Essay writing with ChatGPT streamlines a student’s workflow. ChatGPT does have some weaknesses, but it is still quite powerful. Essays can be completed in minutes with little worry about pesky things like “knowledge” or “writing ability.” In this article, I simply demonstrate (commentary will come in future articles) how a student can easily do the following:
- Generate an essay,
- Make an outline of the essay for approval by the teacher,
- Change the outline of the essay based on feedback from the teacher, and
- Generate a new essay based on the new outline (while improving the writing style).
I didn’t change any text in my prompts or in the responses. The following interaction took less than two minutes.
The lesson: traditional essay assignments need to change.
Initial interaction
Scott
Write a short essay on three causes of the U.S. Civil War that’s appropriate for an 8th grader. Don’t use numbered paragraphs. Write it as a text essay.
ChatGPT 3.5
The United States Civil War was a significant event in American history that took place from 1861 to 1865. There were many factors that contributed to the outbreak of the war, but three main causes are commonly cited.
Firstly, the issue of slavery was a major cause of the Civil War. At the time, slavery was legal in the southern states, but it had been abolished in the northern states. The southern states relied heavily on slave labor to work on their farms and plantations, while the northern states did not. This created a stark contrast between the two regions, and the debate over the morality and legality of slavery led to increasing tensions between the north and south.
Secondly, economic differences between the northern and southern states played a significant role in the outbreak of the war. The northern states were rapidly industrializing and focused on manufacturing goods, while the southern states were heavily reliant on agriculture, particularly cotton. This resulted in very different economic interests, with the northern states seeking to protect their industries and the southern states advocating for free trade. The economic tensions between the two regions contributed to the growing divide between the north and south.
Lastly, the concept of states’ rights was another major cause of the Civil War. The southern states believed that they had the right to govern themselves and make their own laws, without interference from the federal government. The northern states, however, believed in a strong federal government that had the power to regulate and oversee the states. This disagreement over states’ rights was a significant contributing factor to the tensions that led to the Civil War.
In conclusion, the Civil War was caused by a variety of factors, including the issue of slavery, economic differences between the northern and southern states, and debates over states’ rights. These issues created significant tensions between the two regions, and ultimately led to one of the bloodiest conflicts in American history.
Scott
Given the following essay, create a 2-level outline (with short phrases, not sentences):
(((I copy-and-pasted the essay here.)))
ChatGPT 3.5
I. Introduction
- The United States Civil War
- Occurrence period: 1861-1865
- Many factors contributed to the outbreak of the war
II. Slavery as a Cause
- Slavery’s legality
- The North vs. The South
- The moral and legal debates surrounding slavery
III. Economic Differences as a Cause
- North and South’s differing economic interests
- The Northern states and industrialization
- The Southern states and agriculture
IV. States’ Rights as a Cause
- The Southern states’ belief in the right to self-governance
- The Northern states’ belief in a strong federal government
- Disagreement over states’ rights
V. Conclusion
- The Civil War caused by multiple factors
- The tension between the North and South
- One of the deadliest conflicts in American history.
Turn it in to the teacher
Having looked at the outline of a possible essay, the teacher says, “This isn’t enough. You need to add another cause.”
Back to the drawing board
Scott
We already have the following essay describing the causes of the Civil War, but I need to include a 4th cause. What could that 4th cause be?
(((Copy-and-paste the most recent outline.)))
ChatGPT 3.5
One additional cause of the Civil War could be the issue of territorial expansion and the question of whether new states would allow slavery or not. This was a major issue in the mid-19th century as the United States was expanding westward, and there were heated debates over whether new states should be free or slave states. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, for example, led to violence and conflict as pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces clashed over the future of the territories. The issue of territorial expansion and the spread of slavery could be seen as a fourth cause of the Civil War.
Scott
Could you please change the outline so that it includes the 4th cause also in the outline?
ChatGPT 3.5
Sure, here’s an updated outline that includes the 4th cause:
I. Introduction
- The United States Civil War
- Occurrence period: 1861-1865
- Many factors contributed to the outbreak of the war
II. Slavery as a Cause
- Slavery’s legality
- The North vs. The South
- The moral and legal debates surrounding slavery
III. Economic Differences as a Cause
- North and South’s differing economic interests
- The Northern states and industrialization
- The Southern states and agriculture
IV. States’ Rights as a Cause
- The Southern states’ belief in the right to self-governance
- The Northern states’ belief in a strong federal government
- Disagreement over states’ rights
V. Territorial Expansion as a Cause
- Debates over whether new states should be free or slave states
- The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854
- The spread of slavery and its impact on the country
VI. Conclusion
- The Civil War caused by multiple factors
- The tension between the North and South
- One of the deadliest conflicts in American history.
Get approval of the outline
Turn in the new outline and get it approved so that “I can write the essay” based on this outline.
Another session
Scott
Based on the following outline, please write an essay on the causes of the US Civil War in the style of a college student.
(((Copy-and-paste most recent outline here.)))
ChatGPT 3.5
The American Civil War, which took place from 1861 to 1865, was one of the deadliest and most significant events in the country’s history. The war was caused by multiple factors that had been building up over many years, including the issue of slavery, economic differences between the North and South, debates over states’ rights, and territorial expansion.
One of the main causes of the Civil War was the issue of slavery. Slavery had been legal in the Southern states, but it had been abolished in the Northern states. The Southern states relied heavily on slave labor to work on their farms and plantations, while the Northern states did not. The moral and legal debates surrounding slavery led to increasing tensions between the North and South, ultimately resulting in the war.
Another significant cause of the Civil War was the economic differences between the North and South. The Northern states were rapidly industrializing and focused on manufacturing goods, while the Southern states were heavily reliant on agriculture, particularly cotton. This created very different economic interests, with the Northern states seeking to protect their industries and the Southern states advocating for free trade. The economic tensions between the two regions contributed to the growing divide between the North and South.
States’ rights also played a major role in the outbreak of the Civil War. The Southern states believed that they had the right to govern themselves and make their own laws, without interference from the federal government. The Northern states, however, believed in a strong federal government that had the power to regulate and oversee the states. This disagreement over states’ rights was a significant contributing factor to the tensions that led to the Civil War.
Territorial expansion was also a cause of the Civil War. There were debates over whether new states should be free or slave states. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 led to violence and conflict as pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces clashed over the future of the territories. The spread of slavery and its impact on the country further exacerbated the tensions between the North and South.
In conclusion, the Civil War was caused by multiple factors, including the issue of slavery, economic differences between the North and South, debates over states’ rights, and territorial expansion. These factors created significant tensions between the two regions, ultimately leading to one of the deadliest conflicts in American history. The aftermath of the Civil War would have a lasting impact on the country’s political, economic, and social landscape.
