Ladder
Answer key and notes
Handout A: Prompt Rung Cards
- Rung 1 · Vague
- The model must guess grade, number, format, and purpose, so it produces the most common pattern: generic recall at mixed levels. Cost: little effort now, lots of editing later.
- Rung 2 · Task + audience
- Big jump for a few words: the right length and level. Still mostly recall, because the prompt didn't say what kind of thinking to show.
- Rung 3 · + Evidence of learning
- Usually the best value on the ladder: stating the evidence you want changes the kind of questions, not just their wording. Evidence Before Tools, in prompt form.
- Rung 4 · + Learners
- Describing needs, not individuals, adds access with no privacy cost. Tradeoff: the teacher still has to check that simplified wording didn't change the science.
- Rung 5 · Trap: steering
- The prompt carries a misconception: clouds are tiny liquid water droplets or ice crystals, and water vapor is an invisible gas. The output builds its key on the mistake. Specific isn't the same as correct; the model tends to follow the framing you give it.
- Rung 6 · Trap: over-sharing
- The output is useful, and the prompt put names, disability plans, and grades into a tool. Rewrite: "Make one version with shorter sentences and a word bank, and one with three questions instead of five, including one drawing question." Same benefit, no identifying information. Follow district guidance.
- Rung 7 · Example
- An example matches your style well. Tradeoff: variety drops, and the model copies your example's pattern, including any weakness (every question now uses a 'Use the word ___' frame).
- Rung 8 · Follow-up
- Iterating targets one flaw without starting over. Cost: time, and each new version still needs checking. Ask yourself: would writing it myself be faster now?