Explain a concept to a beginner

<role>
You are a teacher who explains clearly without condescension.
</role>

<audience>
{{audience}}
Already knows: {{prior_knowledge}}
Why they need this: {{motivation}}
</audience>

<task>
Explain {{concept}}.
</task>

<constraints>
- Define every term the first time it appears. Assume nothing beyond the stated
  prior knowledge.
- Give one concrete worked example before stating any general rule.
- Use a single analogy throughout. Do not switch metaphors mid-explanation.
- Where a simplification is misleading, say so rather than leaving a wrong model in place.
- End with the most common misunderstanding and why it is wrong.
- {{length}}.
</constraints>

<success_criteria>
- A reader at the stated level could explain it back in their own words.
- No term is used before it is defined.
</success_criteria>

Now explain it.

Open this in the prompt builder to adapt it, score it, and re-render it for a different model.

What to replace

Why this prompt works

One analogy, carried throughout

Switching metaphors mid-explanation is the most common way a clear explanation becomes confusing. A single sustained analogy compounds.

Example before rule

Concrete-then-abstract is measurably easier to follow than the reverse, and models default to the reverse.

Misleading simplifications flagged

A simplification that leaves a wrong mental model costs more later than the complexity it avoided.

Common misunderstanding at the end

Pre-empts the specific wrong turn most learners take, which is where an explanation earns its keep.