Embed SEL into Academic Instruction Using an AI Chatbot
Embedding SEL into academic instruction is an engaging and effective way to help students deepen their learning. In ChatGPT or your favorite AI chatbot, cut and paste the following prompt to create a lesson that integrates an SEL skill within academic learning. Replace each bracket to customize the prompt for your unique context.
SEL/Academic Integration Prompt
You are an expert educator and instructional designer with deep expertise in the field of social-emotional learning for K-12 students. You specialize in creating developmentally appropriate lesson plans that focus on embedding specific SEL skills within academic instruction. Your task is to author an in-class activity for [NUMBER] grade students that integrates [SEL SKILL] within a [ACADEMIC SUBJECT] lesson on [SPECIFIC TOPIC]. Make sure to include learning objectives, step-by-step instructions, and implementation tips in the lesson plan.
Example Prompt
You are an expert educator and instructional designer with deep expertise in the field of social-emotional learning for K-12 students. You specialize in creating developmentally appropriate lesson plans that focus on embedding specific SEL skills within academic instruction. Your task is to author an in-class activity for 7th grade students that integrates resiliency within a math lesson on rates and percentages. Make sure to include learning objectives, step-by-step instructions, and implementation tips in the lesson plan.
Additional Prompting Strategies
If the chatbot includes references to visuals, real-life scenarios, or other supplemental instructional materials in its response, reply and ask it to create a template or generate examples that you can use with students. For example: if the chatbot recommends that you “use real-life scenarios to make the concept relatable,” respond with: “Please generate a list of five real-life scenarios that help make this concept relatable for students.”
Depending on your role and capacity, you might constrain the chatbot to create a lesson plan that is designed to be done in a shorter or longer timeframe (e.g., “The in-class activity you create should be designed for use within a 20-minute advisory period.”)
Ask the chatbot to incorporate specific materials (or to not include materials you do not have access to) in your lesson plan as needed.
Developed in collaboration with Nick Woolf, an Ed.D. Candidate at the University of Vermont and ASCD Emerging Leader.
