Lesson Lifts with ChatGPT: 4 Ways to Energize Traditional Lessons Using AI
In this article, I’d like to share some concrete lesson planning ideas designed to help students explore and develop their generative AI (GenAI) skills, while also delivering meaningful learning outcomes in fun and engaging ways.
As many of my readers know, I firmly believe that generative AI should augment the learning experience, not replace it.
The four lesson ideas below showcase how tools like ChatGPT can support this goal. Think of them as guiding stars; they are starting points that can be flexibly integrated into your own lesson plans. More importantly, I hope they inspire you to discover your own creative use cases for GenAI and uncover your own unique “lesson lifts.”
If you try out any of these ideas, I’d love to hear from you! Reach out and share how you’re using GenAI to give your lessons a lift.
Lesson Lift #1: Brainstorm Analogies with ChatGPT
Old Way: Ask students to explain a science concept, like the water cycle.
AI Lifted: Have students prompt ChatGPT to generate creative analogies, then present, refine, or challenge them in groups.
Example Prompt:
“Explain the water cycle using an analogy that compares it to a school day.”
“Explain the parts and functions of an animal cell by drawing an analogy to characters, roles, and elements from the TV show The Office (U.S. version)”
Why it works: Analogies deepen understanding and make abstract ideas stick. ChatGPT helps kickstart the creative process, and students become the critics and improvers.
Lesson Lift #2: Chat with Literary or Historical Figures
Old Way: Write an essay on a character’s motivations or a historical leader’s impact.
AI-Lifted: Ask ChatGPT to impersonate a key figure, and then let students ask them questions in real-time.
Example Prompt:
“Pretend you’re Napoleon Bonaparte. What do you think of the French Revolution?”
"I would like to interview Victor Frankenstein on my podcast. I will ask the questions, and you will answer as if you are Dr. Frankenstein."
Why it works: It’s active, playful, and helps students think critically about context, perspective, and bias. Students can use this method to gain clarity on particular topics or explore hypothetical situations.
Lesson Lift #3: Use ChatGPT as an Intellectual Sparring Partner
Old Way: Assign students to write persuasive essays for or against a topic.
AI-Lifted: Students present their argument to ChatGPT and get a dynamic rebuttal and interaction.
Example Prompt:
“Argue that homework should be optional. Then ask ChatGPT to respond with a counterargument.”
“I am writing a history thesis on the causes for the rise of Popularism in 2020's. Can you debate me on my thesis. My thesis is as follows…”
Why it works: It pushes students to strengthen their logic and consider opposing views. AI can greatly improve critical thinking by providing instant feedback.
*Pro-tip: Adjust ChatGPT’s agreeableness. Ask it to “push back hard” or “play devil’s advocate,” and you’ll get sharper counterarguments. Or say, “Be more agreeable,” if you want a gentle nudge instead of a full-on spar. This helps students test their reasoning against different levels of resistance.
Lesson Lift #4: Remix the Classics
Old Way: Analyze a classic poem or short story
AI-Lifted: Have students use ChatGPT to rewrite the piece in a new style, genre, or point of view—and then reflect on the changes
Example Prompts:
"Can you write song lyrics inspired by The Great Gatsby, focusing on the green light and its symbolic meaning?"
“Retell Little Red Riding Hood from the wolf’s point of view.”
Why it works: It helps students engage with structure, tone, and meaning in a deep and fun way. They get to create with the text, not just analyze it.
**Pro-tip: You can create song lyrics using ChatGPT and use Suno to use AI to generate actual songs based on your lyrics in various genres. It’s great fun and further introduces creative AI tools to students.
I used this method to create songs about The Signing of the Declaration of Independence, The Great Gatsby and for Robert Frost’s Two Roads which can be found here: https://suno.com/playlist/b1e1f675-bfc1-43e6-964f-76f24a2a3aad
Final Thoughts:
These ideas are just a starting point. The real magic happens when you make them your own and see how your students respond. I hope these “lesson lifts” spark some curiosity and creativity in your classroom. I’d love to hear how you’re using them!
