🟢 Beginner Level — Session 4

The art of speaking to AI (prompting)

“Applied AI” program — Instructor: Yann Isola Public: general public, from 12 years old — no technical prerequisites Recommended duration: 2 hours (can be adjusted from 1h30 to 2h30)

📋 Session overview

Element	Detail
Main objective	Know how to write a good prompt and improve a response by iteration
Key message	The quality of the question determines the quality of the answer
Material	Video projector, access to an AI chatbot (ChatGPT, Le Chat de Mistral, Claude, Gemini…), interactive web page of the session
Student deliverables	“Perfect prompt recipe” sheet, completed exercises, quiz

Educational objectives

At the end of the session, each participant knows:

Define what is a prompt in your own words
Identify the 5 ingredients of a good prompt (context, role, task, format, constraints)
Transform a vague prompt into a precise prompt
Iterate : rephrase and clarify when the answer is not appropriate
Cut out a large request in small steps (prompt chaining)

⏱ Unfolded minute by minute (2h)

Time	Activity	Format
0:00–0:10	Home + session 3 reminder + shock demo “same question, two prompts”	Plenary
0:10–0:25	Part 1: What is a prompt? Garbage in, garbage out	Interactive presentation
0:25–0:50	Part 2: The 5 ingredients of a good prompt	Presentation + live demos
0:50–1:00	☕ Break	—
1:00–1:15	Part 3: Simple techniques (lists, tables, steps) + the power of the role	Live demos
1:15–1:30	Part 4: Iterate + prompt chaining	Presentation + demo
1:30–1:50	🏆 Activity: the prompt competition	Team workshops
1:50–2:00	Quiz + summary + teaser session 5	Plenary

🎬 Opening: the shock demo (10 min)

Objective : create the “wow” effect from the first minute.

Project a live chatbot. Type these two prompts one after the other:

Prompt A (wave):

“Tell me about volcanoes. »

Prompt B (precise):

“You are a passionate museum guide who speaks to 10-year-old children. Explains how a volcano erupts, in 5 numbered steps, with a fun comparison per step (for example with a bottle of soda). Maximum 10 lines. »

Let the class compare the two answers. Ask the question:

“The AI is the same. What has changed? »

Expected response: the question . That’s the whole subject of the session.

⚠ Volatile point: interfaces and models evolve quickly. Test your demos the day before of the session — exact answers vary from day to day and from tool to tool. This is normal, and it is even a good point to mention to students.

📖 Part 1 — What is a prompt? (15 mins)

Simple definition

A prompt (English word meaning “invite” or “instruction”) is the message you send to the AI : a question, an instruction, a request. That's all the AI knows about what you want.

Key analogy to use: order at the restaurant.

“I want to eat. » → the waiter brings anything.
“I would like a margherita pizza, thin crust, without olives, please. » → you get exactly what you want.

AI is like an ultra-competent server but which don't read your mind .

“Garbage in, garbage out”

English expression which means “waste in, waste out”. In other words: if the question is unclear, the answer will be unclear. The AI doesn't guess what's in your head — it only knows the words you give it.

Points to hammer home:

AI is not a soothsayer. She doesn't know your background, your age, or your goal — unless you tell her.
A bad result is not always the fault of the AI: it is often the fault of the prompt.
Good news: writing a good prompt can be learned in one session. It's today!

Mini-interaction

Ask: “Who has ever been disappointed by an AI response?” » Collect 2-3 anecdotes. Rephrase: “What if we rewrote the question together at the end of class? » (Save them for the final competition.)

🧑‍🍳 Part 2 — The 5 ingredients of a good prompt (25 min)

Present the recipe : like in cooking, a good prompt combines ingredients. You don't need 5 every time, but the more you add, the more precise the answer.

1. 🌍 CONTEXT — “This is my situation”

What the AI needs to know about you and your situation.

“I’m in 5th grade and I have a presentation on bees on Friday. »

2. 🎭 The ROLE — “You are…”

The character that the AI should play. This changes the tone and level of the response enormously.

“You are a SVT (Life and Earth Sciences) teacher who loves bees. »

Unmissable live demo: ask the same math question (“Explain fractions to me”) three times:

Without role
“You are a math teacher for 6th grade students”
“You are a pastry chef who explains fractions with cakes”

The three answers will be radically different. Guaranteed effect.

3. 🎯 The TASK — “Do this”

Whatever you want, with a specific action verb : explains, summarizes, compares, corrects, translates, invents, list…

“Tell me how bees make honey. »

4. 📐 The FORMAT — “Present it like this”

The form of the response: bulleted list, table, numbered steps, short text, dialogue, poem, etc.

“In the form of 5 numbered steps. »

5. 🚧 CONSTRAINTS — “With these limits”

The rules to respect: length, language level, tone, things to avoid…

“In 3 sentences maximum”, “for a 10 year old child”, “with emojis”, “without complicated words”.

The complete assembled prompt

« [Context] I'm in 5th grade and I'm preparing a presentation on bees. [Role] You are a passionate SVT teacher. [Stain] Explain to me how bees make honey, [Format] in 5 numbered steps, [Constraints] with simple sentences and one emoji per step. »

Mnemonic device: have the class come up with an acronym using C-R-T-F-C, or suggest the phrase: “ C haque R quest T finds F easily C hemin.” The important thing is not the order, but the presence of the ingredients.

⚡ Part 3 — Simple techniques that change everything (15 min)

Request a structure

Show live the difference between:

“Give me gift ideas” → text pad
“Give me 5 gift ideas in list form , with the approximate price for each » → clear list
« …in table form with the columns: idea, price, for whom » → readable table

Magic words to display on the board:

“Make me one list of… »
“Present this in a painting with the columns…”
“Explain in numbered steps »
« Summarized in 3 sentences »
“Give a example for each point »

The power of the role (deepening)

Explain why it works (simple version): the AI has read millions of texts. When we say to her “you are a 6th grade teacher”, she “activates” everything that resembles this context: simple vocabulary, friendly tone, adapted examples. Without a role, she takes on a medium, all-purpose tone.

Constraints in practice

Quick game: ask the class to propose crazy constraints for the question “Explain gravity”: in 3 sentences / for a 5-year-old child / with emojis / sports commentator style / in a poem. Test 2-3 live. Laughter guaranteed, and the lesson passes: constraint sculpts the response .

🔁 Part 4 — Iterate and chain (15 min)

Iterate: the conversation, not the single question

Essential message: missing your first answer is NORMAL. Even professionals adjust their prompts. The AI remembers the current conversation: there is no need to repeat everything, we clarify.

Examples of reminders to display:

“It’s too long, summarized in 5 lines. »
“Too complicated, explain like I’m 10 years old. »
“Good, but give concrete examples. »
“Start again with a funnier tone. »

Analogy: it’s like sculpting. The first prompt gives a rough block, each restart refines the shape.

Prompt chaining

“Chaining of prompts” = break down a large request into small steps , one per message, like a chain of links.

Common thread example: prepare a presentation on dolphins

“Give me 5 plan ideas for a presentation on dolphins (5th grade). »
“Develop plan #2 in 3 parts with 2 ideas per part. »
“Write the introduction, 5 sentences maximum, with a compelling question. »
“Propose 3 questions that the class could ask me, with short answers. »

Why is it better than asking everything at once?

We keep control at each step (you can correct before continuing)
Each answer is more neat because the request is simpler
We understand what we build (instead of copying a ready-made block)

⚠ Volatile point: some recent tools are getting better and better at handling complex requests in one go. Chaining nevertheless remains the most reliable and educational method to get started.

🏆 Key activity — The prompt competition (20 min)

Principle

The teams compete: who will write the prompt that produces the best response for a given challenge?

Organization

Teams of 2-3 people.
Announce it challenge (choose according to the audience):
- 🥇 Challenge 1: “Obtain the best explanation of photosynthesis for an 8 year old child”
- 🥈 Challenge 2: “Obtain the best birthday menu for 10 people with €50”
- 🥉 Challenge 3: “Obtain the best rules for an invented game that can be played in class without equipment”
Each team writes its prompt on paper (5 min) — this avoids tinkering directly and forces reflection.
Each team dictates its prompt, you type it live on the video projector (where the teams use their stations).
The class vote for the best answer (not the best prompt!).
Debrief: analyze the winning prompt using the 5 ingredient grid. How many did he have?

Evaluation grid (to be projected)

Ingredient	Here ?
🌍 Background
🎭 Role
🎯 Clear task
📐 Requested format
🚧 Constraints

Variant without screen

If not enough positions: the trainer is the “human AI” and voluntarily responds literally. Prompt vague → answer deliberately off the mark. Very funny and very effective educationally.

❓ Frequently asked questions from students (and ready answers)

“Should we be polite to AI? Say please? » This is not obligatory, the AI does not have feelings. But studies suggest that clearly and politely worded prompts sometimes yield slightly better responses — mostly because they are better structured. And it’s a good communication habit!

“Why doesn’t the AI understand my question? » She “understands” the words, not your hidden intentions. Reread your prompt as if you were someone else: is it really clear?

“If I put all 5 ingredients, the answer is still perfect? » No ! The AI can make mistakes even with a perfect prompt (previous session reminder: hallucinations). A good prompt increases the chances, it does not guarantee them. We always check.

“Is a long prompt better? » Not necessarily. A long but confusing prompt is worse than a short and clear prompt. The rule: clear first, then complete .

“Does it work the same on all tools? » ⚠ The main principles (the 5 ingredients) work everywhere: ChatGPT, Le Chat, Claude, Gemini, Copilot… The interface details change, the principles remain.

⚠️ Points of vigilance for the trainer

Test all your demos the day before — the models change, the answers too.
Have backup screenshots in case the network falls or the tool is saturated.
Remind the rules of use : no personal data in the prompts (full name, address, passwords) — link with the session on privacy.
Don't present prompting as a magic formula : it’s a communication skill, not a secret code.
Adapt the competition challenges to the public (teenagers: games, presentations; adults: emails, organization, cooking).
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) : If you use shared accounts in class, do not enter any personal data from the participants.

Summary to note (end of session)

A prompt = the instruction given to the AI. That’s all she knows about our need.
Fuzzy question → fuzzy answer (“garbage in, garbage out”).
The recipe: Context + Role + Task + Format + Constraints .
The magic words: list, table, numbered steps, “in X sentences”, “for a child of X years”.
Iterating is normal : we specify, we reformulate, we refine.
For large requests: one step at a time (chaining).
A good prompt improves the response but we always check the facts.

Teaser session 5: “Now that you know how to talk to AI…let’s find out what it can do other than text!” »

Teacher document — Applied AI Program — Yann Isola — Beginner Level 🟢 — Session 4/10