project-rehearsal - SKILL.md Agent Skill

name: project-rehearsal description: Write or revise a student-facing project rehearsal lesson for Math for Business Operations. Use for lesson 7 or any guided transfer lesson that rehearses the project workbook, quality standard, evidence chain, audit routine, and presentation expectations before students begin the real project. This skill is for shared teacher-data workbook orientation, guided group practice, guided audit, final polish, peer critique, transfer checks, and project handoff. Do not use for launch lessons, accounting-principles lessons, Excel build lessons, or independent project lessons.

Project Rehearsal Skill

Assume the repository's base lesson standard in AGENTS.md already applies. This skill adds only the project-rehearsal lesson logic.

Goal

A project-rehearsal lesson should:

rehearse the exact workbook structure or deliverable standard students will use in the project
give every group the same data as the teacher so every student sees the same quality bar
function as a guided-practice version of the upcoming group project
shift attention from new tool instruction to audit, evidence, clarity, and transfer
make students trace the recommendation back to supporting logic
prepare students to work more independently in the real project

This is not a new-tool lesson and not yet a true project-production lesson.

Use This Skill When

Use this skill when the lesson's main job is to:

rehearse the project workbook or deliverable with shared teacher-provided data
teach the Definition of Done before the project begins
run a guided audit on logic chain, evidence, and communication quality
help students transfer prior accounting and Excel work into a project standard
preview how the upcoming project should be organized, checked, and explained

Do Not Use This Skill When

Do not use this skill if the lesson is mainly about:

launching the unit
teaching a new accounting rule or manual procedure
introducing a new Excel tool or workbook pattern for the first time
independent project production, milestones, or revision cycles on student-owned scenarios

Core Writing Rules

Use one shared teacher-provided dataset or workbook for the whole class.
Make the lesson feel like guided practice for the project, not a side activity.
State clearly that this is a rehearsal, not the real project.
Teach the quality standard explicitly.
Focus on transfer, audit, and explanation more than new content.
Make students trace the recommendation back to evidence.
Keep the upcoming project visible throughout the lesson.
End with a clear handoff into more independent work.

Non-Negotiable Rehearsal Rule

The lesson must distinguish between:

what students are rehearsing today with the same teacher-provided data
what they will do independently in the real project

Students should leave knowing exactly which structures, checks, and communication moves they must carry forward.

Project-Rehearsal Phase Contract

Phase 1: Rehearsal Purpose

Purpose: Explain why the class is pausing for one guided rehearsal before independent project work begins.

Requirements:

frame the lesson as a final guided rehearsal before the project
explain that every group is using the same data today on purpose
explain what students should learn from this guided-practice version of the project
contrast today's shared practice with the more independent project to come
include one short comprehension or discussion move about workbook quality or audience expectations

Avoid:

pretending this is a brand-new content lesson
dropping students into the workbook without the purpose of rehearsal

Phase 2: Shared Artifact Orientation

Purpose: Orient students to the shared workbook, workbook map, deliverable structure, and success criteria.

Requirements:

provide the shared workbook or artifact download path
state that the student workbook uses the same data as the teacher workbook
name each major sheet, section, or evidence block and what it is supposed to prove
define what success looks like today
include a short vocabulary or structure check if needed

Avoid:

vague workbook overviews
teaching sheet names without explaining their job in the evidence chain

Phase 3: Guided Audit

Purpose: Model how to inspect the shared artifact and trace the final recommendation back to supporting evidence.

Requirements:

keep the data set constant across the class so students can compare reasoning and quality directly
use previews, guided routines, or annotated examples to trace the logic chain
ask students to identify where the recommendation comes from
ask students what would make the artifact feel weak, confusing, or untrustworthy
keep the teacher guidance high

Avoid:

adding a new tool lesson in the middle of the audit
turning the phase into passive viewing with no reasoning routine

Phase 4: Polish and Transfer Practice

Purpose: Let students complete or polish the shared artifact and identify what project features they must later recreate independently.

Requirements:

continue the shared rehearsal workbook or artifact
keep the work teacher-guided enough that students are practicing the project structure, not inventing a new one
ask students to complete remaining weak spots, polish clarity, and check alignment
require at least one recommendation statement and one risk or limitation statement
ask students to name the features or structures they must transfer into the real project

Avoid:

introducing major new content
treating the rehearsal as open-ended project production

Phase 5: Transfer Check and Peer Audit

Purpose: Check that students understand the project standard and can evaluate it in another student's work.

Requirements:

include a short comprehension or transfer check
include a peer audit, critique, or review routine tied to the Definition of Done
make the review focus on logic chain, evidence, and clarity
require at least one clear strength and one clear improvement

Avoid:

assessment that ignores the artifact
peer review with no concrete criteria

Phase 6: Reflection and Project Handoff

Purpose: Lock in the quality standard and preview how students will apply it in their own project scenario.

Requirements:

reflect on what the rehearsal clarified
name what must be carried into the project
explain what changes in the next lesson when students get their own scenario or team task
keep the handoff concrete and specific

Avoid:

broad motivational closing with no project transition
introducing another large standard at the very end

Shared Artifact Rules

Project-rehearsal lessons should include:

one shared teacher-controlled dataset
one shared workbook or deliverable structure
one clear workbook map or artifact map
one Definition of Done or quality checklist
one evidence-tracing routine

The shared artifact should model the real project standard closely enough that students can reuse the structure later with a different scenario. The data should be the same for the teacher and for every group during rehearsal so the class can compare the quality of reasoning, evidence, and workbook organization directly.

Component Rules

Prefer components that:

help students inspect workbook structure
preview key sheets or evidence blocks
support workbook map orientation
support peer critique or audit
surface recommendation, evidence, and risk together

Use SpreadsheetWrapper for:

workbook previews
sheet snapshots
evidence-chain examples
dashboard or summary mockups

Do not use this skill to build a new simulator-heavy lesson unless the simulator is directly supporting audit or evidence tracing.

Peer Audit Rules

Peer critique in rehearsal lessons should:

use explicit criteria
focus on logic, evidence, clarity, and readiness
ask for one strength, one confusion point, and one improvement
feel like preparation for project quality control, not generic peer response

Transfer Rules

Every project-rehearsal lesson should make students answer some version of:

What must every project workbook or deliverable include?
Where does the recommendation come from?
What evidence proves the recommendation is reasonable?
What would make this artifact feel weak or untrustworthy?
What parts of today's structure must my team recreate independently?

What Not To Standardize From Weak Rehearsal Lessons

shared practice with no explicit statement that it is rehearsal
workbook maps that list sheets without naming what each one proves
peer critique with vague praise but no concrete evidence standard
phase 4 tasks that drift into full project production

Success Test

A strong project-rehearsal lesson should leave students able to answer:

Why are we doing this rehearsal before the real project?
What does a complete project workbook or deliverable need to contain?
How do I trace the final recommendation back to evidence?
What are the most important quality checks before submission?
What will my group need to recreate or adapt in the real project?