Overview

This expanded lesson covers GenAI policy navigation, GenAI hallucinations and misinformation, and citation and disclosure practices. Students analyze scenarios under three policy frameworks, practice fact-checking GenAI outputs, and work through real citation exercises using MLA and APA. This lesson directly connects to the academic integrity skills students will need across all of their courses. It’s also a good opportunity to consider introducing Using GenAI at LaGuardia: A Student Guide [https://ailiteracyfye.commons.gc.cuny.edu/laguardias-genai-literacy-framework/].

Materials Needed

Projector/screen for displaying policies, scenarios, and GenAI outputs
Whiteboard and markers
Printed or projected handout: Three Sample GenAI Policies
Assignment scenario (adapted to your FYS discipline)
Citation Practice Activity handout with 4 GenAI outputs (included in lesson)
Citation Reference Guide (APA/MLA formats — included in lesson)
Materials for hallucination/misinformation activity: fact-checking tool access, SIFT framework handout, and/or sample AI-generated texts to verify (see Student Activities and Instructor Materials)

Preparation

Adapt the assignment scenario to your FYS discipline before class. Review all four citation outputs and the debrief talking points in advance — the statistics output (Output #4) in particular requires careful facilitation. Select your hallucination/misinformation activity from the Student Activities document and gather any needed materials.

Lesson Sequence

Time	Activity	Description
0:00–0:02	Opening	Ask: “How many of you are taking courses from different departments this semester?” Explain the reality of varied GenAI policies across courses.
0:02–0:07	Step 1: Three Policy Frameworks	Project and review the three sample policies: Policy A (No GenAI), Policy B (Conditional GenAI), Policy C (Full GenAI Integration).
0:07–0:12	Step 2: Scenario Introduction	Project the adapted assignment scenario. Walk through the student’s actions step by step.
0:12–0:22	Step 3: Small Group Analysis	Groups of 3, one policy per group. Discuss: What’s acceptable? What’s a violation? What should the student have done differently?
0:22–0:32	Step 4: Policy-by-Policy Debrief	Each group shares verdict and recommended alternatives.
0:32–1:02	Part 2: Hallucinations & Misinformation	Introduce concept: “GenAI makes stuff up — this is called hallucination.” Show a quick example (deepfake image, hallucinated source, or fabricated statistic). Run one Student Activity (30 min). Debrief with the Verification Checklist: Never assume GenAI is correct; check facts against reliable sources; look for specific details; be especially skeptical of statistics and quotes; use multiple verification methods.
1:02–1:07	Part 3 Intro: Why Citation Matters	Quick poll: “Who has cited a source in a paper before?” Draw out the reasons: give credit, show where information came from, let readers verify, prove you did research. “All those reasons apply to GenAI too.” Address the fear: “Hiding AI use looks worse than disclosing it.”
1:07–1:17	Citation Practice: Individual Work	Distribute handout with 4 GenAI outputs (below). Students work independently to determine if and how to cite each output.
1:17–1:27	Citation Debrief: Whole Class	Work through each output. Call on one student per scenario. Show correct formats on screen (below). Key teaching moments: Output 1 (direct quote — cite it, but verify); Output 2 (learning tool — gray area, disclosure is safest); Output 3 (brainstorming — transparent author’s note); Output 4 (statistics — find the real source, don’t cite GenAI).
1:27–1:30	Wrap-Up	Build quick reference chart on board (see Facilitation Notes). Final reminders: check the syllabus; when in doubt, disclose; verify everything.

Quick Citation Guide

When you quote or paraphrase GenAI directly:

APA In-text citation:
According to ChatGPT, “photosynthesis is the process by which plants convert sunlight into energy” (OpenAI, 2024).

APA Reference entry:
OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (Jan 15 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

MLA In-text citation:
ChatGPT describes photosynthesis as “the process by which plants convert sunlight into energy” (OpenAI).

MLA Works Cited entry:
“Photosynthesis process.” ChatGPT, 15 Jan. version, OpenAI, 15 Jan. 2024, chat.openai.com.

When you used GenAI to help you learn (but didn’t quote it):

Author’s Note at end of paper:
“ I used ChatGPT to help me understand [topic] before writing this paper. All analysis and writing is my own.” (or describe accurately in what way you used GenAI and how you complied with the professor’s GenAI policy)

4 GenAI Scenarios

OUTPUT #1: Direct Quote About Climate Change

Prompt: “What is climate change?”

CoPilot Response:
“Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, but since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas.”

Scenario: You want to use the sentence “Since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas” in your environmental science paper.

Your task: Write both the in-text citation AND the Works Cited entry (use APA or MLA – faculty’s choice).

OUTPUT #2: Explanation You Learned From

Prompt: “Explain the difference between mitosis and meiosis in simple terms”

Gemini Response:
“Mitosis creates two identical cells from one parent cell, like photocopying. It’s used for growth and repair. Meiosis creates four different cells with half the genetic material, like shuffling and dealing cards. It’s used only for making sex cells (sperm and eggs).”

Scenario: You read this explanation to understand the concept. Then you closed ChatGPT and wrote this in your biology lab report, in your own words: “Mitosis produces two genetically identical daughter cells and is responsible for growth and tissue repair in organisms. In contrast, meiosis produces four genetically diverse cells with half the original genetic material, and this process is essential for sexual reproduction.”

Your task: Do you need to cite Gemini? If yes, write what you would include. If no, explain why not.

OUTPUT #3: Brainstorming Help

Prompt: “What are some good thesis statements for an essay arguing that social media has negative effects on mental health?”

ChatGPT Response:
“Here are some potential thesis statements:

‘Social media platforms contribute to increased anxiety and depression among teenagers through constant social comparison and fear of missing out.’
‘The addictive design of social media apps disrupts sleep patterns and reduces face-to-face social interactions, leading to deteriorating mental health.’
‘While social media offers connection, its algorithmic amplification of negative content creates a toxic environment that harms users’ psychological well-being.'”

Scenario: You read these options, chose #2, then spent 2 hours researching scholarly articles about social media addiction, sleep disruption, and mental health. You wrote your essay using information from those scholarly articles, not from ChatGPT’s suggestions.

Your task: Does ChatGPT need to appear anywhere in your paper? If yes, write what you would include and where. If no, explain why not.

OUTPUT #4: Statistics That Need Verification

Prompt: “What percentage of college students experience anxiety?”

ChatGPT Response:
“Research indicates that approximately 60-70% of college students experience moderate to severe anxiety. A 2022 study found that 63% of college students reported experiencing overwhelming anxiety in the past year, with rates increasing significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Scenario: You want to use this statistic in your psychology paper: “Research shows that 63% of college students experience overwhelming anxiety annually.”

Your task: Should you cite ChatGPT for this? What else should you do before using this information?

AI Scenario Debrief & Citation Examples

OUTPUT #1: Direct Quote – DEBRIEF

Ask class: “How many of you wrote a formal citation?” (should be most hands)

Call on 1-2 students to read their citations aloud

Instructor shows correct format on screen:

APA:
In-text: (OpenAI, 2024)
Works Cited: OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (Jan 15 version) [Large language model].https://chat.openai.com/chat

MLA:
In-text: (OpenAI)
Works Cited: “Climate change definition.” ChatGPT, 15 Jan. version, OpenAI, 15 Jan. 2024, chat.openai.com.

Instructor:“This is straightforward—you’re quoting AI text, you cite it. BUT—and this is important—you should verify this information with a real source before using it. Why?”

Get student responses: AI could be wrong, scholarly sources are more credible, professors want peer-reviewed sources

OUTPUT #2: Learning Tool – DEBRIEF

Ask: “How many of you said NO citation needed?” vs. “How many said YES?”

Instructor: “This is a gray area, and honestly, professors disagree on this.”

Two acceptable approaches:

Approach 1: No citation needed

You used GenAI like a textbook or tutor
You wrote everything in your own words
You didn’t quote or paraphrase GenAI

Approach 2: Brief disclosure (safest option)

Author’s Note: “I used ChatGPT to help me understand the difference between mitosis and meiosis before writing this lab report. All analysis and explanations are my own.”

Instructor: “My recommendation? When in doubt, disclose. It takes 30 seconds and protects you. Check your professor’s policy—some require it, some don’t.”

OUTPUT #3: Brainstorming – DEBRIEF

Ask: “What did you write for this one?”

Get 2-3 student responses

Instructor: “Here’s the question: Did ChatGPT’s ideas end up in your final paper?”

The answer:

Your thesis came from ChatGPT’s suggestion
Your research and evidence came from scholarly sources
Transparency is key

Best practice:

Author’s Note: “I used ChatGPT to brainstorm potential thesis statements for this essay. All research, evidence, and analysis come from the scholarly sources listed in my Works Cited.”

Explain: “You’re not citing ChatGPT as a source of information—you’re being transparent about your process. Some professors want this, some don’t. Always check.”

OUTPUT #4: Statistics – DEBRIEF

Ask: “Should you cite ChatGPT for this statistic?”

Instructor: “Trick question. You shouldn’t use this at all—yet.“

The problem:

ChatGPT mentions “a 2022 study” but doesn’t say which one
Is it 60-70% or 63%? The numbers don’t match
You can’t verify this without finding the actual study

What you should do:

Ask ChatGPT: “What study from 2022 are you referring to?”
Search Google Scholar for: “college student anxiety 2022 study”
Find the actual research study
Read it to verify the statistic
Cite the original study, not ChatGPT

Show what the citation should actually look like:

According to Smith et al. (2022), 63% of college students reported experiencing overwhelming anxiety in the past year.

Works Cited:
Smith, J., Johnson, M., & Williams, K. (2022). Mental health trends among college students post-pandemic. Journal of College Student Psychology, 45(3), 234-250.

Instructor: “ChatGPT pointed you toward information, but the real source gets the credit.”

Wrap-Up Reference Chart (build on board during closing)

How You Used GenAI	What to Do
Direct quote from GenAI	Cite formally — but verify first
Used GenAI to learn/understand	Brief disclosure or no citation — check with professor
GenAI helped you brainstorm	Transparent author’s note about your process
GenAI gave you statistics or facts	Find the real source and cite that instead

Facilitation Notes

Part 1 of this lesson is identical to the 60-minute plan — if students have already completed the 60-minute lesson, you can abbreviate or skip Part 1 and expand time on Parts 2 and 3. Output #4 in the citation practice is intentionally tricky: the key teaching moment is that the statistic shouldn’t be used at all until verified, and that ChatGPT is a pointer to a source, not the source itself. Let students wrestle with this before revealing the answer.

Differentiation / Accessibility Suggestions

The citation practice works well in pairs for students who find citation formatting intimidating. Consider keeping the Quick Citation Reference Guide posted on your course page so students can refer to it when completing future assignments.

🧭 Module 2: 90 Minute Lesson Plan