Below is a detailed **Lesson Plan** for **Week 8, Session 1** of the Prompt Engineering Specialization

course, titled *"Automation and Workflow Integration."* This session advances the intermediate phase
(Weeks 6-10), building on technical prompting skills from Week 7, Session 2 (data analysis and coding) by
introducing automation and workflow integration using APIs and scripts. It’s designed for a 90-minute
class (1.5 hours), combining lecture, demonstration, and hands-on practice to scale up prompt
engineering capabilities.

---

### Lesson Plan: Week 8, Session 1

**Title**: Automation and Workflow Integration

**Date**: [Insert specific date, e.g., October 21, 2025, assuming a Tuesday/Thursday schedule]

**Duration**: 90 minutes

**Location**: Classroom or virtual platform (e.g., Zoom)

**Instructor**: [Your Name]

**Target Audience**: College students (beginner to intermediate level, mixed technical backgrounds)

**Prerequisites**: Attendance at prior sessions; familiarity with coding prompts and basic Python from
Week 4, Session 2

---

### Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, students will:

1. Understand how to automate prompt execution using APIs and batch processing.

2. Integrate AI-generated outputs into simple workflows (e.g., saving results, looping tasks).

3. Write and test a script to automate a prompt-based task with an API.

4. Troubleshoot automation issues collaboratively with peers.

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### Materials Needed

- Access to a generative AI tool with an API (e.g., Grok via xAI API, OpenAI API, or a free alternative like
Hugging Face Inference API)

- Python environment: Instructor’s computer with Python (e.g., Jupyter Notebook); students’ laptops
with Python (or lab setup)

- API keys or tokens (instructor-provided or student-generated with guidance)

- Whiteboard or digital equivalent (e.g., Jamboard) for notes and script breakdowns

- Handout: "Automation Scripting Guide" (optional, with code snippets like `requests.post()`, file-saving
tips)

- Homework submissions: Students’ notes from Week 7, Session 2 (data/coding prompt, output, tweak
idea)

---

### Session Schedule

#### 0:00–0:10 | Welcome and Homework Debrief (10 minutes)

- **Activity**: Data and Coding Reflections

- Instructor welcomes students, recaps Week 7, Session 2 (prompting for data analysis and coding).

- Ask 2-3 volunteers to share their homework:

- “What was your prompt?” (e.g., “Write a Python loop for 1-5”).

- “What was the output?” (e.g., “1, 2, 3, 4, 5”).

- “Your tweak idea?” (e.g., “Add comments”).

- Note insights on whiteboard (e.g., “Steps clarify,” “Code needs precision”).

- **Purpose**: Link technical prompting to automation, highlight scripting relevance.

- **Transition**: “You’ve coded with prompts manually. Now, let’s automate that with APIs and
workflows.”

#### 0:10–0:30 | Lecture: Automation and Workflow Integration (20 minutes)

- **Content**:
 - **Why Automate?**: Save time, scale tasks (e.g., generate 100 summaries vs. 1), reduce repetition.

- **APIs for Prompting**:

- Connect Python to AI tools (e.g., Grok API sends “Write…” → gets response).

- Basics: `requests.post(url, data={"prompt": "…", "key": "…"})`.

- **Batch Processing**: Run multiple prompts in a loop (e.g., 5 taglines).

- **Workflow Integration**:

- Save outputs (e.g., to a file).

- Chain tasks (e.g., generate → summarize).

- **Example Script**:

```python

import requests

prompts = ["Write a tagline", "Write another", "One more"]

responses = []

for p in prompts:

r = requests.post("API_URL", data={"prompt": p, "key": "YOUR_KEY"})

responses.append(r.text)

with open("outputs.txt", "w") as f:

f.write("\n".join(responses))

```

- **Delivery**:

- Slides with examples:

- Manual: Type 3 prompts → Slow.

- Automated: Loop 3 prompts → Fast, saved to file.

- Live Demo (5 minutes):

- Script: Loop “Generate a 1-sentence story” 3 times, save to “stories.txt.”

- Show file: “Cat flew. Robot danced. Ship sank.”

- Ask, “How could this scale up?”

- **Engagement**: Pause at 0:25 to ask, “What task would you automate?” (Quick responses, e.g.,
“Summaries,” “Code snippets”).
- **Purpose**: Show automation’s power, refresh scripting basics.

#### 0:30–0:40 | Break (10 minutes)

- **Activity**: Students stretch or chat; instructor preps coding environment.

- **Purpose**: Recharge for hands-on scripting.

#### 0:40–1:15 | Activity: Build an Automated Prompt Script (35 minutes)

- **Content**: Students write and test a script to automate a prompt task.

- **Activity**: Automation Challenge

1. **Setup (5 min)**:

- Instructor explains: “You’ll script a prompt to run 3+ times, save outputs, and debug if needed.”

- Provide starter code (pre-tested with API, e.g., Grok):

```python

import requests

api_url = "API_URL" # Instructor provides

api_key = "YOUR_KEY" # Instructor provides

prompt = "Generate a 1-line tip for "

items = ["cooking", "studying", "coding"]

responses = []

for item in items:

full_prompt = prompt + item

r = requests.post(api_url, data={"prompt": full_prompt, "key": api_key})

responses.append(r.text)

with open("tips.txt", "w") as f:

f.write("\n".join(responses))

```

- Ensure Python/API access (e.g., Jupyter link or lab setup).

2. **Individual Work (15 min)**:

- Students:
 - Run the starter script, check “tips.txt” (e.g., “Stir well. Focus hard. Debug fast.”).

- Modify it: Change prompt (e.g., “Write a joke about…”), list (e.g., “dogs, cats, birds”), or file name.

- Test, note results/errors (e.g., “No file” → forgot `with`).

- Stretch goal: Add a condition (e.g., “If short, add ‘Keep it brief’”).

3. **Pair Troubleshoot (15 min)**:

- Pair up with a classmate.

- Share script, outputs, and issues.

- Fix together (e.g., “Add quotes to prompt” for syntax).

- Instructor circulates, asking, “What broke?” or “How’d you save it?”

- **Facilitation**: Encourage scale (e.g., “Try 5 loops!”) and peer support.

- **Purpose**: Apply automation hands-on, debug collaboratively.

#### 1:15–1:30 | Wrap-Up and Preview (15 minutes)

- **Content**:

- Recap: “Automation scales your prompts—APIs and scripts make it happen fast.”

- Debrief Activity: Invite 1-2 pairs to share (e.g., “My jokes saved perfectly!”). Note fixes on whiteboard
(e.g., “Check API key”).

- Next Session Preview: “We’ll integrate prompts with external tools—like spreadsheets—for
workflows.”

- Homework: “Script a prompt to run 3 times, save outputs. Bring code, file, and one pro/con.”

- **Activity**: Quick Q&A (e.g., “Any script crashes?” “API help?”).

- **Purpose**: Reinforce automation skills, bridge to workflows.

---

### Assessment

- **Formative**:

- Participation in debrief and activity (observed engagement).

- Quality of scripts during activity (informal feedback).

---

### Contingency Plans

- **If time runs short**: Shorten pair troubleshoot to 10 minutes, summarize fixes as a group.

- **If tech fails**: Use pre-run outputs (e.g., “Here’s my saved tips…”), focus on code review.

- **If students struggle**: Simplify to 1 prompt (no loop), or pair with coders.

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### Post-Session Notes for Instructor

- Reflect: Did students grasp automation? Any API hiccups?

- Prep for Week 8, Session 2: Prepare spreadsheet integration examples, review homework.

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This plan scales prompting with automation, keeping it practical and coding-focused. It builds on prior
scripting while introducing workflows, suitable for varied skill levels. Let me know if you’d like tweaks—
like more API focus or simpler tasks!