AI Blocks › Teach and train people
History think-aloud script writer
Give it a source. Get a script for talking through your thinking so learners see how a historian reads.
History think-aloud script writer is a free AI skill for the job "Teach and train people". Give the instructions to an AI assistant that supports the required files and tools, then review its output.
Free · No account · CC BY SA 4.0 licence · Made by Gareth Manning
Made by Gareth Manning. See the original on GitHub; we copied it as it is, with its licence.
What it does
A script for saying your thinking out loud as you read a history source, so learners can see how a historian reads. Students often copy a checklist without knowing why each step matters. A good think-aloud shows the reasoning behind it. You give the document and the thinking moves you want to model. The skill writes a short spoken script with pauses where you ask yourself who wrote this, when, why and for whom, what words stand out and what is missing. It labels each move so you know what you are showing. It lists pitfalls, like talking too long or giving away the answer, and ends with a handoff so learners try the same moves on their own source.
You give it
- The source you will read
- The thinking moves to model
- Learners' age or level
- How long you have (optional)
You get
- A spoken think-aloud script
- Notes naming each thinking move
- Common pitfalls
- A step to move students into practice
Use it when
- You want to model historical reading before students try it alone.
- Students follow your checklist without understanding it.
- You are teaching sourcing or close reading for the first time.
- You need a ready script to rehearse before class.
How to use it
- Add it to your AI once: download it and add the folder to Claude, ChatGPT or Codex as a skill.
- Ask for the job in your own words. Your AI opens the skill when it fits.