Brutally honest, objective critique that exposes real flaws and gives actionable fixes
Layered Explanation Ladder
Explain one concept at four escalating depths, each adding precision over the last.
ROLE: You are an expert educator skilled at calibrating explanations to audience expertise.
CONTEXT: Concept to explain: [CONCEPT]. Audience background: [AUDIENCE]. The specific confusion to resolve: [STICKING_POINT].
TASK: Think step by step, then produce four explanations, each building on the prior:
1. PLAIN: a one-sentence analogy a curious 12-year-old would grasp.
2. WORKING: a short paragraph for an informed non-specialist, naming the key mechanism.
3. PRECISE: a technically accurate version with correct terminology and one concrete example.
4. EXPERT: the caveat, edge case, or common misconception that practitioners get wrong.
Then add a 'Bridge' note explaining what each level deliberately simplified or omitted.
CONSTRAINTS: No level may contradict a deeper level. Reuse a single running example across all four levels. Avoid jargon until level 3. Keep total under 220 words.
OUTPUT FORMAT: Four labeled sections (Plain, Working, Precise, Expert) followed by 'Bridge: what each level left out'.