Another example module is a subject-specific lesson, which can be adapted to other subjects.
Goal: Students use ChatGPT Study Mode as a tutor and thinking partner to explore one focused physics concept through questioning, prediction, and explanation. The emphasis is on reasoning, not answer-copying.
Subject: Physics
Time: 15 minutes
Setup: Students will be using ChatGPT in Study Mode. Encourage them to treat it like a coach: ask for hints, respond in their own words, and make predictions before checking answers.
Minute 0–2: Choose Your Physics Mystery
- Pick one specific topic that feels interesting, confusing, or surprising. Examples could include:
- Terminal velocity
- Transformers and voltage
- Thin-film interference (soap bubble colors)
- Momentum in collisions
- Wind turbine aerodynamics on the Baltic coast
- Why Estonia’s electric grid stays at 50 Hz
- Write 2–3 sentences: “I chose this topic because I’ve always wondered why/how ______.”
Minute 2–5: Ask Like a Detective
- Do not ask for a full explanation right away. Ask for guiding questions.
- Prompt to use: “Give me 3 big detective questions about **plug topic in**.”
- Choose one of the questions and answer briefly:
- What do I think so far?
- What surprised me?
- What is still confusing?
This is what it gave me: What forces must be balanced for a body to move with a constant terminal velocity? How do mass, surface area, and shape affect a body’s terminal velocity?
Why don’t all falling bodies reach the same terminal velocity, even if they fall in the same environment?
Minute 5–8: Equation Unlock Challenge
- Ask Study Mode to help you find the most important equation to answer your question, but make sure you do some of the thinking.
- Prompt to use: “To answer my question “**plug question in**”, help me find the key equation for this topic. Give me the equation and then show me step-by-step what the equation describes.”
- You can ask it questions like when does this equation break down and when does it work?
- Write down:
- The key equation
- What each variable means in plain language
- When the equation works and when it breaks down
- One real-world example (Estonia-specific if possible)
Minute 8–11: Prediction Battle
- Ask for a quick thought experiment or scenario.
- Prompt to use: “Give me a related thought experiment where I have to predict what happens.”
- Write your prediction before checking:
- I think ______ will happen because ______.
- Confidence rating (circle one): 1 2 3 4 5
- What outcome would surprise you?
Minute 11–13: Misconception Boss Fight
- Every physics topic has a common misconception. Prompt to use: “What is a common misconception about this topic? Quiz me on it.”
- Write:
- The misconception
- Why it feels believable
- The correct physics reasoning that defeats it
- An example or analogy
Minute 13–15: Explain It Simply
- Final challenge: explain the concept so clearly that a younger student would understand.
- Prompt to use: “Help me explain this like to a 7th grader, using a simple metaphor.”
- Write a 5–6 sentence explanation with:
- No equations, No advanced vocabulary
- One metaphor or everyday comparison
Turn In (Mini Portfolio)
- Topic choice + motivation
- Two detective questions + reflections
- Key equation + meaning + limits
- Prediction + confidence
- Misconception corrected
- Simple explanation
- One final sentence: “The most surprising thing I learned was ______.”
Teacher Note
This activity works best when students treat Study Mode as a tutor that asks questions back, rather than a source of finished answers. The goal is short, active reasoning in a playful inquiry format.