Create a lesson plan and supporting materials

Introduction

Teaching in an environment where basic answers are a click away has shifted our role. We need to move our students away from simply accepting the top search result and toward critical evaluation. We want them to wrestle with scenarios where data is messy, sources are conflicting, and a simple AI summary isn't enough to solve the challenge.

A challenge many of us face is helping students navigate a world where truth is often obscured by bias or misinformation. In this session, we are going to explore how to use Gemini Canvas to create a lesson plan that challenges students to verify claims and evaluate credibility.

We know students learn best when tasks are authentic, but creating high-quality, nuanced scenarios—like simulated biased news articles or conflicting data sets—is a big time investment. By using AI, we can build these materials efficiently without taking hours of our precious time.

Gemini Canvas is an interactive, side-by-side workspace designed for deep collaboration on writing and coding projects. Instead of the traditional back-and-forth chat with Gemini, Canvas opens a dedicated editor where you and Gemini can work on the same document or code snippet in real-time.

Demo

Let’s give it a try. I’m going to use Gemini Canvas to design a lesson plan on evaluating digital resources for my 7th-grade students.

Step 1: We’ll start by opening Gemini: gemini.google.com

• See the interface and the prompt bar at the bottom

Step 2: Click Tools below the text entry box and select Canvas.

Step 3: I’m going to enter my prompt using the P.A.R.T.S. framework:

• Persona: Identify who you are or the role the AI should take
• Aim: State your objective clearly—what exactly do you want to achieve?.
• Recipients: Specify your audience, such as first-year college students or a primary classroom.
• Theme: Describe the desired style or tone, like "analytical and formal" or "humorous and engaging".

Structure: Note the format you expect, such as a bulleted list, a rubric, or a 30-second script.

Paste the following prompt into the prompt bar:

I am a 7th grade English teacher. My aim is to design a lesson plan on evaluating digital sources. The recipients are my students. The theme should be engaging and fun. Structure the result in a typical lesson plan format. Include a fictional viral social media post claiming a popular energy drink is dangerous, a neutral scientific summary, and a biased press release from the drink company. Include a guided worksheet students can use for claim verification.

Notice the Canvas window opens to the right. This is our workspace for collaboration.

Step 4: I can now iterate on these results by highlighting something and asking Gemini to change it. For example, if the company’s press release seems too obviously biased, we can ask Gemini to edit it.

• Highlight the company’s press release.

• In the Ask Gemini prompt bar that pops up, paste the following prompt:

Make the company's argument more nuanced. Include technical-sounding ingredients and a quote from a 'sponsored' expert to make it harder for students to identify the bias.

After highlighting, you can also use the pop up to the right of the highlighted text to change the length, tone, or have Gemini suggest edits for you.

Practice

Your turn! Pick an invisible block—a concept that’s coming up in your next unit that your students usually struggle to visualize and understand.

Your task:

Now, it’s your turn.

Your task:

Think of a topic you teach where students struggle to separate fact from opinion. You can use this as the basis of your prompt to ask Gemini to build a lesson plan for your students.

1. Start by opening Gemini: gemini.google.com

2. Click Tools below the text entry box and select Canvas.

3. Enter your prompt. If you are stuck, try out this prompt:

I am a [grade/subject] teacher. My aim is to design a lesson plan on [your topic]. The recipients are my students. The theme should be engaging and fun. Structure the result in a typical lesson plan format. Include a [three examples of conflicting sources of information]. Include a guided worksheet students can use for claim verification.

Highlight to iterate: If you want to iterate or refine any of the results, highlight what you want to change and enter your request in the pop up prompt bar. Or use the menu on the right to change length, tone, or have Gemini suggest edits for you.

Reflection

•  Think about one “aha moment” you had while prompting today.

• How does the lesson plan you created strengthen students’ information literacy skills?

• How might you use Gemini Canvas in other ways?