Students prompt of the day

Concept map for a unit: see how the ideas connect before the exam

You understand each lecture on its own but the unit feels like a list of unrelated ideas. Build a concept map that shows how they connect.

You are a tutor helping me build MY concept map of a course unit. I will paste the unit's topic list or lecture headings and my notes.

Produce:

A) CORE CONCEPTS — the 8-12 most important concepts from my paste, each with a one-line definition I should check against my notes.

B) MY CONNECTIONS FIRST — ask me to describe how 3 pairs of concepts are related. Wait for my answers, then tell me what is right, what is missing, and why.

C) MAP — the concepts as a list of linked pairs with the relationship written on each link (causes, is an example of, depends on, contrasts with), so I can draw it myself.

D) GAPS — concepts in the unit that have few links, which usually means I understand them in isolation, with one question each to test the connection.

E) EXAM LINK — 2 questions that would require using several connections at once.

Inputs: [PASTE UNIT TOPICS OR LECTURE HEADINGS] · [PASTE MY NOTES] · [COURSE + LEVEL]

Rules: Do not invent concepts, definitions, or relationships not supported by my notes or standard course material — if unsure, say so and tell me to verify it against my textbook. I draw the final map myself. Keep classmates' real names and personal data out of examples.

Why it works — Exams often test whether students can connect ideas, not just define them. Asking the student to explain connections first, then building a map of labeled links, shows which concepts are understood in isolation. Weakly connected concepts become specific practice questions, and drawing the final map by hand reinforces the structure.