Best for
Unit 7 mid-unit skills lesson — after students have the foundational understanding of LLMs from the introductory handout. Use this before any AI-assisted project work.
Digital Technologies & AI Ethics • Unit 7 • Years 9–11 • Skills
Prompt Engineering 101
The quality of what you get from an AI depends almost entirely on the quality of what you ask. This handout teaches the four pillars of effective prompting — and why cultural awareness is part of the skill.
Free skills handout, premium localisation path
Want this adapted to the specific AI tools your students are actually using — Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or another — with examples from NZ history and te reo Māori contexts? Te Wānanga can build that version.
- Tool-specific prompt examples for the AI tools your school has approved.
- NZ curriculum-aligned prompting tasks for Social Studies and Science.
- Te reo Māori prompting best practices and common pitfalls.
Kaiako planning snapshot
- Use length: 45–55 minutes. Concept read-through (~15 min), modelled examples (~10 min), prompt makeover practice (~20 min).
- Grouping: Pairs for the prompt makeover activity — discuss before writing. Individual for the ethics checklist application.
- Prep: A live AI tool projected helps greatly for demonstrating the before/after difference of prompt quality. If not available, the handout examples are sufficient.
- Differentiation: Entry: complete pillar 1 (specificity) only and rewrite one weak prompt. On-level: use all four pillars and rewrite both practice prompts. Extension: write three original prompts for a real project task and evaluate each against the ethics checklist.
- Neurodiversity support: The four pillars work well as a checklist. Allow students to annotate prompts rather than rewriting — circling what's missing. Sentence starters available: "I need you to act as…", "I am a Year [X] student who needs…"
Resources already provided
- Four pillars of effective prompting with before/after examples
- Three advanced strategies: chain-of-thought, role-based, constraint setting
- Cultural sensitivity guidelines for prompting about Māori and indigenous topics
- Two prompt makeover exercises with response spaces
- Pre-prompting ethics checklist
All skills content and practice exercises are provided. A live AI tool enhances the lesson but is not required.
Ngā Whāinga Akoranga / Learning Intentions
- We are learning to craft effective AI prompts using the four pillars: specificity, context, persona, and examples.
- We are learning to apply cultural sensitivity when prompting about Māori and indigenous topics — understanding that words carry mana.
- We are learning to evaluate AI prompts against an ethical checklist before using them in real tasks.
Paearu Angitu / Success Criteria
- I can explain what each of the four pillars adds to a prompt — and give an example of each.
- I can rewrite a weak prompt into an effective one using at least two pillars.
- I can identify at least two ethical considerations before using an AI prompt for a real task, including cultural respect for mātauranga Māori.
Curriculum alignment / Te Marautanga o Aotearoa
This handout develops students' skills in human-computer interaction and responsible digital citizenship — connecting to the NZ Curriculum's Digital Technologies strand. The focus on clear communication, purpose, audience, and context also links to English/Literacy. The cultural sensitivity section connects to Te Ao Māori values and data sovereignty.
He tapatahi o te pātai / The art of the ask
In Māori communication traditions, clarity and respect are foundational. When you speak to a kaumātua, you frame your request carefully — you explain who you are, what you need, and why. You don't demand; you invite. Prompting an AI well requires the same thoughtfulness: clear intent, respectful framing, and awareness that the words you use will shape what comes back. The skill of asking good questions is one of the oldest and most powerful human capabilities.
Ngā pou e whā / The four pillars of effective prompting
Each pillar makes your prompt more specific and useful. Use as many as fit your task.
1. Be specific and clear
Weak: "Write about dogs."
Better: "Write a 100-word paragraph about golden retriever loyalty, in a warm tone suitable for Year 7 students."
2. Provide context
Weak: "Explain the Treaty."
Better: "I'm a Year 12 student writing a NCEA Level 2 essay on the Treaty of Waitangi. Explain the key provisions from both Māori and Crown perspectives."
3. Assign a persona
Weak: "What caused the NZ Wars?"
Better: "Act as a historian specialising in 19th century Aotearoa. Explain the multiple causes of the NZ Wars from both Māori and European viewpoints."
4. Use examples (few-shot prompting)
Weak: "Translate to te reo Māori."
Better: "Translate to te reo Māori following this pattern: Hello → Kia ora; Goodbye → Haere rā. Now translate: Good morning → ?"
Ngā tikanga ā-ahumahi / Cultural sensitivity in prompting
When asking about Māori or other indigenous topics, the framing of your prompt shapes the cultural quality of the output. These guidelines apply whether you use AI for schoolwork or personally.
Respecting mātauranga Māori
When asking about Māori topics, acknowledge cultural significance and ask for culturally appropriate responses. Example: "Please explain traditional Māori navigation methods with appropriate cultural respect and acknowledgment of mātauranga Māori."
Inclusive language
Use inclusive framing. Example: "Explain this concept using examples relevant to students from diverse cultural backgrounds in Aotearoa."
Balanced perspectives
For historical or contested topics, explicitly ask for multiple viewpoints. Example: "Present both Māori and Crown perspectives on this event, noting areas of agreement and disagreement."
Whakarite kupu / Prompt makeover
Rewrite these weak prompts using the techniques you've learned. Aim to use at least two pillars in each rewrite.
Weak prompt 1:
"Tell me about climate change."
Which pillars will you use, and why?
Your improved prompt:
Weak prompt 2:
"Write a story."
Which pillars will you use, and why?
Your improved prompt:
Āta whakaaro / Ethics checklist — before you prompt
Run through this before using an AI prompt for any real task. Check each box honestly.
- Am I asking for something that respects cultural protocols, including mātauranga Māori?
- Could my prompt lead to biased or harmful outputs? Have I tried to prevent this?
- Am I being transparent about using AI assistance in this task?
- Does my prompt encourage me to think critically rather than just accept what the AI produces?
- Have I considered data sovereignty — what information am I sharing, and with whose systems?
Entry, on-level, and extension pathway
Entry
Learn pillars 1 and 2 (specificity and context). Rewrite prompt 1 only using these two pillars. Complete three items from the ethics checklist.
On-level
Use all four pillars. Rewrite both prompts, each using at least two pillars. Complete the full ethics checklist and discuss your answers with a partner.
Extension
Write three original prompts for a real upcoming assessment or project. Evaluate each against all four pillars and the ethics checklist. Identify which pillar made the biggest difference and explain why.
Hononga Marautanga · Curriculum Alignment
Digital Technologies — Hangarau Matihiko
Level 4–5: Develop computational thinking skills; design, test, and refine instructions for digital systems; evaluate how the framing of a question shapes the quality of AI-generated responses.
Social Sciences — Tikanga ā-Iwi
Level 3–4: Understand how technology shapes relationships, power, and identity within communities; evaluate the impacts of digital innovation on society and culture.
Aronga Mātauranga Māori
In Māori oratory and karakia, the precise choice of words matters deeply — form and content are inseparable. Prompt engineering echoes this whakaaro: the words we give to an AI system shape what we receive back. Students who learn to craft careful, specific, and culturally-grounded prompts are practising a form of digital rangatiratanga — asserting their voice and intention in a system that otherwise defaults to generic responses. Asking good questions has always been at the heart of Māori pedagogy.
📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot
Ngā Whāinga Ako — Learning Intentions
Students will develop critical digital literacy by examining the ethical dimensions of AI systems, exploring how kaupeka matihiko (digital technologies) reflect and shape our values, and connecting concepts of tino rangatiratanga (self-determination) to digital sovereignty and data rights in Aotearoa.
Ngā Paearu Angitū — Success Criteria
- ✅ I can identify ethical issues within AI systems and explain their real-world impact.
- ✅ I can apply a te ao Māori lens to evaluate digital technologies and their effects on communities.
- ✅ I can articulate what digital sovereignty means and why it matters for tangata whenua.
Differentiation & Inclusion
Scaffold support: Provide worked examples of AI bias scenarios with entry-level sentence starters. Offer extension tasks requiring students to research and present a case study of algorithmic injustice affecting indigenous communities.
ELL / ESOL: Pre-teach key digital technology vocabulary (algorithm, bias, data, sovereignty). Allow students to discuss concepts in home language before writing in English.
Inclusion: Use accessible formats with clear headings and visual supports. Neurodiverse learners benefit from structured ethical frameworks (e.g. decision trees) to navigate complex AI ethics scenarios.
Mātauranga Māori lens: Connect AI ethics to tikanga Māori values — particularly kaitiakitanga of data (who owns and controls information about Māori communities) and the principle of manaakitanga in how technologies should serve people equitably. Discuss the risks of algorithmic bias replicating colonial harm.
Prior knowledge: Best used after introductory digital technology concepts. No specialist prior knowledge required for entry-level engagement.