Whose Histories Will a GenAI Tool Generate? Prompting ChatGPT-4 for Diverse History Lesson Plans for the Cold War Space Race

Authors

Robert W. Maloy, University of Massachusetts AmherstFollow
Sai Gattupalli, University of Massachusetts AmherstFollow
Torrey Trust, University of Massachusetts AmherstFollow

Document Type

Article

Abstract

This paper explores strategies for teachers to use in prompting ChatGPT-4 to develop diverse history lesson plans for the Cold War Space Race. Prior research showed that when given a single, broadly phrased “design a lesson plan” prompt, chatbots are less likely to generate material about experiences of African Americans, women, and other historically marginalized groups. We tried two alternative prompting strategies: a) Change the wording of the prompt to incorporate James Banks’ Levels of Multicultural Content Model, and b) Change the source of the content for the prompt by using teacher-curated materials from an open online wikispace, resourcesforhistoryteachers that included text and links to primary source, multimedia materials, and diverse content. Analysis revealed that changing the language and content of the prompt integrated the historical experiences of African Americans and women during the Space Race mainly at the lower levels on the Banks content model scale, although revised prompting that instructed the AI to include well-established instructional frameworks like Bloom’s Taxonomy began to expand the diverse content of the plans. To build more diverse history lesson plans, we conclude teachers must continue prompting AI chatbots to provide more multicultural information while also integrating their own professional and historical knowledge into the design and delivery of learning experiences for students.

Recommended Citation

Maloy, Robert W.; Gattupalli, Sai; and Trust, Torrey (2025) "Whose Histories Will a GenAI Tool Generate? Prompting ChatGPT-4 for Diverse History Lesson Plans for the Cold War Space Race," The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies: Vol. 88: No. 2, Article 4.
Available at: https://thekeep.eiu.edu/the_councilor/vol88/iss2/4

AI Statement

Artificial intelligence (AI) was used as a subject of analysis in this research, but not as a tool for drafting, editing, or generating the manuscript itself. All scholarly writing, analysis, and interpretation were conducted by the authors. Where AI chatbots (e.g., ChatGPT-4) were utilized, it was exclusively for the purposes of academic investigation and data collection as described in the study. The authors ensured that all ethical considerations, including accuracy, representation, and proper attribution of sources, were maintained throughout the research and writing process.