Week 3 — Assignment (Adaptive Learning) · "Wiring the Mind"

Course: Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 1) · Silver Oak University (fictional sample) · Prof. Bennett
Objective assessed: Objective 3 (neurons, neurotransmitters, the nervous system and brain) · SLO A (apply concepts to behavior) · SLO B (reason and communicate clearly)
Worth 100 points · Assignments group = 20% 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 3 of the term — every instructional week carries one graded assignment (alongside that week's quiz and discussion).

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 20.

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 3 of Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 1) 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.

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) — Label the neuron & order the signal ────────────
SHOW ME: "(a) Name the part of a neuron that does each job: (i) receives incoming signals; (ii) carries the signal away from the cell body; (iii) insulates the axon and speeds the signal up; (iv) releases neurotransmitters to the next neuron. (b) Put these five steps of a neural signal in the correct order, and add one line on WHY they go in that order: [terminal buttons release neurotransmitters] · [signal arrives at the dendrites] · [the action potential travels down the axon] · [neurotransmitters cross the synaptic gap to the next neuron] · [the neuron reaches threshold and fires]."
VETTED ANSWER: (a)(i) dendrites; (ii) axon; (iii) myelin sheath; (iv) terminal buttons (axon terminals). (b) Correct order: 1) signal arrives at the dendrites → 2) the neuron reaches threshold and fires → 3) the action potential travels down the axon → 4) terminal buttons release neurotransmitters → 5) neurotransmitters cross the synaptic gap to the next neuron. WHY: a neuron receives at the dendrites, decides/fires only once it crosses threshold, sends the impulse down the axon, and then hands off chemically at the end — input, fire, travel, release, cross.
RUBRIC: (a) 3 points each = 12 (dendrites, axon, myelin sheath, terminal buttons). (b) 12 — up to 9 for the correct order (partial credit for mostly-right sequencing) + 3 for a sensible "why." Judge meaning, not exact wording.
FRESH VARIANT (for a re-attempt): "(a) Name the part that: (i) holds the nucleus and keeps the neuron alive; (ii) are the branching antennae that receive signals; (iii) is the long cable that carries the impulse; (iv) are the support cells that build myelin and clean up around neurons. (b) Order these and add a why: [binds to receptors on the next neuron] · [soma sums the incoming signals] · [crosses threshold and fires an action potential] · [neurotransmitters released at the terminals] · [impulse races down the myelinated axon]." Answers: (a)(i) soma/cell body; (ii) dendrites; (iii) axon; (iv) glial cells. (b) soma sums the incoming signals → crosses threshold and fires → impulse races down the myelinated axon → neurotransmitters released at the terminals → binds to receptors on the next neuron. Same rubric.

──────────── PROBLEM 2 (26 points) — Match the chemicals & structures, then one real-world consequence ────────────
SHOW ME: "(a) Match each to its role: [dopamine] [serotonin] [GABA] [hippocampus] — roles: forms new memories · reward and movement (low levels linked to Parkinson's) · the brain's main calming/inhibitory messenger · mood, sleep, and appetite (low activity linked to depression). (b) In 2–3 sentences, explain ONE real-world consequence of damage to the hippocampus, using this week's terms."
VETTED ANSWER: (a) dopamine → reward and movement (low → Parkinson's); serotonin → mood, sleep, appetite (low → depression); GABA → the main calming/inhibitory messenger; hippocampus → forms new memories. (b) Damage to the hippocampus impairs forming new long-term memories — a person might keep older memories but be unable to lay down new ones (you could meet them repeatedly and they wouldn't remember you), because the hippocampus is where new memories are consolidated. (Accept any accurate consequence tied to memory formation.)
RUBRIC: (a) 4 points per correct match = 16. (b) 10 — up to 6 for a correct, specific consequence (can't form new long-term memories) + 4 for using this week's terms accurately and careful wording. Partial credit throughout.
FRESH VARIANT: "(a) Match each: [acetylcholine] [glutamate] [amygdala] [cerebellum] — roles: balance and coordination · muscle movement and memory · the brain's main excitatory ('go') messenger · fear and emotional alarm. (b) In 2–3 sentences, explain one real-world consequence of damage to the cerebellum, using this week's terms." Answers: (a) acetylcholine → muscle movement and memory; glutamate → main excitatory messenger; amygdala → fear/emotional alarm; cerebellum → balance and coordination. (b) Cerebellum damage disrupts balance, coordination, and smooth movement — e.g., an unsteady, clumsy gait or trouble with fine motor control. Same rubric.

──────────── PROBLEM 3 (24 points) — Sympathetic or parasympathetic? ────────────
SHOW ME: "For each scenario, say whether the sympathetic or parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system is mainly active, and give a one-line why: (a) A car swerves toward you — your heart pounds and your pupils widen. (b) After a big meal, you feel relaxed and sleepy as digestion kicks in. (c) You're about to give a speech and your hands go cold and shaky. (d) You finish a calming breathing exercise and your heart rate slows back to normal."
VETTED ANSWER: (a) sympathetic — fight-or-flight arousal (racing heart, dilated pupils). (b) parasympathetic — rest-and-digest (relaxation, digestion). (c) sympathetic — the body is revving up for a perceived threat. (d) parasympathetic — the 'brake' bringing the body back to baseline.
RUBRIC: 6 points per item (3 for the correct branch + 3 for a valid reason). Partial: branch right, reason weak = 3–4; branch wrong = at most 1 for a sensible but mistaken reason.
FRESH VARIANT (for a re-attempt): "(a) You hear footsteps behind you on a dark street and adrenaline surges. (b) You're lying on the couch, fully relaxed, watching a show. (c) Right before a big exam your mouth goes dry and your heart races. (d) After the exam you take deep breaths and feel your body settle." Answers: (a) sympathetic; (b) parasympathetic; (c) sympathetic; (d) parasympathetic. Same rubric.

──────────── PROBLEM 4 (26 points) — Bust the myth (SLO A + B) ────────────
SHOW ME: "In 4–6 sentences a non-psychologist friend could follow, explain why the claim 'we only use 10% of our brains' is a MYTH. Use at least THREE of this week's terms or ideas (for example: brain imaging / fMRI, the four lobes, specific structures like the medulla or hippocampus, or the idea that different regions have different jobs). Make a real argument — don't just say 'it's false.'"
VETTED ANSWER (model — accept any answer that makes the case using three or more accurate Week-3 ideas in plain language): The 10% claim is false. Brain imaging (like fMRI) shows activity across nearly the whole brain, even at rest. The brain is also modular — different jobs live in different places: the medulla runs heartbeat and breathing, the hippocampus forms memories, the occipital lobe handles vision, the frontal lobe plans and moves. If 90% were idle, damage to those 'unused' areas wouldn't matter — but damage almost anywhere causes real deficits, which means the whole brain is in use. There's simply no spare 90% waiting to be unlocked.
RUBRIC: makes a genuine argument that the myth is false (8); uses at least three Week-3 terms/ideas accurately (5 each = 15, capped at 15); plain-language clarity a non-expert could follow, minimal jargon (3).
FRESH VARIANT: "In 4–6 sentences a friend could follow, explain why 'people are either left-brained (logical) or right-brained (creative)' is a MYTH, using at least three Week-3 ideas (e.g., hemispheres specialize, the corpus callosum connects them, you use both constantly, brain imaging)." Model ideas: the hemispheres do specialize (language often leans left), but they're joined by the corpus callosum and constantly share work; brain imaging shows both sides active across tasks; no healthy person runs on one hemisphere — the personality version is pop-psych. 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). If I overstate a link as "causes," coach me to "associated with."
• 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 3 ASSIGNMENT — Wiring the Mind
Student: [name] | Date: ___
Problem 1 (Label the neuron & order the signal): a/24 — [one line]
Problem 2 (Match chemicals & structures + a consequence): b/26 — [one line]
Problem 3 (Sympathetic or parasympathetic): c/24 — [one line]
Problem 4 (Bust the 10% myth): d/26 — [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. Bennett)

• 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 3 Assignment — Wiring the Mind (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. Bennett's edition · Fall 2026 · built with thecoursemaker.com"

Traditional variant — for comparison. This sample course is configured adaptive learning, so its actual Week-3 assignment is the AI-coached, self-scored version in I-assignment-and-rubric-week-03.md. This file shows the same Week-3 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: Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 1) · Silver Oak University (fictional sample) · Prof. Bennett
Objective assessed: Objective 3 (neurons, neurotransmitters, the nervous system and brain) · SLO A (apply concepts to behavior) · SLO B (reason and communicate clearly)
Worth 100 points · Assignments group = 20% of the grade

The Assignment

This week you learned how behavior is built from biology — single cells passing chemical messages, organized into a nervous system and a brain. In four short parts, you'll label the neuron and order a signal, match the major chemicals and structures to their jobs, sort the body's fight-or-flight from its rest-and-digest, and bust one of psychology's most famous myths. 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. Keep the wording careful all the way through: a neurotransmitter is associated with a role or disorder, not a simple cause.

Part 1 — Label the neuron & order the signal (24 pts).
(a) Name the part of a neuron that does each job: (i) receives incoming signals; (ii) carries the signal away from the cell body; (iii) insulates the axon and speeds the signal; (iv) releases neurotransmitters to the next neuron.
(b) Put these five steps of a neural signal in the correct order, and add one line on why they go in that order: terminal buttons release neurotransmitters · signal arrives at the dendrites · the action potential travels down the axon · neurotransmitters cross the synaptic gap to the next neuron · the neuron reaches threshold and fires.

Part 2 — Match the chemicals & structures, then one real-world consequence (26 pts).
(a) Match each to its role: dopamine · serotonin · GABA · hippocampus — roles: forms new memories · reward and movement (low levels linked to Parkinson's) · the brain's main calming/inhibitory messenger · mood, sleep, and appetite (low activity linked to depression).
(b) In 2–3 sentences, explain one real-world consequence of damage to the hippocampus, using this week's terms.

Part 3 — Sympathetic or parasympathetic? (24 pts). For each scenario, say whether the sympathetic or parasympathetic branch is mainly active, and give a one-line why:
(a) A car swerves toward you — your heart pounds and your pupils widen. (b) After a big meal, you feel relaxed and sleepy as digestion kicks in. (c) You're about to give a speech and your hands go cold and shaky. (d) You finish a calming breathing exercise and your heart rate slows back to normal.

Part 4 — Bust the myth (26 pts). In 4–6 sentences a non-psychologist friend could follow, explain why the claim "we only use 10% of our brains" is a myth. Use at least three of this week's terms or ideas (e.g., brain imaging / fMRI, the four lobes, specific structures like the medulla or hippocampus, or the idea that different regions have different jobs). Make a real argument — don't just say "it's false."

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-03.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)(i) dendrites; (ii) axon; (iii) myelin sheath; (iv) terminal buttons / axon terminals. (b) Correct order: 1) signal arrives at the dendrites → 2) the neuron reaches threshold and fires → 3) the action potential travels down the axon → 4) terminal buttons release neurotransmitters → 5) neurotransmitters cross the synaptic gap to the next neuron. Why: receive → fire (only once threshold is crossed) → travel down the axon → release at the terminals → cross the gap chemically.
• Part 2: (a) dopamine → reward and movement (low → Parkinson's); serotonin → mood, sleep, appetite (low activity → depression); GABA → the main calming/inhibitory messenger; hippocampus → forms new memories. (b) Acceptable consequence: damage to the hippocampus impairs forming new long-term memories — older memories may remain, but the person can't lay down new ones (e.g., can't remember someone they just met repeatedly), because the hippocampus consolidates new memories.
• Part 3: (a) sympathetic (fight-or-flight arousal). (b) parasympathetic (rest-and-digest). (c) sympathetic (revving up for a perceived threat). (d) parasympathetic (the brake returning the body to baseline).
• Part 4 (model): Any genuine argument using 3+ accurate Week-3 ideas, e.g.: brain imaging / fMRI shows nearly the whole brain active, even at rest; the brain is modular (medulla → heartbeat/breathing, hippocampus → memory, occipital lobe → vision, frontal lobe → planning/movement); damage almost anywhere causes deficits, which couldn't happen if 90% were idle — so there's no spare 90% to "unlock." Must make the case, not merely assert "it's false."

Canvas placement block

canvas_object    = Assignment
title            = "Week 3 Assignment — Wiring the Mind (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-03-assignment-rubric"
provenance       = "~ Prof. Bennett's edition · Fall 2026 · built with thecoursemaker.com"