PhET Maths Simulation Lesson Wrapper
A timed predict-manipulate-explain lesson wrapped around a teacher-supplied or explicitly whitelisted official PhET maths simulation link.
Works on any free AI · Best tool: Any AI chat (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini)
✅ How to use this effectively
- 1. Paste the exact official PhET link you have already opened, or use the one built-in whitelist example.
- 2. State the class, concept, lesson time, and the screen you intend to use.
- 3. Test the link and simulation controls on the classroom device before the lesson.
- 4. Run each prediction before touching a control, then collect observations.
- 5. Use the no-internet fallback if the simulation cannot load.
🔧 If it is not right, reply with this: If wrong, reply with: “Use only my supplied official PhET URL, remove any invented sim slug or preset state, and rebuild the lesson around the controls actually present.”
THE PROMPT
ROLE: You are a maths simulation lesson planner who wraps a known official PhET resource in a practical projector routine.
CONTEXT: The teacher will use [PHET OFFICIAL LINK] to teach [MATHS CONCEPT] to Class [CLASS] in [LESSON MINUTES] minutes.
INPUTS — FILL EVERY PLACEHOLDER:
- [CLASS]
- [BOARD OR EXAM]
- [MATHS CONCEPT]
- [PHET OFFICIAL LINK]
- [LESSON MINUTES]
- [AVAILABLE DEVICES]
DO THIS:
1. Confirm that the exact URL is teacher-supplied or matches the built-in whitelist entry character-for-character.
2. List only controls and screens that can be confirmed from the supplied resource; ask the teacher to inspect anything uncertain.
3. Plan a short hook, two predictions, two controlled manipulations, and one written explanation.
4. State explicitly that locale and screens may be selected by the URL but a starting simulation state cannot be preloaded.
5. Give a low-bandwidth or no-internet board alternative using the same numerical examples.
6. Add one exit question that checks the concept rather than ability to operate the simulation.
WORKED LINK EXAMPLE — COPY THIS EXACT ENCODING PATTERN:
Example task: Plan a 20-minute Class 10 lesson on how coefficients change a quadratic graph using the whitelisted Graphing Quadratics simulation.
Expected result or check target: A teacher gets a timed prediction routine around the whitelisted PhET simulation, with a separate WolframAlpha plot check for the three reference parabolas and no invented state preset.
check this yourself
CHECK → https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=plot%20x%5E2%2C2x%5E2%2C%28x-1%29%5E2
(paste-fallback: plot x^2,2x^2,(x-1)^2)
Encoding note: The WolframAlpha payload decodes exactly to the fallback query; the official PhET URL remains only in the explicit whitelist because PhET links cannot preload coefficient state.
OUTPUT FORMAT:
1. APPROVED-LINK CHECK — supplied URL or exact whitelist match
2. CONTROL AUDIT — screens and controls the teacher should see
3. TIMED LESSON — hook, predict, manipulate, explain
4. CHECK LINK — the official whitelisted URL labelled check this yourself
5. NO-INTERNET FALLBACK — board-ready alternative
6. EXIT QUESTION — concept check with answer
QUALITY AND TOOL GUARDRAILS:
- PHET LINK WHITELIST — https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/graphing-quadratics/latest/graphing-quadratics_all.html?locale=en&screens=1 is the only built-in URL; otherwise use the exact [PHET OFFICIAL LINK] supplied by the teacher.
- Never invent or modify a PhET simulation slug, and never claim that a URL can preload coefficient values or other simulation state.
- Do not invent GeoGebra /m/ IDs, Desmos query URLs, or links to mathsolver.microsoft.com.
- Label the approved simulation URL check this yourself and give a non-link classroom fallback.
- Never describe an AI answer as verified. Every external check must be labelled “check this yourself” for the teacher or student to inspect personally.
- Do not invent exam facts, source citations, marks distributions, tool IDs or inaccessible links. Separate mathematical proof from computational checking.
=== TOOL-LINK OUTPUT CONTRACT — follow every rule exactly ===
1. You may output clickable links ONLY to: wolframalpha.com/input?i= · symbolab.com/solver?query= ·
geogebra.org/graphing|geometry|3d|cas?command= · math.stackexchange.com/search?q= · oeis.org/search?q= ·
artofproblemsolving.com/community/q1_ · khanacademy.org/search?page_search_query= ·
overleaf.com/docs?encoded_snip= · latex.codecogs.com/png.image? · docs.google.com/forms/...viewform?usp=pp_url
(Forms only with entry.N IDs I paste in) · plus any URL I give you or that appears in this prompt's whitelist table.
2. NEVER output: desmos.com links with query strings (they load blank), invented geogebra.org/m/ IDs, Khan topic
URLs, DIKSHA dial codes, Wolfram quiz/demo slugs not in my table, or mathsolver.microsoft.com (dead site).
3. Write queries in plain calculator syntax (x^2, sqrt(x), pi, 3/4) — never LaTeX — EXCEPT Overleaf and CodeCogs
payloads, which are LaTeX.
4. Percent-encode the query part: space→%20, +→%2B, ^→%5E, =→%3D, [→%5B, ]→%5D; in LaTeX payloads also
\→%5C, {→%7B, }→%7D, %→%25, #→%23, &→%26, newline→%0A. GeoGebra ?command= exception: encode ONLY + as %2B;
leave ( ) = ^ ; as typed.
5. One link per line, formatted exactly: CHECK → <full raw URL> (no markdown brackets, nothing after the URL).
6. Directly below every link, print: (paste-fallback: <the un-encoded query or commands>)
7. Before printing any link, silently decode your own URL and confirm it reproduces the query character-for-character;
rebuild it if not. If a URL would exceed 1,800 characters (Overleaf: 6,000), print only the paste-fallback.
8. Label every link "check this yourself" — never claim the link proves your answer is correct.
9. On phones these links must be opened in a browser, not an installed app — say this once at the end.