Below is a detailed lesson plan for **Week 13, Session 1 (Session 25)** of the Prompt Engineering

Specialization course, based on the provided course outline. This session marks the start of **Part 3:
Advanced Prompt Engineering and Capstone**, specifically under the "Capstone Project Kickoff." The
topic for this session is **"Capstone Guidelines and Brainstorming"**, designed to fit a 1.5-2 hour class
duration. The plan blends lecture, individual brainstorming, and group discussion to launch students into
their final projects with clear expectations and creative momentum.

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### Lesson Plan: Week 13, Session 1 (Session 25)

**Topic**: Capstone Guidelines and Brainstorming

**Duration**: 1.5-2 hours (90-120 minutes)

**Date**: Assuming a semester start in late August 2025, this session would occur around late
November 2025 (e.g., November 24, 2025), but aligns with the current date context of February 26,
2025, if adapted for a different schedule.

**Location**: Classroom or hybrid (in-person with online access to course materials)

**Materials Needed**:

- Projector/slides for lecture

- Handout: "Capstone Project Guidelines and Rubric" (prepared by instructor)

- Whiteboard or digital collaboration tool (e.g., Miro, Jamboard) for brainstorming

- Laptops or notebooks for students to record ideas

- Access to AI platforms (optional, for initial testing during brainstorming)

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### Session Objectives

By the end of this session, students will be able to:

1. Understand the capstone project’s scope, requirements, and evaluation criteria.

2. Identify a real-world problem or opportunity suitable for a prompt engineering solution.

3. Brainstorm initial ideas for their capstone project, incorporating skills from the course.

4. Develop a preliminary plan for their project’s development over the next three weeks.
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### Session Agenda

#### 1. Warm-Up and Recap (10-15 minutes)

**Objective**: Reflect on prior learning and transition to the capstone phase.

- **Activity**: Quick reflection (5-7 minutes)

- Ask: "Last session, we explored multimodal inputs. What’s one skill or technique from the course so
far that you’re excited to apply to a bigger project?"

- Invite 2-3 students to share (tie to homework or past exercises).

- **Transition** (5-8 minutes):

- Recap recent topics: Multi-step prompting (Session 23), multimodal inputs (Session 24).

- Set the stage: "Today, we’re kicking off your capstone projects—your chance to pull everything
together into a portfolio-worthy solution."

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#### 2. Lecture: Capstone Guidelines and Expectations (25-30 minutes)

**Objective**: Provide a clear framework for the capstone project.

- **Content Breakdown**:

1. **Purpose and Scope** (10 minutes)

- Purpose: Design a prompt engineering solution for a real-world problem or creative challenge.

- Scope:

- Individual project (or small teams, if preferred).

- Must use advanced techniques (e.g., multi-step, multimodal, automation).

- Deliverable: Working demo + short report (3-5 pages).

- Examples from outline: AI tutor, research assistant, creative tool.

2. **Requirements and Timeline** (10 minutes)

- Problem statement: What issue or goal does it address?

- Prompt system: At least 3-5 interconnected prompts.

- Testing: Evidence of iteration and refinement.

- Documentation: Explain design process, challenges, outcomes.

- Timeline:

- Week 13: Brainstorm and plan (Sessions 25-26).

- Week 14: Develop and refine (Sessions 27-28).

- Week 15: Present (Sessions 29-30).

3. **Evaluation Criteria** (5-10 minutes)

- Breakdown (40% of final grade):

- Creativity/Originality: 25% (unique problem or approach).

- Technical Execution: 25% (effective use of prompting skills).

- Functionality: 25% (does it work as intended?).

- Presentation/Report: 25% (clarity, reflection).

- Handout distributed: Guidelines and rubric.

- **Delivery**:

- Slides with examples: Past student projects (e.g., “AI recipe generator”) or hypothetical demos.

- Interactive pause: After requirements, ask, “What’s one idea you’ve already got that might fit this?”

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#### 3. Individual Brainstorming: Idea Generation (20-25 minutes)

**Objective**: Encourage students to ideate independently before group feedback.

- **Setup** (5 minutes):

- Explain: “Take 15-20 minutes to brainstorm a capstone idea. Think about problems you’ve
encountered, interests, or domains from the course (e.g., education, business, creativity).”

- Provide prompts to spark ideas:

- “What’s a task you do regularly that AI could improve?”

- “What’s a creative project you’ve always wanted to try?”

- **Task**: "Sketch Your Capstone Concept" (15-20 minutes)

- Students write or type:

1. Problem/Goal: What does it address? (1-2 sentences)

2. Solution Idea: How will prompts help? (2-3 sentences)

3. Skills to Use: Which techniques from the course? (e.g., chain-of-thought, multimodal).

- Example:

- Problem: “Students struggle to summarize research papers.”

- Solution: “An AI research assistant that extracts key points, generates summaries, and cites sources.”

- Skills: Multi-step prompting, data integration (PDF text).

- **Support**: Instructor circulates to answer questions or nudge stalled students (e.g., “What’s a
domain you’re passionate about?”).

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#### 4. Group Discussion: Idea Sharing and Feedback (25-30 minutes)

**Objective**: Refine ideas through peer input and collaboration.

- **Setup** (5 minutes):

- Form small groups (3-4 students each).

- Instructions: “Share your idea in 2-3 minutes, then get feedback from your group. Focus on feasibility
and how to leverage course skills.”

- **Activity**: Roundtable Feedback (20-25 minutes)

- Each student presents their concept (2-3 minutes).

- Group discusses (3-4 minutes per idea):

- Strengths: What’s exciting or doable?

- Suggestions: How could it be enhanced (e.g., add multimodal input)?

- Challenges: What might trip it up?

- Students jot down feedback for their own idea.

- **Support**: Instructor joins groups briefly to encourage constructive critique (e.g., “How could this
scale up?”).

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#### 5. Wrap-Up and Next Steps (10-15 minutes)

- **Summary** (5-7 minutes):

- Recap: “You’ve got the guidelines and a starting point for your capstone. It’s about solving a problem
with the tools you’ve mastered.”

- Preview next session: “Next time, we’ll workshop your prototypes—bring a rough draft of your prompt
system to test.”

- **Homework** (5-8 minutes):

- Task: “Refine your capstone idea based on feedback. Write a 1-page proposal: problem, solution,
planned prompts, and tools you’ll use. Test one initial prompt to include its output.”

- Due: Next session (Week 13, Session 26).

- Submission: Upload to course platform.

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### Teaching Strategies

- **Clarity**: Lecture ensures students know expectations; handout reinforces structure.

- **Creativity**: Brainstorming fosters ownership and innovation.

- **Collaboration**: Group feedback sharpens ideas and builds community.

- **Flexibility**: Adjust discussion time if brainstorming needs more space.

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### Assessment

- **Participation (10% of grade)**: Engagement in brainstorming and discussion.

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### Potential Adjustments

- **If Time Is Short**: Shorten group feedback to 15 minutes; focus on 1-2 ideas per group.

- **If Students Struggle**: Provide more example projects (e.g., “AI travel planner”) during lecture.

- **For Advanced Students**: Encourage integration of APIs or scripting in their initial plan.

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This lesson plan launches the capstone phase with a structured yet open-ended approach, empowering
students to apply their prompt engineering skills to meaningful projects. It sets the tone for
development over the next three weeks, culminating in polished presentations. Let me know if you’d like
to tweak the guidelines, add more examples, or adjust any section!