By: Audry Pallas

As educators, we’re always seeking innovative ways to engage students in STEM. Last week, I had the opportunity to present at the AMISA Educators Conference in Panama City, Panama on how AI can transform K–12 STEM classrooms. My sessions focused on how educators can use AI to design more personalized, inquiry-based learning. This blog post highlights three ways to do that: prompting strategies, AI-powered tools, and custom chatbots.

Maximizing your output when prompting
When working with teachers on prompting, I often hear that many didn’t realize how much better the initial output from an LLM can be when prompts are specific and well-designed. At Unconstrained, we believe that the foundation of effectively using AI in education begins with crafting thoughtful prompts. Our 3 P’s framework helps educators create prompts that generate high-quality, classroom-ready content. We start with the Persona—who your AI should be (e.g., “Act as a 7th-grade science teacher”). Next is the Problem you are trying to solve (e.g., “Design a lesson on symbiotic relationships”). And finally, and arguably most importantly, are the Parameters, which provide specific requirements (e.g., “70-minute lesson, include discussions, differentiation strategies”). Below are examples you could use for STEM lesson design depending on the approach you are taking.

Design Thinking Prompts
Persona: Engineering teacher expert in project-based learning
Problem: Generate design challenges using engineering design process
Parameters: Define real-world problems, materials constraints, evaluation criteria

Inquiry-Based Prompts
Persona: Science inquiry coach or NGSS-aligned curriculum designer
Problem: Create phenomenon-based lessons that lead to investigation
Parameters: Include real-world phenomena, align with science practices, use open-ended questions

Project-Based Learning Prompts
Persona: Interdisciplinary PBL expert who integrates STEM with real-world issues
Problem: Design multi-week learning experiences with authentic driving questions
Parameters: Specify final products, project phases, and connections to standards

Mathematical Modeling Prompts
Persona: Math teacher experienced in real-world modeling
Problem: Design tasks where students represent and solve authentic problems
Parameters: Provide real-world contexts, decision points, and opportunities for multiple solution strategies

AI Tools with STEM-Specific Features
The educational technology landscape now offers various AI-powered tools (built on LLMs) that have features specifically designed to support STEM teaching and learning. These can be incredibly helpful when planning lessons or considering how we might assess students in a formative manner.

Teacher-Facing Tools

Eduaide
This comprehensive lesson planning tool allows you to generate detailed STEM lesson plans aligned with your objectives.
STEM Features: Project-Based Planning, 5E lesson templates, lab material lists, hands-on models

Brisk
Brisk is an incredible tool to assist teachers with student feedback. It also helps differentiate content by modifying reading levels and language complexity.
STEM Features: Math spiral reviews, inquiry worksheets, DOK-aligned question generation

Diffit
Diffit is a resource generator that creates aligned instructional materials based on standards or topics. It allows teachers to quickly generate visual support materials based on standards or lesson topics
Science Features: One-click alignment to NGSS standards

Student-Facing Tools

Snorkl
An educational platform allowing students to verbalize their conceptual understanding of concepts and receive AI feedback.
Science Application: Students can explain their understanding of a food web and its components and receive conceptual feedback
Math Application: Students can explain problem-solving processes and receive guidance

Mizou
Enables teachers to build customized chatbots to support with conceptual understanding of project based learning.
Science Features: Provides personalized explanations for complex topics like ecosystems

Perplexity
Research support tool with academic search capabilities.
STEM Applications: Helps students gather data on topics like environmental impacts

Chatbots in STEM Education
Custom chatbots are emerging as powerful educational assistants in STEM classrooms, offering targeted support for specific learning objectives. These specialized AI tools can be tailored to address curriculum needs and student challenges while providing personalized guidance without constant teacher intervention. When thoughtfully designed, they effectively increase the individualized support available to students throughout their learning journey.

Project-Based Learning Support
PBL chatbots can support the brainstorming and planning phases of STEM projects by:

• Suggesting project ideas aligned with learning objectives
• Helping students refine their approach
• Providing examples of successful projects for inspiration
• Guiding students from vague ideas to actionable research questions

Science Lab Support

Lab-specific chatbots can enhance student independence during experiments by:

• Answering procedure-specific questions in real-time
• Explaining unfamiliar scientific terminology
• Clarifying safety protocols
• Helping students understand expected observations
• Supporting English Language Learners with step-by-step guidance

Conceptual Support
Chatbots can strengthen students’ understanding of challenging science principles by

• Providing clarifying explanations when misconceptions arise
• Asking thoughtful questions that address specific points of confusion
• Helping students connect abstract concepts to concrete examples

Teacher-Facing Chatbots
Educators can also benefit from specialized planning assistants that:

• Suggest differentiation strategies for specific science concepts
• Generate formative assessment ideas based on curriculum
• Connect curriculum to real-world contexts
• Create customized scaffolding for lab activities

Incorporating AI into the STEM classroom will look different for everyone. When working with teachers, I always emphasize that the focus should be on incorporating what you know is best for you and your students.By mastering effective prompting strategies, leveraging specialized STEM tools, and implementing custom chatbots, teachers can create more engaging, accessible, and effective learning experiences. The key to successful AI integration lies in thoughtful implementation, using these tools to enhance human connection and creativity rather than replace it. When used strategically, AI can help us meet diverse student needs, deepen conceptual understanding, and prepare students for a future where AI literacy will be essential.