Instructional Strategy

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY

ASK Britannica: Inquiry, Sources, & AI Literacy

Grade:

9-12, UNIV

Type:

Summarize & Synthesize

/ Question & Inquire

20-30

Minutes

When:

After and during reading

Materials:

ASK Britannica access, ASK Britannica Inquiry & Source Exploration Guide, digital devices

Description

The ASK Britannica: Inquiry, Sources, & AI Literacy instructional strategy engages students in purposeful inquiry using ASK Britannica as a research and learning support tool. Working independently or collaboratively, students ask questions, review AI-generated summaries, explore Britannica sources connected within ASK Britannica, and use those sources to deepen their understanding of a topic. Because ASK Britannica is grounded in reliable, fact-checked Britannica content, students can focus on gathering evidence, developing follow-up questions, and refining prompts to generate stronger, more focused responses. Students practice responsible AI use by evaluating the clarity and usefulness of AI-generated summaries, comparing information across sources, documenting evidence, and revising prompts to improve specificity, depth, and relevance to their learning goals.

Procedure

Prior to the lesson, select a topic, essential question, or current unit of study appropriate for inquiry using ASK Britannica. Distribute the ASK Britannica Inquiry & Source Exploration Guide to support student note-taking, source exploration, prompt revision, and reflection.

Introduce the strategy by discussing how AI tools can support learning, brainstorming, and research while also helping students explore connected sources and deepen understanding through inquiry. Explain that ASK Britannica is designed to provide responses connected to and supported by trusted Britannica sources. Review expectations for responsible AI use, including

Asking clear and specific questions

Using linked Britannica sources to expand understanding

Revising prompts to improve clarity, depth, and usefulness

Using AI as a learning support tool rather than a replacement for thinking

Keeping track of sources used during research

Citing Britannica sources used during inquiry and synthesis

Acknowledging when AI-supported inquiry contributed to learning or research

Model how to use ASK Britannica by demonstrating

How to ask focused, academic questions

How different prompts produce different types of summaries and explanations

How to revise prompts to improve specificity, depth, reading level, or focus

How to use the Britannica sources provided within ASK Britannica to learn more about a topic

How to compare information across multiple linked sources

How to record source information and cite sources appropriately

Provide students with an inquiry question, topic, or research task. Remind students to use the Britannica Inquiry & Source Exploration Guide to support their work. Invite students to work independently or with a partner to

Ask questions in ASK Britannica

Read and discuss the AI-generated responses

Record important ideas, vocabulary, and follow-up questions

Explore the Britannica sources linked within the response to gather additional information and supporting details

Identify new ideas or evidence discovered through source exploration

Keep track of Britannica sources and supporting evidence used during inquiry

Direct students to use the Britannica sources connected to ASK Britannica as a pathway for deeper learning rather than simply for fact-checking the response. Encourage students to explore the linked sources to

Learn additional background information

Identify important details, examples, or perspectives not included in the summary

Compare how different Britannica sources explain the topic

Gather evidence to strengthen understanding or discussion

Locate quotations, vocabulary, statistics, or supporting examples for academic work

Develop stronger follow-up questions for continued inquiry

As students work, circulate to support inquiry and discussion. Prompt students with questions such as:

“What did you learn from exploring the Britannica sources?”

“Which source helped you understand the topic most clearly and why?”

“What new questions did the sources help you develop?”

“How could you revise your prompt to get a more detailed or focused summary?”

“What wording in your prompt improved the response?”

“What information would you like ASK Britannica to explain further?”

“Which source provided the strongest supporting evidence?”

“How should this information be credited or cited?”

Invite students to synthesize their learning by completing step 6 of the Britannica Inquiry & Source Exploration Guide or with a short written response, collaborative discussion, or presentation that explains the following:

What they learned about the topic

How ASK Britannica supported their learning

What they discovered by exploring the linked Britannica sources

How revising prompts improved the quality or usefulness of responses

How they used critical thinking during the inquiry process

Which sources they used and how they documented or cited them

Conclude the lesson with a reflection discussion about responsible AI use in academic settings. Encourage students to share strategies they used to explore sources, refine prompts, gather supporting evidence, deepen understanding, and appropriately acknowledge the use of AI and research sources.

Differentiation

Guided Support: Provide students with structured inquiry questions, prompt stems, source exploration guides, or prompt revision checklists to support their use of ASK Britannica. Model how to ask focused questions, explore linked Britannica sources for deeper understanding, and revise prompts to generate clearer, more detailed responses. This supports student learning by scaffolding inquiry, strengthening research and AI literacy skills, and helping students use AI tools thoughtfully and effectively.

Collaborative Support: Assign students partner roles, such as “Question Builder” and “Fact Checker,” to encourage purposeful collaboration and shared accountability during inquiry. This supports student learning by promoting discussion, active engagement, and collaborative problem-solving while reinforcing responsible research practices.

Extended Thinking: Challenge students to compare multiple AI-generated responses to the same question, analyze differences in perspective or specificity, and explain which response is most useful and why. This supports student learning by developing critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and the ability to evaluate the quality and reliability of information.

Research Extension: Invite students to develop their own inquiry question connected to the unit of study and conduct an extended investigation using ASK Britannica alongside additional verified sources. This supports student learning by encouraging independent inquiry, deeper content exploration, and the application of responsible AI-supported research practices.

Multilingual Learning Support

Beginning Proficiency: Provide visual supports, translated vocabulary, sentence frames, and guided prompt examples to help students ask questions and discuss information from ASK Britannica and linked Britannica sources. Model how to review sources for important details, and demonstrate simple ways to revise prompts by adding more detail, examples, or question words. Provide structured speaking opportunities, partner discussions, and partially completed note-taking organizers to support comprehension and language development before students share ideas independently in English.

Intermediate Proficiency: Encourage students to use structured discussion prompts, academic vocabulary, and collaborative note-taking while exploring ASK Britannica responses and linked Britannica sources. Provide guided opportunities for students to compare information across sources, develop follow-up questions, and revise prompts to generate clearer and more detailed responses. Support oral rehearsal and peer discussion to strengthen language development, inquiry skills, and academic communication.

Advanced Proficiency: Challenge students to use academic language and evidence to explain how the Britannica sources strengthened their understanding and to evaluate the effectiveness and limitations of AI-generated information.

Variations

Independent Research Station: Use ASK Britannica as part of a research rotation or inquiry center where students independently investigate curriculum-connected questions and build responsible AI literacy through inquiry.

Citation and Source Evaluation Focus: Students create annotated citations for the Britannica sources they used to expand information gathered through ASK Britannica. They then explain how each source supported their research.

Prompt Engineering Workshop: Students experiment with revising prompts to improve specificity, depth, or clarity of AI-generated responses and then reflect on how the wording they use influences their results and learning outcomes.

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