Week 5 — Assignment (Adaptive Learning) · "Name That Tissue"

Course: Anatomy & Physiology I (BIOL 2301 + BIOL 2101) · Silver Oak University (fictional sample) · Prof. Navarro
Objective assessed: Objective 3 (the four tissue types; epithelial classification; connective subtypes; the three muscle types; structure→function) · SLO A (relate structure to function) · SLO B (identify & classify tissues)
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 5 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, Oct 4.

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 5 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) — Match the tissue to its location ────────────
SHOW ME: "For each location/example, name which of the FOUR primary tissue types it is (epithelial, connective, muscle, or nervous): (a) the outer surface of the skin (epidermis); (b) a tendon attaching muscle to bone; (c) the wall of the heart; (d) a nerve carrying signals to the hand."
VETTED ANSWER: (a) epithelial (epidermis is epithelium); (b) connective (tendon = dense connective tissue); (c) muscle (cardiac muscle); (d) nervous (a nerve = nervous tissue).
RUBRIC: 6 points per item (correct tissue type). Partial: if the student gives a correct reason but names the wrong of the four, award 3.
FRESH VARIANT (for a re-attempt): "(a) fat stored under the skin; (b) the lining of the small intestine; (c) the brain; (d) the biceps that bends your elbow." Answers: (a) connective (adipose); (b) epithelial; (c) nervous; (d) muscle (skeletal). Same rubric.

──────────── PROBLEM 2 (26 points) — Classify the epithelium (layers + shape) ────────────
SHOW ME: "Each description is an epithelium. Give its TWO-WORD name (layers: simple or stratified; shape: squamous, cuboidal, or columnar): (a) a single layer of flat, thin cells lining the air sacs of the lung; (b) many stacked layers of flat cells forming the skin surface; (c) a single layer of cube-shaped cells covering the surface of an ovary; (d) a single layer of tall, column-shaped cells lining the intestine."
VETTED ANSWER: (a) simple squamous; (b) stratified squamous; (c) simple cuboidal; (d) simple columnar.
RUBRIC: 6.5 each (a–d). Half credit (~3) if one of the two words is correct (right layers OR right shape). Reversing simple/stratified counts as the layers word wrong.
FRESH VARIANT: "(a) one layer of flat cells lining a blood capillary; (b) the many-layered lining of the esophagus (flat surface cells); (c) one layer of cube cells in a kidney tubule; (d) one layer of tall cells in the stomach lining." Answers: (a) simple squamous; (b) stratified squamous; (c) simple cuboidal; (d) simple columnar. Same rubric.

──────────── PROBLEM 3 (26 points) — Sort the connective-tissue subtypes ────────────
SHOW ME: "All of these are CONNECTIVE tissue. Name the specific subtype for each: (a) a tendon or ligament (parallel collagen fibers, very strong); (b) the fat tissue that stores energy and insulates; (c) blood; (d) the firm but flexible tissue in your outer ear and nose."
VETTED ANSWER: (a) dense connective tissue (dense regular); (b) adipose tissue; (c) blood (a fluid connective tissue); (d) cartilage (elastic cartilage in the ear; hyaline in much of the body — "cartilage" earns full credit).
RUBRIC: 6.5 each (a–d). For (c), the student must recognize blood AS a connective tissue (naming "blood / fluid connective" = full credit). Half credit for a near-miss with correct reasoning (e.g., "loose connective" for the tendon = ~3 because it IS connective but the wrong density).
FRESH VARIANT: "(a) the rigid, calcium-hardened tissue that supports the body; (b) the soft 'packing' tissue (areolar) found under most epithelia; (c) the smooth cushion tissue capping bones at a joint; (d) the tissue whose cells float in a fluid matrix called plasma." Answers: (a) bone; (b) loose/areolar connective tissue; (c) cartilage (hyaline); (d) blood. Same rubric.

──────────── PROBLEM 4 (24 points) — Compare the three muscle types (structure→function) ────────────
SHOW ME: "(a) Name the THREE muscle types. (b) For each, state whether it is striated or non-striated AND voluntary or involuntary. (c) Which one has intercalated discs, and where is it found? (d) Why does it make structure→function sense that the muscle moving your bones (skeletal) is the one under voluntary control?"
VETTED ANSWER: (a) skeletal, cardiac, smooth. (b) skeletal = striated, voluntary; cardiac = striated, involuntary; smooth = non-striated, involuntary. (c) cardiac muscle has intercalated discs, found only in the heart (they let cells contract as a coordinated unit). (d) skeletal muscle moves the skeleton for deliberate actions (walking, lifting), so conscious/voluntary control fits its job; the heart and organ walls must run automatically, so they're involuntary.
RUBRIC: (a) 6 — all three named. (b) 9 — striated/voluntary call for each (~3 each). (c) 5 — cardiac + intercalated discs + heart. (d) 4 — a sound structure→function reason. Calling cardiac "voluntary" or skeletal "involuntary" loses that item's points.
FRESH VARIANT: "(a) Which muscle type is in the walls of blood vessels and the gut, and is it striated? (b) Which two muscle types are striated? (c) Which is multinucleate and moves bones? (d) Why does it make sense that smooth muscle (in your gut) is involuntary rather than under conscious control?" Answers: (a) smooth, non-striated; (b) skeletal and cardiac; (c) skeletal; (d) digestion must run automatically without you having to think about it. Same rubric idea (scale to the four 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.
• 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 5 ASSIGNMENT — Name That Tissue
Student: [name] | Date: ___
Problem 1 (Match tissue to location): a/24 — [one line]
Problem 2 (Classify the epithelium): b/26 — [one line]
Problem 3 (Connective subtypes): c/26 — [one line]
Problem 4 (The three muscle types): 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 5 Assignment — Name That Tissue (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-5 assignment is the AI-coached, self-scored version in I-assignment-and-rubric-week-05.md. This file shows the same Week-5 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 3 (the four tissue types; epithelial classification; connective subtypes; the three muscle types; structure→function) · SLO A (relate structure to function) · SLO B (identify & classify tissues)
Worth 100 points · Assignments group = 15% of the grade

The Assignment

Histology rewards two skills: naming a tissue from how its cells are arranged, and explaining why it's built that way. In four short parts, you'll match tissues to where they're found, classify epithelia by layers and shape, sort the connective subtypes, and compare the three muscle types. 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 — Match the tissue to its location (24 pts). For each, name which of the four primary tissue types it is (epithelial, connective, muscle, or nervous): (a) the outer surface of the skin (epidermis); (b) a tendon attaching muscle to bone; (c) the wall of the heart; (d) a nerve carrying signals to the hand; (e) fat stored under the skin; (f) the lining of the small intestine.

Part 2 — Classify the epithelium (26 pts). Give the two-word name (layers: simple/stratified; shape: squamous/cuboidal/columnar) for each: (a) a single layer of flat, thin cells lining the lung's air sacs; (b) many stacked layers of flat cells forming the skin surface; (c) a single layer of cube-shaped cells on the surface of an ovary; (d) a single layer of tall, column-shaped cells lining the intestine.

Part 3 — Sort the connective-tissue subtypes (26 pts). All of these are connective tissue — name the specific subtype: (a) a tendon or ligament (strong parallel collagen); (b) fat that stores energy and insulates; (c) blood; (d) the firm but flexible tissue in your outer ear and nose.

Part 4 — Compare the three muscle types (24 pts). (a) Name the three muscle types. (b) For each, state striated or non-striated and voluntary or involuntary. (c) Which has intercalated discs, and where is it found? (d) In one sentence, give a structure→function reason that skeletal muscle (which moves your bones) is the one under voluntary control.

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-05.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) epithelial (epidermis); (b) connective (tendon = dense connective); (c) muscle (cardiac); (d) nervous (nerve); (e) connective (adipose/fat); (f) epithelial (intestinal lining). (All six verified against standard histology: OpenStax A&P §4.1–4.3.)
• Part 2: (a) simple squamous; (b) stratified squamous; (c) simple cuboidal; (d) simple columnar. (Layers first — simple = one, stratified = many; shape second — squamous/cuboidal/columnar.)
• Part 3: (a) dense connective tissue (dense regular — tendons/ligaments); (b) adipose tissue; (c) blood (a fluid connective tissue — cells in plasma); (d) cartilage (elastic cartilage in the ear/outer nose; "cartilage" is full credit). (All are connective; the point is the correct subtype, and that blood IS connective.)
• Part 4: (a) skeletal, cardiac, smooth. (b) skeletal = striated, voluntary (multinucleate); cardiac = striated, involuntary; smooth = non-striated, involuntary. (c) cardiac muscle has intercalated discs, found only in the heart (they coordinate the heartbeat). (d) skeletal muscle moves the skeleton for deliberate actions (walking, lifting, writing), so voluntary control fits its job — while the heart and organ walls must run automatically, so they're involuntary.

Canvas placement block

canvas_object    = Assignment
title            = "Week 5 Assignment — Name That Tissue (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-05-assignment-rubric"
provenance       = "~ Prof. Navarro's edition · Fall 2026 · built with thecoursemaker.com"