Google AI Tools – Lunch & Learn
Google Gemini is Google’s AI engine, designed to be highly multimodal, meaning it can understand and generate text, images, audio, video, and code. It will soon be integrated into various Google products and services.
Gemini can benefit teachers and school staff through:
- Saving time: Gemini can help automate tasks like creating lesson plans, generating quizzes, summarizing articles, and even writing emails to parents.
- Boosting creativity: Gemini can provide teachers with fresh ideas for lesson activities, engaging hooks to start lessons and even different ways to explain complex concepts. It can act as a creative partner, helping teachers to think outside the box and make learning more engaging for students.
- Personalizing learning: Gemini can help teachers differentiate instruction by generating different versions of texts for varying reading levels, creating vocabulary lists tailored to specific topics, and even suggesting activities that cater to students’ individual interests.
- Enhancing accessibility: Gemini can help make learning more accessible for all students by providing features like text-to-speech, real-time translation, and generating alternative text descriptions for images.
Sample Prompts to try in Google Gemini
General IB MYP Teaching & Planning
Unit Planning Assistance
“I am an IB MYP teacher designing a unit for [subject] at [grade level]. The unit focuses on [concepts] and needs to align with the MYP framework, including inquiry-based learning, global contexts, and Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills. Can you help me draft a unit plan, including key objectives, inquiry questions, summative assessment ideas, and suggested learning activities?”
Assessment Rubric Generation
“I need to create a rubric for an IB MYP [subject] assessment based on Criterion [A/B/C/D]. The task is [describe task]. The rubric should align with MYP assessment criteria, with clear descriptors for levels 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, and 7-8. Can you generate a detailed rubric for me?”
MYP Subject-Specific Prompts
IB MYP Science – Experimental Design Support
“I’m teaching an IB MYP Science class, and students are designing their own experiments using the scientific method. Can you generate a step-by-step student-friendly guide on how to design an experiment, including formulating a hypothesis, identifying variables, and writing a method with clear controls?”
IB MYP Math – Real-World Application Task
“I want to create an authentic, real-world mathematics problem for my IB MYP [grade level] students based on [concept, e.g., probability, algebra, statistics]. Can you design a problem scenario that integrates a global context and challenges students to apply their math skills in a meaningful way?”
IB MYP Language & Literature – Text Analysis Help
“I am teaching an IB MYP Language & Literature class, and we are analyzing [literary work]. Can you provide a list of engaging inquiry questions that align with MYP conceptual learning and encourage critical thinking? Please include questions related to themes, style, and the author’s craft.”
IB MYP Individuals & Societies – Source Analysis Activity
“I want my IB MYP Individuals & Societies students to critically analyze historical sources on [historical event or topic]. Can you suggest a classroom activity that teaches source evaluation skills using OPVL (Origin, Purpose, Value, Limitation)?”
IB MYP Design – Human-Centered Design Challenge
“I’m teaching an IB MYP Design class, and I want students to complete a Human-Centered Design challenge where they identify a real-world problem, research it, prototype a solution, and test it. Can you outline a structured design thinking activity for them?”
IB MYP Arts (Visual Arts, Drama, Music) – Creative Inquiry Task
“I’m planning an IB MYP Arts lesson on [topic, e.g., abstract painting, improvisational theatre, film scoring]. Can you suggest an inquiry-based creative task that aligns with IB MYP Arts Criterion [A/B/C/D] and fosters self-expression?”
IB MYP Physical & Health Education – Inquiry-Based Fitness Plan
“I am teaching an IB MYP PHE class and want students to create a personalized fitness plan using an inquiry-based approach. Can you provide a structured activity that helps them explore different fitness components, set goals, and reflect on their progress?”
PYP Sample Prompts
Transdisciplinary Unit Planning Assistance
“I am an IB PYP teacher designing a transdisciplinary unit for [grade level]. The central idea is ‘[insert central idea],’ and it connects to the transdisciplinary theme of ‘[theme, e.g., How We Express Ourselves].’ Can you suggest key concepts, lines of inquiry, and engaging learning experiences that promote inquiry-based learning?”
Inquiry-Based Learning Activity
“I want to create an inquiry-based lesson for my IB PYP students on [topic, e.g., life cycles, sustainability, storytelling]. Can you suggest an engaging provocation, open-ended questions, and hands-on activities that encourage student-led exploration?”
Concept-Based Math Exploration
“I am teaching an IB PYP Math lesson on [concept, e.g., fractions, measurement, data handling] for [grade level]. Can you design a real-world, hands-on math inquiry activity that encourages conceptual understanding rather than rote learning?”
Visible Thinking Routine for Literacy
“I want to use a Visible Thinking routine to deepen my students’ comprehension of a read-aloud text. The book is ‘[insert book title],’ and the key themes are [themes]. Can you recommend a thinking routine (e.g., See-Think-Wonder, Connect-Extend-Challenge) and provide guiding questions to support discussion?”
Student Reflection and Agency Activity
“I am helping my IB PYP students develop learner agency and reflection skills. Can you suggest a reflection activity that encourages students to self-assess their progress, set goals, and connect their learning to the IB Learner Profile attributes?”
DP Sample Prompts
IB DP Extended Essay (EE) Research Guidance
“I am an IB DP teacher supporting students with their Extended Essay in [subject]. Can you provide a step-by-step guide on how students should refine their research question, develop a strong thesis, and structure their essay while meeting IB criteria?”
TOK (Theory of Knowledge) Discussion Prompt
“I am planning a Theory of Knowledge (TOK) lesson on the Ways of Knowing (WOKs) and Areas of Knowledge (AOKs). Can you suggest a real-world scenario or ethical dilemma that challenges students to critically evaluate the role of reason, emotion, and perception in shaping knowledge?”
Internal Assessment (IA) Support for Science or Mathematics
“My IB DP students are working on their Internal Assessment (IA) for [subject: Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, etc.]. Can you provide examples of strong IA topics, research methodologies, and best practices for structuring their report while aligning with IB assessment criteria?”
IB DP Language & Literature Paper 1 or Paper 2 Practice
“I am preparing my IB DP Language & Literature students for Paper 1 (Textual Analysis) and Paper 2 (Comparative Essay). Can you generate a sample exam-style question, along with key analysis points and guiding questions to help students develop their responses?”
Global Politics / Economics Real-World Case Study
“I am teaching IB DP [Global Politics/Economics] and want my students to analyze a real-world case study related to [theme, e.g., globalization, economic inequality, climate change policies]. Can you provide an up-to-date case study, key discussion points, and connections to IB syllabus concepts?”
LM stands for Language Model
Google NotebookLM is an AI-powered research and note-taking assistant designed to help users organize, synthesize, and generate insights from their own documents. Unlike general AI chatbots, NotebookLM allows users to upload files—such as PDFs, Google Docs, and other notes—so the AI can tailor responses based on the specific content they provide.
What Can NotebookLM Do?
- Summarize Information: Generates concise summaries of documents, YouTube videos, resources, helping users quickly grasp key points.
- Answer Context-Specific Questions: Responds to inquiries based on uploaded files, ensuring relevant and accurate information retrieval.
- Generate Ideas & Draft Content: Assists in brainstorming lesson plans, reports, or policy documents based on provided materials.
- Organize Research & Notes: Helps structure and connect information, making research and documentation more efficient.
- Create Study Guides & Teaching Materials: Automatically generates quizzes, discussion prompts, and learning resources from uploaded content.
How Can It Help Teachers & School Staff?
- Lesson Planning & Curriculum Design: Streamlines the creation of unit plans, learning materials, and assessment questions.
- Professional Development & Research: Supports educators in summarizing research papers, policies, and training materials.
- Administrative Support: Assists school staff in drafting reports, meeting notes, and communications.
- Student Support & Differentiation: Helps teachers generate modified explanations, scaffolded learning materials, and personalized study guides.
- Parent & Community Engagement: Facilitates the preparation of newsletters, FAQs, and informational handouts based on school policies and initiatives.
The NotebookLM Podcast Feature
The NotebookLM “Audio Overview” allows users to generate AI-powered summaries and insights in the form of a two-person podcast. By uploading a transcript, PDF document, or linking to any supported document, NotebookLM can analyze the content, highlight key themes, extract important quotes, and provide concise takeaways. This feature helps users quickly grasp essential ideas and gain the key understandings related to the content areas provided. You can define specific parameters, i.e. “Explain this in language and terminology appropriate for a middle school audience”, etc.
Here is an example of a podcast I created by uploading a copy of our GNS Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship PDF brochure. The AI read through the brochure and created this podcast without any further prompting or additional parameters.
Want to learn more?
Check out Google’s free Generative AI for Educators Course
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