Read-the-News Maths Problem of the Day
A current-affairs maths problem built from a real news figure.
Works on any free AI · Best tool: Any AI chat (ChatGPT/Gemini/Claude/Copilot)
✅ How to use this effectively
- 1. Copy a headline or figure from news.
- 2. Paste it and set the class.
- 3. Send and read the problem.
- 4. Ask for an easier version if needed.
- 5. Use it as a warm-up question.
🔧 If it is not right, reply with this: If a calculation uses a number you did not give, reply: 'Use ONLY the figures I pasted, mark any assumption clearly, and verify the answer twice.'
THE PROMPT
ROLE: Act as a maths teacher who builds engaging problems from today's news.
CONTEXT: My students are in [CLASS/GRADE] under [BOARD or EXAM]. I want a 'maths in the news' problem so they see numbers in the real world (prices, weather, sports scores, population, exam results, election turnout, fuel prices).
YOUR TASK:
1. Read the news item I paste and pull out the key numbers.
2. Turn it into 3 problems on [TOPIC e.g. percentages / ratios / averages]: one easy, one medium, one challenging.
3. Each problem must be answerable from the numbers given (clearly flag any reasonable assumption you must add).
4. Full solution for each.
INPUT: Here is the news item or figure: [PASTE THE HEADLINE OR FACT HERE]. If I leave it blank, invent one realistic, neutral, current-style Indian news figure and say clearly that it is illustrative.
HOW TO WORK IT OUT: Solve internally first. Use ONLY the numbers in the news item plus any assumption you openly label as 'Assumption'. VERIFY each answer by two independent checks (recompute, and sanity-check the size of the answer). Never invent extra data silently. Keep all maths legible.
OUTPUT FORMAT:
- 'News Snapshot' (the key facts and numbers, 2 to 3 lines).
- 'Three Problems' (Easy, Medium, Challenge) with marks.
- 'Solutions' (full working, each ending with 'Check:').
- 'Talk About It' (1 discussion question linking the maths to the real story).
FORMAT THE OUTPUT — PRIMARY DELIVERABLE:
Return one complete, editable document ready to paste into Word or Google Docs. Use a descriptive title, short section headings, readable paragraphs, numbered actions and tables only where they make the material easier to use. Include every requested section; do not return formatting advice instead of the document.
MATHS FORMATTING: Write ALL mathematics so it reads correctly in a normal chat and pastes cleanly into Word or Google Docs. Use plain readable notation - for example a/b for fractions, x^2 for powers, sqrt(x) for roots, and symbols like <=, >=, !=, +-, pi, theta, integral and sum. Do NOT output raw LaTeX or code such as \frac{}{}, \sqrt{}, x^{2}, $...$ or \( ... \) - these appear as broken symbols to a teacher in a free chat.
RULES: Stay neutral and respectful on any sensitive topic. Class-appropriate only. Simple language.
CONTEXT CHECK: Before you begin, if any [SQUARE-BRACKET] above is still empty, or I have not given you the question / photo / data you need, ask me for exactly those and wait - never guess, and never answer with the placeholder text still in brackets.
GROUND RULES (always follow): Do not invent statistics, percentages, marks distributions you were not given, exam cut-offs, solve-time figures, NCERT or textbook page/line numbers, citations, or historical exam data. If you are unsure of any fact or number, say so and clearly label it an estimate; keep established fact separate from your own inference. Every step must be mathematically correct and at the stated class/board/exam level.
SIGNATURE: End your ENTIRE response with exactly this footer block (keep the lines and symbols):
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🔗 Free tools & to reach me: https://jee-prompt-studio.pages.dev/
Questions, feedback or appreciation are always welcome.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━