What You Will Learn Today
By the end of this workshop, you will have had real conversations with ChatGPT, learned to write effective prompts, completed practical AI tasks, and tested AI's accuracy.
- Your first conversation with an AI — asking questions and getting answers
- The skill of writing strong prompts that get useful responses
- Real-world tasks completed with AI help (letters, meal plans, emails)
- Knowledge of AI's limitations by testing what it gets right and wrong
Goal: Send your first prompt to ChatGPT and observe how follow-up context works.
Your First AI Conversation
Follow along with your instructor to send your first message to ChatGPT and see how the conversation builds.
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Open Chrome and go to chat.openai.com — sign in with the account you created
If you haven't created an account yet, follow the instructor's steps on the projector
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Find the text box at the bottom of the screen — this is where you type your messages
It looks similar to a search bar. This is where you talk to the AI.
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Type this exactly:
Hello! I am a veteran learning to use AI tools for the first time. What can you help me with?
Press Enter or click the send arrow
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Read ChatGPT's response — notice how much it writes!
Take a moment to read through the full response. AI tends to give long answers.
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Now ask a follow-up:
Can you give me just 5 examples, in a numbered list?
Notice: ChatGPT remembers your first message and adjusts its answer
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Ask one more follow-up:
Tell me more about number 3
This shows how AI conversations build on previous messages
Tip: ChatGPT remembers everything you say in one conversation. You can refer back to earlier messages. Starting a "New Chat" erases this memory and starts fresh.
Checkpoint — Raise your hand when done:
- ☐ Sent first message to ChatGPT
- ☐ Received a response from the AI
- ☐ Asked a follow-up question that built on the first response
- ☐ Understand that ChatGPT remembers context within a conversation
Goal: Learn the difference between weak and strong prompts, then improve 3 prompts.
Weak vs. Strong Prompts
Not all prompts are created equal. A vague question gets a vague answer. Let's see the difference.
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Start a New Chat (click "+ New Chat" in the left sidebar)
This gives you a fresh conversation with no previous context
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Type this WEAK prompt:
Write a letter
Read the response — is it useful? Probably not very specific.
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Now type this STRONG prompt:
Help me write a formal letter to the VA requesting a copy of my DD-214 discharge papers. Keep it under 200 words and professional.
Compare the two responses — which is more useful?
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Notice what made the strong prompt better:
WHO (VA), WHAT (letter requesting DD-214), HOW (formal, under 200 words)
The Prompt Formula:
Strong Prompt = WHAT you want + WHO it's for + HOW you want it (tone, length, format)
Your Turn — Fix These Prompts
Read each weak prompt below, then rewrite it to be specific and useful.
Tip: You can always ask ChatGPT to revise: "Make it shorter," "Use simpler words," "Make it more formal." Think of it as a back-and-forth conversation, not a single question.
Checkpoint — Raise your hand when done:
- ☐ Compared a weak prompt vs a strong prompt
- ☐ Improved at least 2 of the 3 weak prompts
- ☐ Typed your improved prompt into ChatGPT and got a useful response
Goal: Complete 4 practical tasks using ChatGPT — real things you might use AI for at home.
Task 1: Write a VA Letter (5 min)
Prompt to try:
Help me write a short, professional letter to the VA asking about the status of my disability claim. Include my name [your first name] and mention I filed the claim 3 months ago.
Read the result. Edit anything you would change.
Task 2: Meal Plan on a Budget (5 min)
Prompt to try:
Create a 3-day dinner meal plan for one person on a $50 weekly grocery budget. Keep recipes simple with 5 ingredients or fewer.
Read the result. Would you actually cook any of these?
Task 3: Learn Something New (5 min)
Pick any topic you are curious about and ask ChatGPT to explain it simply.
Example prompts:
Explain how solar panels work in simple terms
What are the best exercises for knee pain?
How does Medicare Advantage work?
Task 4: Draft an Email (5 min)
Prompt to try:
Help me write a polite email to reschedule my doctor's appointment from Monday to Wednesday. Keep it brief and friendly.
Tip: You can copy text from ChatGPT! Highlight the text, press Ctrl+C to copy, then paste it into an email or document with Ctrl+V.
Checkpoint — Review your progress:
- ☐ Completed at least 3 of the 4 real-world tasks
- ☐ Copied at least one AI response to use later
Goal: Test AI's accuracy by asking questions you already know the answer to.
Testing What You Know
The best way to understand AI's limits is to test it on things you are already an expert on.
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Think of 3 things you know well
Your hometown, your military branch history, a hobby, or a well-known fact
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Ask ChatGPT about each one. For example:
What year was [your hometown] founded?
Tell me about the history of [your military unit or base]
What are the rules of [a game or hobby you know well]?
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Read each response carefully — is it accurate?
Did ChatGPT get anything wrong? Compare what it says to what you know.
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Write down what it got RIGHT and what it got WRONG
Use the fact check section below to record your findings
My Fact Check Results
Question 1
Was it accurate?
Yes / No / Partially
Question 2
Was it accurate?
Yes / No / Partially
Question 3
Was it accurate?
Yes / No / Partially
Reflection
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Ask ChatGPT a question about very recent news (last week)
Notice it may not know current events — AI models have a knowledge cutoff date
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Ask: "What is today's date?"
ChatGPT often gets this wrong! It does not always know the current date.
Warning — AI "Hallucinations": AI "hallucinations" are when ChatGPT confidently states something that is WRONG. This is why you should NEVER rely on AI for medical advice, legal decisions, or financial information without checking with a real professional.
One thing I will ALWAYS double-check after using AI:
Final Checkpoint — Review your work:
- ☐ Asked at least 3 questions you knew the answers to
- ☐ Found at least one thing ChatGPT got wrong or incomplete
- ☐ Understand why verifying AI information is important
Workshop Complete!
Outstanding work! You have had your first real conversations with AI and learned how to use it wisely. Here is what you accomplished today:
- Had your first multi-turn conversation with ChatGPT
- Learned the difference between weak and strong prompts
- Completed real-world tasks: VA letter, meal plan, learning, and email drafting
- Tested AI accuracy and discovered its limitations firsthand
- Practiced the golden rule: always verify important AI-generated information
This Week's Challenge: Try 3 AI tasks at home this week — write a letter, plan a trip, or get a recipe. For each one, check whether the information is accurate. Remember: AI is a helpful starting point, not the final answer!