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Answer a student's 'why did I lose points?' email from the rubric
Practice: Keeping the AI to your sources. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
A student emailed asking why she got 31 out of 40 on her essay. Reply in at most 5 sentences. The first sentence names the two rubric rows where she lost points, explain each with the score, offer the revision option with its deadline and where to submit it (the 'Revisions' assignment in Google Classroom), and don't change or hint at changing the grade. Write a prompt that gets that reply.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Not limiting the length. The AI writes a long reply walking through every rubric row. Try: Be exact: "At most 5 sentences."
- Opening with reassurance. AI replies start with "I can tell you worked hard!" before answering. Try: Say it: "Sentence 1: you lost the most points on Evidence and Reasoning."
- Vague reasons. The AI says "your evidence could be stronger" without the score or the two-source rule. Try: Add: "Evidence 6/10: one source, two required. Reasoning 7/10: second paragraph summarized."
- Wrong deadline or a soft promise. The AI may say 'two weeks' or hint the grade could change. Try: Add: "Revision for half the lost points, due Friday, Dec 5. Don't hint at changing the grade."
What a strong prompt includes
- Limits the sentences
- Names the rows first
- Gives the scores
- Offers the revision
- Keeps the grade firm
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