Run Evidence Lock in 15: give a short curated pack, ask students to select three anchors, and write "This matters because..." for each. Collect this before drafting begins.
If AI is allowed, it can help generate angles or structures, but it cannot choose the evidence or make final claims not grounded in the locked set. The lock is the integrity move.
When students begin with AI, the evidence follows the output. When students begin with evidence, the output follows the thinking. That reversal is everything. Evidence Lock makes the sequence non-negotiable by requiring the lock to be collected before drafting begins.
A curated evidence pack also levels the playing field. When everyone works from the same approved set, access to better tools or faster devices stops being the advantage. Reasoning and selection become the advantage.
Students choose two must-use evidence pieces from class: a labelled diagram, an experiment note, or a text snippet. They write one sentence under each: "This evidence matters because..." Only then do they draft.
Students lock an approved mini-pack: two quotes, one data point, one concept definition. They draft and justify how each evidence piece is used. Assessment focuses on evidence selection, explanation of relevance, and verification.
Is the task assessing inquiry reasoning and evidence use, or is it accidentally rewarding surface polish?
Evidence Lock is also a privacy safeguard. A shared evidence pack reduces the risk of students pasting personal details or using unknown tools with personal logins. The pack sets the boundary before the task begins.
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