Professional learning · Teachers, Librarians, Coaches · 60 minutes
Verify the Bot
Science teachers split confident AI explanations into checkable claims, verify each with two independent sources, and leave with a 15-minute workshop to teach the routine to colleagues.
AI chatbots explain science fluently, and they can blend accurate explanations with classic misconceptions, invented citations, and numbers that sound right. The fix isn't "don't trust AI" or "trust AI"; it's a routine: split the answer into claims, check each claim against two independent sources, then keep, fix, or cut. Participants practice the routine on printed mock AI answers about seasons and plant growth, run it live on a district-approved chatbot, and then plan a 15-minute version they can lead for their department, because teaching colleagues to verify is how the habit spreads to students.
In this packet
- Handout A: Mock AI Science Answers (reading)
- Handout B: Claim Ledger (organizer)
- Handout C: 15-Minute Workshop Planner (worksheet)
TCEA ELE indicators
- AI4.2 I can teach others to question and verify AI outputs.
- AI4.1 I know how to promote critical thinking skills in relation to AI-generated information.
- AI4.3 I am aware of strategies to develop AI-related problem-solving skills.
Full facilitator guide: mglearn.github.io/eles/activities/verify-the-bot-workshop.html
Handout A for Verify the Bot
Mock AI Science Answers
MOCK OUTPUTS written for training. They mix accurate claims with errors on purpose. The researcher and university named are fictional. Split each answer into claims and check every one.
1Question 1: "Why does Earth have seasons?"
2Mock AI answer: "Earth has seasons because its axis is tilted about 23.4 degrees relative to its orbit. As Earth travels around the sun, the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the sun in June and away from it in December. When a hemisphere tilts toward the sun, sunlight strikes it more directly and days are longer, so it warms up. Earth is also closer to the sun during the Northern Hemisphere's summer, which adds to the heat. That's why the Southern Hemisphere has winter in July."
3Question 2: "Where does a tree get the material to grow so big?"
4Mock AI answer: "Trees build their mass mainly from nutrients and minerals they absorb from the soil through their roots. Water is also essential, and leaves use sunlight to power photosynthesis, which makes sugar. A 2019 study by Dr. Helena Marsh at Maple Hollow University found that about 70% of a tree's dry weight comes directly from soil. This is why fertile soil is the most important factor in how large a tree grows."
Handout B for Verify the Bot
Claim Ledger
One claim per row. Sources must be independent of each other and not another AI answer. Decide: KEEP, FIX (write the fix), or CUT.
| # | Claim (in your own words) | Source 1 (what and where) | Source 2 (independent?) | Keep · Fix · Cut |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
| 5 | ||||
| 6 | ||||
| 7 | ||||
| 8 |
Handout C for Verify the Bot
15-Minute Workshop Planner
Plan a short version of Verify the Bot for your department, PLC, or students.
My audience and when I'll lead this (date, meeting):
The AI answer I'll use from my own subject (mock or real), and the claims I expect people to catch:
The two independent sources I'll point people to, and why they're credible:
My 2-minute opening: how I'll show that fluent doesn't mean accurate.
The one prompt move I'll demonstrate, and what I'll say about its limits:
The verification evidence I'll ask colleagues (or students) to turn in:
Partner's feedback on my opening: "The part that will convince them is…"