Week 9 — Assignment (Adaptive Learning) · "Sort the Bones, Classify the Joints"

Course: Anatomy & Physiology I (BIOL 2301 + BIOL 2101) · Silver Oak University (fictional sample) · Prof. Navarro
Objective assessed: Objective 4 (axial vs. appendicular skeleton; bones by region; joint classification; synovial types & movements) · SLO A (relate structure to function) · SLO B (use skeletal 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 9 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, Nov 1.

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 9 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) — Axial or appendicular? ────────────
SHOW ME: "Classify each bone as part of the AXIAL skeleton (head + trunk) or the APPENDICULAR skeleton (limbs + girdles): (a) the sternum; (b) the femur; (c) the scapula; (d) a thoracic vertebra."
VETTED ANSWER: (a) axial (thoracic cage); (b) appendicular (lower limb); (c) appendicular (pectoral girdle — a girdle bone counts as appendicular); (d) axial (vertebral column).
RUBRIC: 6 points per item (correct axial/appendicular call). Partial: if the student gives a correct reason but mislabels, award 3. The classic trap is calling the scapula "axial" — it's appendicular.
FRESH VARIANT (for a re-attempt): "(a) the clavicle; (b) the tibia; (c) the skull; (d) a hip bone." Answers: (a) appendicular (pectoral girdle); (b) appendicular (lower limb); (c) axial; (d) appendicular (pelvic girdle). Same rubric.

──────────── PROBLEM 2 (26 points) — Name the bones by region ────────────
SHOW ME: "(a) Going down the vertebral column from the neck, how many vertebrae are in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions, in that order? (b) Name the two bones of the FOREARM and say which one is on the THUMB side. (c) Name the large weight-bearing bone of the LOWER LEG (the shin)."
VETTED ANSWER: (a) 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar (the "7-12-5" string), then the sacrum and coccyx. (b) the radius and the ulna; the radius is on the thumb (lateral) side. (c) the tibia (the fibula is the thin bone beside it).
RUBRIC: (a) 10 — fully correct order; one number off = 5–7. (b) 10 — both bones named (≈4) AND the radius identified as the thumb side (≈6); naming the ulna as the thumb side caps (b) at ≈4. (c) 6 — tibia. Saying "fibula" for (c) earns 0 for that part.
FRESH VARIANT: "(a) Which vertebral region has 12 vertebrae, and where on the body is it? (b) Name the bone of the UPPER ARM. (c) Name the group of small bones that make up the WRIST." Answers: (a) the thoracic region (chest, one per rib pair); (b) the humerus; (c) the carpals. Same rubric idea (scale points to the three parts).

──────────── PROBLEM 3 (26 points) — Classify the joints ────────────
SHOW ME: "For each joint, name its STRUCTURAL class (fibrous, cartilaginous, or synovial) and how much it moves (immovable, slightly movable, or freely movable): (a) a suture between two skull bones; (b) an intervertebral disc between two vertebrae; (c) the knee."
VETTED ANSWER: (a) fibrous — immovable (a synarthrosis); (b) cartilaginous — slightly movable (an amphiarthrosis); (c) synovial — freely movable (a diarthrosis). Rule: the more rigid the connection, the less it moves; every synovial joint is a diarthrosis.
RUBRIC: ~8.5 each (a–c): ~4 for the structural class, ~4.5 for the matching mobility. Half credit for a near-miss (right mobility, wrong class, or vice versa). Calling a skull suture "synovial" = 0 for part (a).
FRESH VARIANT: "(a) the pubic symphysis; (b) the elbow; (c) what is the general rule linking a joint's structural class to how much it moves?" Answers: (a) cartilaginous — slightly movable (amphiarthrosis); (b) synovial — freely movable (diarthrosis); (c) the more rigid/solid the connecting material (fibrous tissue, then cartilage, then a fluid-filled cavity), the LESS-to-MORE the joint moves. Same rubric.

──────────── PROBLEM 4 (24 points) — Synovial joint types → movement (SLO A) ────────────
SHOW ME: "(a) Which type of synovial joint allows the GREATEST range of motion, and name the two joints in the body that are this type. (b) The elbow allows only bending and straightening — what TYPE of synovial joint is it, and what is the movement called that DECREASES the joint angle? (c) Name the synovial joint type at the base of the thumb."
VETTED ANSWER: (a) the ball-and-socket joint; the shoulder and the hip are the only two. (b) the hinge joint; the movement that decreases the joint angle is flexion (straightening it is extension). (c) the saddle joint (the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb).
RUBRIC: (a) 8 — ball-and-socket (≈4) + both shoulder AND hip (≈4). (b) 10 — hinge (≈5) AND flexion (≈5); calling the decreasing-angle move "abduction" caps that half at 0. (c) 6 — saddle. Judge meaning, not wording.
FRESH VARIANT: "(a) What synovial joint type lets you rotate your head side to side ('no'), and roughly where is it? (b) Raising your arm straight out to the side, away from your body — what is that movement called? (c) Name the synovial joint type found at the knuckles." Answers: (a) a pivot joint, between the first two cervical vertebrae (C1–C2); (b) abduction; (c) condyloid (ellipsoid). 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 9 ASSIGNMENT — Sort the Bones, Classify the Joints
Student: [name] | Date: ___
Problem 1 (Axial or appendicular?): a/24 — [one line]
Problem 2 (Bones by region): b/26 — [one line]
Problem 3 (Classify the joints): c/26 — [one line]
Problem 4 (Synovial types & movements): 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 9 Assignment — Sort the Bones, Classify the Joints (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-9 assignment is the AI-coached, self-scored version in I-assignment-and-rubric-week-09.md. This file shows the same Week-9 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 4 (axial vs. appendicular skeleton; bones by region; joint classification; synovial types & movements) · SLO A (relate structure to function) · SLO B (use skeletal terminology)
Worth 100 points · Assignments group = 15% of the grade

The Assignment

This week's skills are sorting the skeleton into a system and reading a joint by its structure. In four short parts, you'll classify bones as axial or appendicular, name bones by region, classify joints by how much they move, and match synovial joint types to their movements. 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 — Axial or appendicular? (24 pts). Classify each bone as part of the axial skeleton (head + trunk) or the appendicular skeleton (limbs + girdles): (a) the sternum; (b) the femur; (c) the scapula; (d) a thoracic vertebra; (e) the clavicle; (f) the skull.

Part 2 — Name the bones by region (26 pts). (a) Going down the vertebral column from the neck, how many vertebrae are in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions, in that order? (b) Name the two bones of the forearm and say which one is on the thumb side. (c) Name the large weight-bearing bone of the lower leg (the shin). (d) Name the bone of the upper arm.

Part 3 — Classify the joints (26 pts). For each joint, name its structural class (fibrous, cartilaginous, or synovial) and how much it moves (immovable, slightly movable, or freely movable): (a) a suture between two skull bones; (b) an intervertebral disc; (c) the knee; (d) the pubic symphysis.

Part 4 — Synovial joint types → movement (24 pts). (a) Which type of synovial joint allows the greatest range of motion, and name the two joints in the body that are this type? (b) The elbow allows only bending and straightening — what type of synovial joint is it, and what is the movement called that decreases the joint angle? (c) Name the synovial joint type at the base of the thumb.

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-09.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) axial (thoracic cage); (b) appendicular (lower limb); (c) appendicular (pectoral girdle — girdle bones are appendicular); (d) axial (vertebral column); (e) appendicular (pectoral girdle); (f) axial. (The classic trap is calling the scapula or clavicle "axial" — they're appendicular.)
• Part 2: (a) 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar ("7-12-5"), then the sacrum (5 fused) and coccyx. (b) the radius and the ulna; the radius is on the thumb (lateral) side (the ulna is on the little-finger/medial side). (c) the tibia (the fibula is the thin, non-weight-bearing bone beside it). (d) the humerus.
• Part 3: (a) fibrous — immovable (synarthrosis); (b) cartilaginous — slightly movable (amphiarthrosis); (c) synovial — freely movable (diarthrosis); (d) cartilaginous — slightly movable (amphiarthrosis). (Rule: the more rigid the connecting material, the less it moves; every synovial joint is a diarthrosis.)
• Part 4: (a) the ball-and-socket joint; the shoulder and hip are the only two. (b) the hinge joint; the move that decreases the joint angle is flexion (straightening is extension). (c) the saddle joint (carpometacarpal joint of the thumb).

Canvas placement block

canvas_object    = Assignment
title            = "Week 9 Assignment — Sort the Bones, Classify the Joints (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-09-assignment-rubric"
provenance       = "~ Prof. Navarro's edition · Fall 2026 · built with thecoursemaker.com"