Week 2 — Assignment (Adaptive Learning) · "Speak Chemistry"

Course: Anatomy & Physiology I (BIOL 2301 + BIOL 2101) · Silver Oak University (fictional sample) · Prof. Navarro
Objective assessed: Objective 2 (atoms & bonds; water's properties; pH/acids/bases/buffers — quantitative; the four biomolecules) · SLO A (relate structure/process to function; homeostasis) · SLO B (quantitative physiology — pH)
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 2 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. Have a calculator handy for the pH problem.

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 13.

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 2 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. Do NOT change any pH number in the keys below; they are pre-verified.

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) — Atoms & bonds ────────────
SHOW ME: "(a) In an atom, name the THREE subatomic particles and their charges (+, -, or neutral). (b) Which particle's count determines WHICH ELEMENT the atom is? (c) Classify each bond as IONIC or COVALENT: (i) sodium transfers an electron to chlorine to form table salt; (ii) two atoms share a pair of electrons. (d) Is a hydrogen bond a strong bond WITHIN a water molecule, or a weak attraction BETWEEN molecules?"
VETTED ANSWER: (a) proton (+), neutron (neutral/no charge), electron (-); (b) the proton (number of protons = atomic number = the element's identity); (c)(i) ionic (electron transferred), (c)(ii) covalent (electrons shared); (d) a weak attraction BETWEEN molecules (the bonds inside water are polar covalent).
RUBRIC: (a) 9 — 3 per particle (name + charge). (b) 3 — proton. (c) 8 — 4 each (ionic / covalent). (d) 4 — "between molecules." Partial: correct particle but wrong charge = 1 of 3 for that particle.
FRESH VARIANT (for a re-attempt): "(a) What is the charge of a proton, a neutron, and an electron? (b) If an atom has 8 protons, what element is it? (Hint: it's the most abundant element in the body and pairs with hydrogen to make water.) (c) Classify: (i) electrons shared equally between two identical atoms — ionic or covalent? what 'polarity' is it? (ii) one atom gives up an electron to another — ionic or covalent? (d) True/False: the hydrogen bonds in liquid water are the bonds that hold each H to its O inside the molecule." Answers: (a) +, neutral, -; (b) oxygen (8 protons); (c)(i) covalent, nonpolar; (c)(ii) ionic; (d) False (those internal bonds are polar covalent; hydrogen bonds are between molecules). Same rubric idea (scale to the parts).

──────────── PROBLEM 2 (26 points) — Water property → physiological consequence ────────────
SHOW ME: "Water's properties all come from its polarity. Match each WATER PROPERTY to the PHYSIOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCE it makes possible. Properties: (1) high heat capacity / high heat of vaporization; (2) universal solvent; (3) cohesion / surface tension; (4) participates in chemical reactions. Consequences: (A) sweat evaporating off your skin carries away heat and cools you; (B) blood plasma and cytoplasm can dissolve salts, sugars, and gases so reactions occur in solution; (C) water molecules stick together, helping fluids stay together and move as a column; (D) water is split or added when the body builds and breaks down molecules."
VETTED ANSWER: 1 -> A, 2 -> B, 3 -> C, 4 -> D.
RUBRIC: 6.5 per correct match (4 matches). Judge meaning; if the student explains a correct link in their own words even with a swapped letter, award partial (about 3–4) for that one.
FRESH VARIANT: "Match: properties (1) solvent, (2) high heat capacity, (3) cohesion. Consequences: (A) water resists big temperature swings, helping the body hold a steady temperature; (B) charged ions and polar molecules dissolve and travel in body fluids; (C) surface tension lets water form droplets and move through narrow spaces. Also: name the ONE molecular property all of these come from." Answers: 1->B, 2->A, 3->C; the underlying property is polarity. Scale points to the parts.

──────────── PROBLEM 3 (26 points) — pH math (quantitative) ────────────
SHOW ME: "Use the rule that EACH whole pH unit = a 10x change in H+ (count the units, then multiply by 10 for each — do NOT subtract the pH numbers). (a) How many times more acidic is pH 4 than pH 7? (b) How many times more acidic is pH 5 than pH 7? (c) Normal blood pH is about 7.35-7.45. If a patient's blood pH drops to 7.2, is that ACIDOSIS or ALKALOSIS? (d) If blood pH rises to 7.6, is that ACIDOSIS or ALKALOSIS?"
VETTED ANSWER: (a) 1000x (7 - 4 = 3 units; 10 x 10 x 10 = 1000); (b) 100x (2 units; 10 x 10 = 100); (c) acidosis (below the normal 7.35-7.45 range / below 7.35); (d) alkalosis (above 7.45).
RUBRIC: (a) 8 — 1000x (full credit only with 1000; "3x" = 0 for this part). (b) 6 — 100x. (c) 6 — acidosis. (d) 6 — alkalosis. Give partial on (a)/(b) if the student shows the count-units-then-x10 method but slips the final multiply.
FRESH VARIANT: "Same 10x-per-unit rule. (a) How many times more acidic is pH 3 than pH 6? (b) How many times more acidic is pH 7 than pH 8? (i.e., compare H+ at pH 7 vs pH 8.) (c) Stomach acid is about pH 2 and blood is about pH 7.4 - which has MORE H+? (d) A blood pH of 7.30 is just below normal: acidosis or alkalosis?" Answers: (a) 1000x (3 units); (b) 10x (1 unit; pH 7 has 10x more H+ than pH 8); (c) stomach acid (lower pH = more H+); (d) acidosis. Same rubric idea.

──────────── PROBLEM 4 (24 points) — Biomolecules & structure→function ────────────
SHOW ME: "(a) Match each biomolecule to its building block (monomer): carbohydrate, protein, nucleic acid, lipid. Options: amino acid; monosaccharide; nucleotide; (no single repeating monomer - fatty acids + glycerol). (b) Proteins are the body's workers (enzymes, channels, structural fibers). In ONE sentence, explain why a change in a protein's SHAPE can stop it from doing its job."
VETTED ANSWER: (a) carbohydrate -> monosaccharide; protein -> amino acid; nucleic acid -> nucleotide; lipid -> (no single repeating monomer; fatty acids + glycerol). (b) a protein's function depends on its three-dimensional shape (structure determines function) - e.g., an enzyme's shape lets it fit/grip its specific target; change the shape and it no longer fits, so it stops working.
RUBRIC: (a) 16 — 4 per correct pairing (the lipid "no single monomer / fatty acids + glycerol" must be recognized as the odd one out for full credit). (b) 8 — states function follows shape, with any reasonable example. Calling a lipid's monomer "fatty acid" as if it's a true single monomer = 0 for that pairing.
FRESH VARIANT: "(a) Name the monomer of: (i) a carbohydrate, (ii) a nucleic acid (DNA/RNA), (iii) a protein. (b) Which biomolecule family is the odd one out with NO single repeating monomer, and what two parts is a fat built from? (c) In one sentence, why does 'structure determines function' apply to an enzyme?" Answers: (a)(i) monosaccharide, (ii) nucleotide, (iii) amino acid; (b) lipids; fatty acids + glycerol; (c) the enzyme's shape lets it bind its specific substrate, so a shape change stops it working. Scale points to the parts.

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 — but on the pH problem, a final fold-change is right only if the NUMBER is right (1000x, 100x, etc.).
• 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). On any pH miss, re-teach count-units-then-x10.
• 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 2 ASSIGNMENT — Speak Chemistry
Student: [name] | Date: ___
Problem 1 (Atoms & bonds): a/24 — [one line]
Problem 2 (Water property -> consequence): b/26 — [one line]
Problem 3 (pH math): c/26 — [one line]
Problem 4 (Biomolecules & structure->function): 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 pH problem (P3) is the fastest place to confirm the student did real work — the fold-changes (1000×, 100×) are pre-verified.
• 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.
• Quantitative gate: every pH value and fold-change in the key (1000×, 100×, 10×; acidosis < 7.35; alkalosis > 7.45) was pre-computed and independently re-verified in Python before shipping.

Canvas placement block

canvas_object    = Assignment
title            = "Week 2 Assignment — Speak Chemistry (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  = 5
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-2 assignment is the AI-coached, self-scored version in I-assignment-and-rubric-week-02.md. This file shows the same Week-2 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 2 (atoms & bonds; water's properties; pH/acids/bases/buffers — quantitative; the four biomolecules) · SLO A (structure/process → function; homeostasis) · SLO B (quantitative physiology — pH)
Worth 100 points · Assignments group = 15% of the grade

The Assignment

This week's chemistry underlies everything in physiology. In four short parts, you'll classify bonds and label an atom, connect water's properties to what they do in the body, do the pH arithmetic, and pair the biomolecules to their building blocks and functions. 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. Have a calculator handy for Part 3.

Part 1 — Atoms & bonds (24 pts). (a) Name the three subatomic particles and the charge of each (+, −, or neutral). (b) Which particle's count determines which element the atom is? (c) Classify each as ionic or covalent: (i) sodium transfers an electron to chlorine to form table salt; (ii) two atoms share a pair of electrons. (d) Is a hydrogen bond a strong bond within a water molecule, or a weak attraction between molecules? (e) Name one element that is among the four most abundant in the body.

Part 2 — Water property → physiological consequence (26 pts). Water's properties all come from its polarity. Match each property to the consequence it makes possible:
- Properties: (1) high heat capacity / high heat of vaporization; (2) universal solvent; (3) cohesion / surface tension; (4) participates in chemical reactions.
- Consequences: (A) sweat evaporating off your skin carries away heat and cools you; (B) blood plasma and cytoplasm dissolve salts, sugars, and gases so reactions occur in solution; (C) water molecules stick together so fluids stay together and move as a column; (D) water is split or added when the body builds and breaks down molecules.

Part 3 — pH math (26 pts). Use the rule that each whole pH unit = a 10× change in H⁺ (count the units, then multiply by 10 for each — do not subtract the pH numbers). (a) How many times more acidic is pH 4 than pH 7? (b) How many times more acidic is pH 5 than pH 7? (c) A patient's blood pH drops to 7.2 — is that acidosis or alkalosis? (d) A patient's blood pH rises to 7.6 — is that acidosis or alkalosis? (e) Stomach acid is about pH 2 and blood is about pH 7.4 — which has more H⁺?

Part 4 — Biomolecules & structure→function (24 pts). (a) Match each biomolecule to its building block (monomer): carbohydrate, protein, nucleic acid, lipid (options: amino acid; monosaccharide; nucleotide; no single repeating monomer — fatty acids + glycerol). (b) In one sentence, explain why a change in a protein's shape can stop it from doing its job.

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-02.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

Every pH value and fold-change below was pre-computed and independently re-verified in Python (each whole pH unit = 10×).

• Part 1: (a) proton (+), neutron (neutral), electron (−); (b) the proton (atomic number = number of protons = the element's identity); (c)(i) ionic (electron transferred), (c)(ii) covalent (electrons shared); (d) a weak attraction BETWEEN molecules (the bonds inside water are polar covalent); (e) any of oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen.
• Part 2: 1 → A (heat of vaporization → sweat cooling), 2 → B (solvent → dissolved substances in body fluids), 3 → C (cohesion → fluids hold together/move), 4 → D (water split/added in reactions). All four flow from polarity.
• Part 3: (a) 1000× (7 − 4 = 3 units; 10 × 10 × 10 = 1000); (b) 100× (2 units; 10 × 10 = 100); (c) acidosis (7.2 is below the normal 7.35–7.45 range); (d) alkalosis (7.6 is above 7.45); (e) stomach acid has more H⁺ (lower pH = more H⁺). (Method check: count whole units, then raise 10 to that power — never subtract the pH values.)
• Part 4: (a) carbohydrate → monosaccharide; protein → amino acid; nucleic acid → nucleotide; lipid → no single repeating monomer (fatty acids + glycerol). (b) A protein's function depends on its 3-D shape (structure determines function) — e.g., an enzyme's shape lets it fit/grip its specific target; change the shape and it no longer fits, so it stops working.

Canvas placement block

canvas_object    = Assignment
title            = "Week 2 Assignment — Speak Chemistry (traditional)"
assignment_group = "Assignments"
points_possible  = 100
grading_type     = points
assignment_type  = traditional
submission_types = [online_upload, online_text_entry]
due_offset_days  = 5
published        = true
rubric_ref       = "week-02-assignment-rubric"
provenance       = "~ Prof. Navarro's edition · Fall 2026 · built with thecoursemaker.com"