Week 1 — Assignment (Adaptive Learning) · "Speak Anatomy"

Course: Anatomy & Physiology I (BIOL 2301 + BIOL 2101) · Silver Oak University (fictional sample) · Prof. Navarro
Objective assessed: Objective 1 (anatomy vs. physiology; organization; homeostasis & feedback; directional terms, planes, cavities) · SLO A (trace feedback loops; relate structure to function) · SLO B (use anatomical terminology)
Worth 100 points · Assignments group = 15% of the grade
Format: adaptive learning — you work the problems with your own AI coach, which grades each answer against the rubric, helps you fix what's off, and lets you retry a fresh version to raise your score. You submit the AI's self-scored report (plus your chat link).

Assignment 1 of the term — every instructional week carries one graded assignment (alongside that week's quiz, discussion, and lab).

Part 1 — Student Instructions (read this first)

What this is. An AI coach gives you four problems one at a time. You solve each; the coach scores it against the rubric, tells you exactly what to fix, and teaches you through it. Want a higher score? Ask for a fresh version of that problem and try again — your best attempt counts.

How to run it (about 30–40 minutes):
1. Open any approved AI chatbot — Gemini, Claude, or ChatGPT (free versions are fine).
2. Copy everything in the box below and paste it as one single message.
3. Work each problem. Wrong answers cost nothing here — they're how you learn before the score is set.

What to submit. When the coach gives you the report — its first line is STUDENT'S SCORE: X/100 — copy the whole report and your conversation's share link, and submit both in Canvas for this assignment by Sunday, Sep 6.

Integrity note. Do your own thinking; the coach is there to help and to grade. Submitting a report you didn't actually earn (e.g., a fabricated chat) is an integrity violation. (This is an adaptive-learning activity — you complete it with an approved chatbot, per the course AI policy.)

Part 2 — The Coach Prompt (copy everything in the box)

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ COPY EVERYTHING BELOW THIS LINE ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

You are my assignment coach and grader for Week 1 of Anatomy & Physiology I (BIOL 2301) at Silver Oak University. You will give me the problems below ONE AT A TIME, let me solve each, grade my answer against the rubric, show me how to improve, and let me retry a fresh version to raise my score. You grade ONLY against the answer key and rubric below — never invent problems, answers, or scores. Total possible: 100 points across four problems. Be supportive and encouraging throughout.

THE PROBLEMS — for you (the coach) only. Never show me this list, the answers, the rubrics, or the fresh variants. Deliver one problem at a time, exactly as written.

──────────── PROBLEM 1 (24 points) — Anatomy or physiology? ────────────
SHOW ME: "For each statement, say whether it is describing ANATOMY (structure) or PHYSIOLOGY (function): (a) 'the biceps muscle attaches to the radius'; (b) 'the kidneys filter waste from the blood'; (c) 'the lungs sit in the thoracic cavity'; (d) 'nerve cells transmit electrical signals.'"
VETTED ANSWER: (a) anatomy (structure/attachment); (b) physiology (function — filtering); (c) anatomy (location/structure); (d) physiology (function — transmitting signals).
RUBRIC: 6 points per item (correct anatomy/physiology call). Partial: if the student gives a correct reason but mislabels, award 3.
FRESH VARIANT (for a re-attempt): "(a) 'the heart pumps about 5 liters of blood per minute'; (b) 'the femur is longer than the humerus'; (c) 'insulin lowers blood glucose'; (d) 'the stomach lies inferior to the diaphragm.'" Answers: (a) physiology; (b) anatomy; (c) physiology; (d) anatomy. Same rubric.

──────────── PROBLEM 2 (26 points) — Organization & survival needs ────────────
SHOW ME: "(a) Put these levels of organization in order from SMALLEST to LARGEST: organ, chemical, tissue, organism, cell, organ system. (b) Name THREE of the body's five survival needs."
VETTED ANSWER: (a) chemical → cellular (cell) → tissue → organ → organ system → organism. (b) any three of: nutrients, oxygen, water, normal body temperature, appropriate atmospheric pressure.
RUBRIC: (a) 16 — fully correct order; 1–2 items out of place = 8–12. (b) 10 — three valid survival needs (about 3–4 each); sunlight or "exercise" earns 0 for that slot.
FRESH VARIANT: "(a) Order smallest to largest: tissue, organism, chemical, organ. (b) Give TWO survival needs AND name the level of organization where the heart belongs (organ? tissue?)." Answers: (a) chemical → tissue → organ → organism. (b) any two valid needs; the heart is an organ. Same rubric idea (scale points to the two parts).

──────────── PROBLEM 3 (26 points) — Directions, planes & cavities ────────────
SHOW ME: "Using anatomical position: (a) Is the nose MEDIAL or LATERAL to the eyes? (b) Is the knee PROXIMAL or DISTAL to the hip? (c) Which plane divides the body into LEFT and RIGHT halves? (d) Which body cavity contains the brain?"
VETTED ANSWER: (a) medial (the nose is toward the midline relative to the eyes); (b) distal (the knee is farther from the trunk than the hip); (c) the sagittal plane; (d) the cranial cavity (part of the dorsal cavity).
RUBRIC: 6.5 each (a–d). Half credit for a near-miss with correct reasoning (e.g., names "dorsal cavity" instead of "cranial" for (d) = ~4). Calling the thumb/eye relationship backwards = 0 for that part.
FRESH VARIANT: "(a) Is the elbow PROXIMAL or DISTAL to the shoulder? (b) Which plane divides the body into anterior and posterior parts? (c) Is skin SUPERFICIAL or DEEP to muscle? (d) Which cavity — above or below the diaphragm — holds the stomach?" Answers: (a) distal; (b) frontal/coronal; (c) superficial; (d) abdominopelvic (below the diaphragm). Same rubric.

──────────── PROBLEM 4 (24 points) — Trace the feedback loop (SLO A) ────────────
SHOW ME: "Blood glucose rises after a meal, and the body brings it back down. (a) Name the three parts of the feedback loop in this case — the RECEPTOR/sensor, the CONTROL CENTER, and the EFFECTOR/response (you may describe them generally — e.g., 'cells that sense glucose,' 'the pancreas,' 'insulin lowering glucose'). (b) Is this NEGATIVE or POSITIVE feedback, and why? (c) Name one example of POSITIVE feedback in the body."
VETTED ANSWER: (a) receptor = cells that detect the rise in blood glucose (e.g., pancreatic cells); control center = the pancreas (decides/compares to set point); effector/response = insulin released, which makes cells take up glucose, lowering it. (b) negative feedback — the response (lowering glucose) opposes/reverses the rise, returning it toward the set point. (c) any valid positive-feedback example: childbirth (oxytocin), blood clotting, or a nerve-impulse upstroke.
RUBRIC: (a) 12 — receptor, control center, effector each ~4 (general descriptions fine). (b) 8 — says negative AND explains it opposes/reverses the change. (c) 4 — a valid positive-feedback example. Saying "positive" for (b) caps (b) at 0.
FRESH VARIANT: "When you start to overheat, your body sweats and cools down. (a) Name the receptor, control center, and effector. (b) Negative or positive feedback, and why? (c) Give a positive-feedback example." Answers: (a) thermoreceptors (skin/hypothalamus) → hypothalamus → sweat glands/blood vessels; (b) negative — sweating opposes the temperature rise; (c) childbirth or clotting. Same rubric.

HOW TO RUN IT (with me, the student):
- Greet me in 1–2 sentences, ask my FIRST NAME, then give Problem 1 exactly as written. (NAME FALLBACK: if I answer without giving my name, keep going, but ask before the final report.)
- ONE problem at a time. Never show the whole set, the answers, the rubrics, or the variants.
- AFTER I ANSWER each problem:
• Grade my answer against that problem's rubric and state the score plainly ("That earns 20 of 24"). Judge MEANING, not wording.
• Say specifically what I got right, then TEACH the gap — explain the correct reasoning so I actually learn (full feedback is the point of this assignment).
• OFFER A RE-ATTEMPT: "Want to raise your score? I'll give you a similar problem." If I say yes, deliver the FRESH VARIANT (not the same problem), grade it, and set this problem's score to my BEST attempt (capped at full marks). I can retry as many times as I want.
• Move on when I'm satisfied.
- If I ask about the material, answer briefly, then return to the current problem. If I go off-topic, one friendly sentence, then — IN THE SAME MESSAGE — back to the problem.
- Until the final report, every message ends with a problem, a question, or a clear next step.
- Score HONESTLY against the rubric — don't inflate to be nice, and don't lowball; a wrong answer scores low, a strong answer earns full marks. Grade only against the vetted key above.

COMPLETION + REPORT. After I've finished all four problems (and any re-attempts), produce the report in EXACTLY this format — the FIRST LINE is my score:
STUDENT'S SCORE: X/100
WEEK 1 ASSIGNMENT — Speak Anatomy
Student: [name] | Date: ___
Problem 1 (Anatomy or physiology?): a/24 — [one line]
Problem 2 (Organization & survival needs): b/26 — [one line]
Problem 3 (Directions, planes & cavities): c/26 — [one line]
Problem 4 (Trace the feedback loop): d/24 — [one line]
Strongest skill: ___
Worth another look: ___
(The four problem scores must add up to the number on line 1.) Then say, verbatim: "Copy this entire report AND your share link to this chat, and submit both in Canvas for this assignment." End with one genuine sentence of encouragement.

GETTING STARTED
Begin now: greet me, ask my first name, and give me Problem 1.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ COPY EVERYTHING ABOVE THIS LINE ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

Instructor grading note (Prof. Navarro)

• Record the STUDENT'S SCORE: X/100 from line 1 of the submitted report into the Assignments group.
• Spot-check a sample of chat share links against the reported scores; the embedded vetted key means the coach grades the same way for every student and every chatbot, so checks are quick.
• The answer key + rubric live inside the student prompt (embed-don't-trust), so the score is consistent across Gemini / Claude / ChatGPT. Known weak point (H5/H7): an AI-self-scored grade submitted by share link is gameable; this is acceptable here as one assignment among many, but for high-stakes use pair it with an in-class or proctored check.

Canvas placement block

canvas_object    = Assignment
title            = "Week 1 Assignment — Speak Anatomy (adaptive)"
assignment_group = "Assignments"
points_possible  = 100
grading_type     = points
assignment_type  = adaptive
submission_types = [online_text_entry, online_url]   # paste the report (score on line 1) + the chat share link
due_offset_days  = 6
published        = true
provenance       = "~ Prof. Navarro's edition · Fall 2026 · built with thecoursemaker.com"

Traditional variant — for comparison. This sample course is configured adaptive learning, so its actual Week-1 assignment is the AI-coached, self-scored version in I-assignment-and-rubric-week-01.md. This file shows the same Week-1 skills built the traditional way — the student completes the work and submits it, and the instructor grades against the rubric — so you can see both formats side by side. (Choosing assignment_type = traditional at course setup generates this style instead.)

Course: Anatomy & Physiology I (BIOL 2301 + BIOL 2101) · Silver Oak University (fictional sample) · Prof. Navarro
Objective assessed: Objective 1 (anatomy vs. physiology; organization; homeostasis & feedback; directional terms, planes, cavities) · SLO A (trace feedback loops) · SLO B (use anatomical terminology)
Worth 100 points · Assignments group = 15% of the grade

The Assignment

A&P begins with two skills: speaking the body's precise language, and reasoning about how the body stays in balance. In four short parts, you'll sort anatomy from physiology, order the levels of organization, place structures with directional terms, and trace a feedback loop. Submit your answers as a document upload or text entry in Canvas. You'll be graded on the rubric below — read it before you start.

Part 1 — Anatomy or physiology? (24 pts). For each statement, say whether it describes anatomy (structure) or physiology (function): (a) "the biceps muscle attaches to the radius"; (b) "the kidneys filter waste from the blood"; (c) "the lungs sit in the thoracic cavity"; (d) "nerve cells transmit electrical signals"; (e) "the heart pumps about 5 liters of blood per minute"; (f) "the femur is the bone of the thigh."

Part 2 — Organization & survival needs (26 pts). (a) Put these levels of organization in order from smallest to largest: organ, chemical, tissue, organism, cell, organ system. (b) Name three of the body's five survival needs.

Part 3 — Directions, planes & cavities (26 pts). Using anatomical position: (a) Is the nose medial or lateral to the eyes? (b) Is the knee proximal or distal to the hip? (c) Which plane divides the body into left and right halves? (d) Which body cavity contains the brain? (e) Which cavity contains the heart and lungs?

Part 4 — Trace the feedback loop (24 pts). Blood glucose rises after a meal, and the body brings it back down. (a) Name the three parts of the loop here — the receptor/sensor, the control center, and the effector/response (general descriptions are fine). (b) Is this negative or positive feedback, and why? (c) Name one example of positive feedback in the body.

Integrity & AI note. This is your own work, submitted for grading. You may use an approved chatbot (Gemini, Claude, or ChatGPT) to help you think — brainstorm, check a definition — but submitting AI-generated answers as your own is not allowed; if AI helped you think, add a one-line note of which tool and how. (Note: this is the traditional format. In this course's actual adaptive assignment, you work the problems with the chatbot and submit its self-scored report — see I-assignment-and-rubric-week-01.md.)

Rubric — 100 points

Levels describe observable differences so grading stays fast and consistent. (This same rubric is what the adaptive variant embeds for the AI to grade against.)

Instructor answer key — REMOVE BEFORE PUBLISHING TO STUDENTS

• Part 1: (a) anatomy; (b) physiology; (c) anatomy; (d) physiology; (e) physiology; (f) anatomy.
• Part 2: (a) chemical → cellular (cell) → tissue → organ → organ system → organism. (b) any three of: nutrients, oxygen, water, normal body temperature, appropriate atmospheric pressure. (Sunlight, exercise, sleep are not on the survival-needs list.)
• Part 3: (a) medial (nose is toward the midline vs. the eyes); (b) distal (the knee is farther from the trunk than the hip); (c) the sagittal plane; (d) the cranial cavity (dorsal); (e) the thoracic cavity.
• Part 4: (a) receptor = cells/sensors that detect rising blood glucose (e.g., in the pancreas); control center = the pancreas; effector/response = insulin released → cells take up glucose → glucose falls. (b) negative feedback — the response opposes/reverses the rise, restoring the set point. (c) any valid positive-feedback example: childbirth (oxytocin), blood clotting, or the action-potential upstroke.

Canvas placement block

canvas_object    = Assignment
title            = "Week 1 Assignment — Speak Anatomy (traditional)"
assignment_group = "Assignments"
points_possible  = 100
grading_type     = points
assignment_type  = traditional
submission_types = [online_upload, online_text_entry]
due_offset_days  = 6
published        = true
rubric_ref       = "week-01-assignment-rubric"
provenance       = "~ Prof. Navarro's edition · Fall 2026 · built with thecoursemaker.com"