About this exercise
Your school's new test retake policy is buried in a long staff memo. Write a prompt that turns it into a note for your 9th graders: the retake deadline first, then at most 3 bullets, under 60 words total, plain text so it posts cleanly in Google Classroom. Use the final version of the policy, not the draft numbers, and leave out the staff-only details.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Just saying "summarize". The AI summarizes the whole memo, staff details and all, for a staff reader. Try: Say who it's for: "a note for my 9th graders."
- Burying the deadline. The AI follows the memo's order, so the 10-day deadline ends up in the middle. Try: Say: "Start with the retake deadline."
- Using the draft number. The memo mentions both 80% and 85%, and the AI may grab the wrong one. Try: Add: "Use the final policy, 85% cap."
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total and it often lands 20% over. Try: Cap each part: "first line under 20 words, each bullet under 12."
- Not limiting bullets. The AI turns all 5 points into bullets and adds its own. Try: Set a cap: "At most 3 bullets."
What a strong prompt includes
- Says who it's for
- Puts the deadline first
- Uses the final policy
- Limits the bullets
- Sets a length limit
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