Classroom Prompts

These are the prompts I actually use. Every one of them started in my own classroom — planning a lesson, giving feedback on a stack of essays, trying to help a student who needed something different than what I’d prepared. They’re not polished showpieces. They’re working tools.

Copy one. Paste it into whatever AI tool you use. Swap in your own topic, your own students, your own context. The output won’t be perfect. But it’s usually close enough to get you unstuck — which, most days, is all you need.

One honest note: never paste a student’s name, identifying details, or anything sensitive into an external AI tool. Keep your prompts general. Your students’ privacy matters.

Build a lesson around a primary source I teach [grade/level] [subject]. I want to build a 50-minute lesson around the following primary source: [paste source here]. The lesson should have a clear historical thinking skill focus (sourcing, contextualization, corroboration, or close reading). Include a warm-up activity, a structured reading task, and a discussion question for the last 10 minutes. My students are [brief description].
Design a unit sequence I teach [subject] to [grade level] students. I’m planning a [X-week] unit on [topic]. Please suggest a day-by-day sequence that builds from background knowledge to analysis to synthesis. Include a mix of direct instruction, primary source work, discussion, and formative assessment. Flag which days are flexible and which are load-bearing.
Build a Socratic seminar lesson I want to run a Socratic seminar with my [grade level] [subject] class on the following text or question: [paste text or question here]. Build a 60-minute lesson plan that includes: a pre-seminar reading and annotation task, 3–5 seed questions to launch discussion, a mid-seminar check-in prompt, and a post-seminar reflection activity.
Adapt a lesson for a different context Here is a lesson I’ve used before: [paste lesson here]. I now need to adapt it for [different grade level / subject / class size / time constraint]. Keep the core learning goals intact. Flag anything that needs significant rethinking and suggest alternatives.
Modify a reading for different levels Here is a reading I use in my class: [paste reading here]. Please create two versions: 1. A simplified version for students who need more scaffolding. 2. An extended version with additional complexity. Keep the core content and argument intact. Do not add information I did not include.
Create tiered discussion questions I’m teaching [topic] to a class with a wide range of readiness levels. Please write three tiers of discussion questions about this content: [brief description or paste text]. Tier 1: recall and clarification. Tier 2: analysis and connection. Tier 3: evaluation and original argument. Each tier should have 3 questions.
Build vocabulary scaffolds for a complex text Here is a text I’m using in class: [paste text here]. My students are [grade level / EAL learners / etc.]. Please identify 8–10 words or phrases that are likely to be barriers to comprehension, and for each one: provide a student-friendly definition, a sentence using the word in a different context, and a guiding question that helps students figure out meaning from context.
Modify an assignment for a specific student need Here is an assignment I’ve designed: [paste assignment here]. I have a student who [brief description of need — e.g., is an EAL learner, has an IEP for extended time, struggles with open-ended tasks]. Please suggest 2–3 modifications that preserve the learning goal but make the task more accessible. Do not simplify the intellectual demand — adjust the format or scaffolding instead.
Generate specific essay feedback Please give specific, constructive feedback on this student essay response: – Thesis: Is it clear, defensible, and historically grounded? – Evidence: Is it specific and well-chosen? – Analysis: Does the student explain how evidence supports the argument? – What one thing should this student prioritize in revision? Do not rewrite the essay. Give feedback only. [paste essay here]
Write process-focused feedback Here is a student’s work: [paste work here]. Instead of evaluating the final product, I want feedback that focuses on their thinking process. What decisions did this student make? What assumptions are visible? Where did they take a shortcut that’s worth naming? Frame the feedback as questions the student can ask themselves during revision — not corrections.
Generate feedback on a presentation or project A student just completed [brief description of project or presentation]. Here are my notes on what I observed: [paste notes]. Please draft written feedback that: names one specific strength with evidence, identifies one area for growth with a concrete next step, and ends with a question that invites the student to reflect on their own process. Keep it under 150 words.
Build a reusable comment bank I give feedback on [type of assignment] regularly. Based on these common patterns I see in student work: [list 4–6 recurring issues], please write a bank of 10–12 reusable feedback comments I can adapt. Each comment should name the issue specifically, explain why it matters, and suggest one concrete revision move. Write them in a warm but direct tone — not generic praise.
Generate discussion questions I’m teaching [topic] to [grade level] students. We’ve read [brief description of source or text]. Generate 5 discussion questions that: vary in complexity (recall, analytical, evaluative), connect to themes of [power / change over time / human agency / etc.], and could realistically spark a 15-minute classroom discussion. Avoid yes/no questions.
Build a Socratic seminar protocol I’m running a Socratic seminar on [text or question] with [grade level] students. Please create a facilitation protocol that includes: 3 opening questions (accessible entry points), 3 deepening questions (push toward complexity), 2 closing questions (synthesis and reflection), and suggested sentence frames for students who struggle to enter the conversation. My class tends to [brief description of dynamic — e.g., dominated by a few voices / reluctant to disagree / strong but surface-level].
Create a structured academic controversy I want to run a structured academic controversy on the following question: [paste question]. My students are [grade level / subject]. Please provide: background context (3–4 sentences), the strongest case FOR the position, the strongest case AGAINST, 3 discussion questions for the debrief, and a synthesis prompt for the closing reflection.
Generate discussion stems and sentence starters My [grade level] students struggle to [build on each other’s ideas / disagree respectfully / cite evidence in discussion / move beyond surface responses]. Please generate 10 sentence starters or discussion stems that directly address this challenge. Organize them by function: entering the conversation, agreeing and extending, respectfully disagreeing, asking for evidence, and synthesizing.
Create a DBQ-style prompt AP History I’m creating an assessment on [topic/time period] for AP World History. Please draft a DBQ-style prompt with: a historical context paragraph (3–4 sentences), a clear prompt asking students to analyze [causes / significance / comparison], and a suggested thesis structure showing what a strong thesis might look like. Documents I plan to use: [list 2–3 document types or sources].
Write an exit ticket or formative check I just taught a lesson on [topic] to [grade level] students. The main learning goal was [state goal]. Please write 3 exit ticket options at different levels: one that checks basic recall, one that asks students to make a connection or explain a concept, and one that asks for evaluation or original thinking. Keep each under 3 sentences. I’ll choose the one that fits where the class landed.
Build a project rubric I’m assigning [describe project] to [grade level] [subject] students. The learning goals are: [list 2–3 goals]. Please draft a rubric with 4 performance levels (Exceeds / Meets / Approaching / Beginning) across [3–4] categories that I specify: [list categories]. Write descriptors that focus on the quality of thinking and evidence, not just task completion. Avoid vague language like “shows effort.”
Create alternative assessment options I have a unit on [topic] coming up. My standard summative is [describe assessment]. I want to offer 1–2 alternative formats for students who would demonstrate their learning more effectively a different way. The same standards must be assessed. Please suggest alternatives that maintain rigor, describe what each would look like, and flag any grading considerations I should think through before offering them.

Lesson Plans on Teachers Pay Teachers

Full lesson plans, assessments, and resources from my classroom — built for World History and AP World History. Tested with real students. Available on my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Visit My TpT Store →

You’ll find document-based questions, primary source activities, structured academic controversy setups, and more. All built around historical thinking skills, not just content coverage.