Making a Math assignment bilingual & classroom-ready

A four-prompt system for scaffolded, bilingual assignments. Run CHECK. This tells you if you need to SCAFFOLD. If yes, run SCAFFOLD; then run TRANSLATE. Finally, run FORMAT HTML to generate a printable, styled PDF layout. Works in Gemini or NotebookLM.

What to do

1
Upload one assignment.One worksheet per run. Remove any answer key before uploading; CHECK will stop and ask you to if one is still in the file. A worksheet with parts A, B, and C counts as one; a unit packet with several separate worksheets is several runs; long files lose their tables. Upload the original Doc or Word file if you have it; scanned PDFs flatten exponents, run fractions together, and drop minus signs, and graphs and figures can't be read at all, so keep those originals for the students.
2
Paste the CHECK prompt.It reads what you uploaded and tells you which prompt to run next, what's missing, and whether any of the math came through garbled.
3
Do what CHECK says.Usually one of these. For a long worksheet, run SCAFFOLD in this chat, then copy its output into a new chat and run TRANSLATE and FORMAT HTML there; long chats make Gemini fail with "I seem to be encountering an error."
Students reason in wordsWord problems, explain or justify, find the error, interpret a graph or a value in context, proofs. Paste SCAFFOLD. When it finishes, paste TRANSLATE on the result.
Quiz, test, computation practice, vocabulary, notesPaste TRANSLATE.
4
Paste FORMAT HTML for a styled layout.Paste FORMAT HTML to turn the text into a styled worksheet with worked-example boxes, bordered problem cards, work space, stacked fractions, and blank graphing grids. Save the output code as an .html file or paste into CodePen, then press Ctrl+P / Cmd+P in Chrome to print/save as PDF. Graphs and figures come out as labeled placeholder boxes; paste the image in or hand out the original with the worksheet. If Gemini gives you a file or opens a side panel instead of replying in the chat, that's still the TRANSLATE result. Paste FORMAT HTML next to get the print-ready version.
5
Run the teacher check below, then export or print.In Gemini, use Export to Docs if keeping text, or save as PDF via Chrome. Copy-pasting raw text breaks formatting.

Prompt 1: CHECK run first, on whatever you have

CHECK
Look at the attached files and answer in exactly this format. Do not rewrite, translate, solve, or scaffold anything yet.

1. WHAT THIS IS
One line: the type of assignment (word problems, computation or practice set, graphing, geometry with figures, proof, data or statistics, notes, vocabulary, quiz or test, other) and what students must produce.

2. WHICH PROMPT TO RUN
Read every item, not just the title. If any item is a word problem, or asks students to explain, justify, compare, find an error, interpret a value or graph in context, write an equation from a situation, or prove (why, how do you know, what does ___ represent, explain your reasoning), even one at the end: "Run SCAFFOLD, then TRANSLATE." If every item is computation, solving or simplifying given expressions, graphing given equations, or recall: "Run TRANSLATE only." A quiz or test is always "Run TRANSLATE only," whatever its questions ask. One line saying which and why.

3. WHAT IS MISSING
- Does the task depend on a graph, figure, diagram, or table printed as an image? Yes / No. If Yes: "I cannot read [name]. The scaffold will mark its place; the teacher supplies it." Say whether its labels and measurements are readable as text.
- Scanned or image-only PDF? Yes / No. If Yes: "Upload the original Doc or Word file if you have it; scanned math loses exponents, fractions, and minus signs."
- Answer key (answers to the items students must do) attached or printed anywhere in the file? Yes / No. If Yes, say where. Rubric attached? Yes / No.
- More than one assignment in the file (several Name/Date headers or separate worksheets)? Yes / No. If Yes: "This file has [N] assignments. Split it and run one at a time."

4. ISSUES IN THE ASSIGNMENT
Always report the first two items; report the others only if they apply.
- Math notation: list every number, expression, or equation that looks garbled or missing: a flattened exponent (x2 for x²), a fraction run together, a dropped minus sign or radical, a lost inequality sign, an equation that came through blank or as [image]. If you are not certain what a symbol is, say "unsure" and name the item. Missing spaces alone are not garbled; do not list them. If none: "Math notation reads cleanly."
- Worked examples: list each one in the original and say whether its problem is also one students must solve. If none: "No worked examples in the assignment."
- Teacher-facing material on student pages: standards codes, teacher notes, answers.
- Anything students cannot do from the attached materials (a graph, figure, table, or textbook page the assignment refers to but does not include).

5. NEXT STEP
Reply with exactly one of these lines and nothing else:
- "Remove the answer key from the file, upload it again, and paste CHECK again." (Use this line whenever an answer key is attached, before any other.)
- "Paste the SCAFFOLD prompt now."
- "Paste the TRANSLATE prompt now."
- "Attach the missing material named above, then paste the SCAFFOLD prompt."
- "Upload the original Doc or Word file, then paste CHECK again."
- "Split the file into one assignment per upload, then paste CHECK again on the first one."
Do not ask the teacher any questions.

Prompt 2: SCAFFOLD only if CHECK says so; run in English

SCAFFOLD
Rebuild the assignment in this conversation as a scaffolded version for students still developing academic English. The uploaded assignment is the only source for problems, numbers, and examples. Keep the standard; change the route to it.

KEEP
- Every problem, part, and answer choice, in the original order and numbering, with its numbers, units, and conditions. Keep headings, section order, rubrics, point values, and answer-format rules (simplest form, rounding, units).
- Every number, sign, variable, exponent, fraction, radical, and symbol exactly as written, in plain text, not LaTeX: x², √(x + 4), (x + 1)/2, ≤, ≥, ≠, π, −. Use parentheses so a fraction cannot be misread: (1/2)x, not 1/2x. Anything you cannot read with certainty becomes "[UNREADABLE: copy from original]", never a guess or a blank.
- Every table, number line, coordinate plane, figure, and work space with its shape, labels, and cell count; blank cells and answer lines stay blank. If a table cannot be reproduced, write "[TABLE NOT REPRODUCED: name]" in its place.

CHANGE
1. Directions: numbered steps, one action each, plain English, two lines max. Remove standards codes and teacher notes.
2. Word problems: keep the original text unchanged. Below it, add "Shorter sentences (same problem):" retelling it in short, plain sentences with every number, unit, name, and condition from the original, in the same order. It never names an operation, writes an equation, or adds information. Then two blanks: "I know: ___" and "I need to find: ___".
3. Math terms bank: the vocabulary and symbols the task uses, each with a one-line plain definition; each symbol with how to say it ("≥ means greater than or equal to"). Define context words by meaning, never as an operation ("per means for each," not "per means divide").
4. Background (not from the assignment): its own section, headed exactly "Background (not from the assignment)", after the terms bank. Only if the task needs a tool the materials do not give (a formula, a unit conversion, a rule): 3 to 5 plain items. Never a step, a result, or the idea an item is testing. Otherwise leave this section out.
5. Visuals: for a graph, figure, or diagram, write "[VISUAL: keep from original: name]" in the section where students use it, never in a separate Visuals section, then list what to find in it (given measurements, labeled points, axes and scale), only from its labels and the assignment. A blank coordinate plane or number line students draw on is not a visual; keep it with its range and scale.
6. Worked example: one fully worked example for each type of problem in the assignment, at most three. Each uses a problem, numbers, and (for word problems) a context the student does not see anywhere in the assignment, and is no harder than the student's problems. Each step on its own line with a short plain-English label, and the final answer in the required format. Replace any original worked example whose problem students must solve.
7. Frames, only under word problems and items that ask students to explain, justify, find an error, or create; an equation to solve gets no frame. Word problem: "Equation or plan: ___", "Work:", "Answer: ___ (units)", "Check: ___", only the lines the item asks for (a "set up" item gets no Answer line). Create your own: "My situation: ___", "My problem: ___", then the word-problem frames. Explain or justify: "My answer is ___ because ___." Error analysis: number the lines of the student's work, then "The mistake is in line ___. The student ___. The correct step is ___." Value in context: "___ represents ___." Proof: keep the statement/reason table; add an alphabetical reasons bank: every theorem, postulate, or definition the proof uses, plus two it does not. The student's math and reasoning are always blanks: a frame never shows an operation, equation, step, or number from the solution, and a bracketed hint names only what kind of thing goes there ("[the quantity you are finding]" is allowed; "[multiply 12 by 3]" is the answer and is not). If the answer key's idea appears in a frame, hint, or retelling, rewrite it.
8. Glossary: each required academic term with a one-line plain definition.

NEVER
- Solve, set up, or start any problem the student must do. Change a number, sign, unit, or condition. Invent data or add math facts beyond the labeled background list.
- Add commentary, notes, or citation tags such as [cite: 1]. Return only the student-facing document, in English.

Prompt 3: TRANSLATE run on the scaffolded document, or on any assignment CHECK says needs translation only

TRANSLATE
Convert the assignment into a bilingual English/Spanish version for multilingual learners. If a scaffolded version appears earlier in this conversation, translate that; otherwise translate the attached document. Use only that one document. Do not add, remove, combine, reword, solve, or summarize anything.

LAYOUT
- Stacked: every English line exactly as written, then its Spanish translation directly beneath, as its own italic paragraph. This applies to everything: headers, headings, directions, word problems, questions, answer choices, banks, frames, worked examples, glossaries. In a list, the Spanish sits under the item without repeating its number or letter.
- Leave out any answer key or list of answers, its heading, and any line telling students where answers are; in its place write "[ANSWER KEY REMOVED]". After any notation flagged as garbled earlier in this conversation, write "[CHECK ORIGINAL]". Keep order, numbering, point values, blank lines, answer lines, and tables. A table keeps its rows and columns with English and Spanish stacked in each cell; blank cells stay blank; never drop a table or turn it into a list. If it cannot be reproduced, write "[TABLE NOT REPRODUCED: name]".
- A short label followed by a blank or by math (Answer:, I know:, Relation #1 { … }) is written once, on one line: "Answer / Respuesta: ___", "Relation / Relación #1 { … }". Full sentence frames are stacked as usual. Never start a line with a blank.

STAYS AS WRITTEN
- Every number, variable, expression, equation, inequality, fraction, exponent, radical, coordinate pair, function notation, and unit symbol (x², (x + 1)/2, √9, f(x) = 3x − 2, (4, −1), cm, ft², $). Write math in plain text with superscript characters (x², m³) and convert any LaTeX ($...$, \frac{a}{b}, x^2) to that form. A line that is only math (an expression, an equation, a line of work) gets no second line. Decimal points stay as points, never commas. Unit words in sentences (meters, dollars) are translated.
- People's names and place names in word problems, titles of works, and any word students must locate or produce. In a bank or glossary, each entry is one line, English / Spanish; an entry that already has a Spanish gloss gets no second line.
- "[VISUAL: keep from original]" placeholders, which get a Spanish line beneath; copyright lines and standards codes.
Everything else written for students is translated, including word problems, "Shorter sentences" retellings, step labels in worked examples, and every frame with its fixed words and bracketed hints. Math terms use the standard Spanish term with the English in parentheses on first use (la pendiente (slope), la desigualdad (inequality)).

SPANISH
- Neutral Spanish for a high school reader, tú in directions (Resuelve, Simplifica, Explica), plain wording with academic terms glossed in parentheses on first use. Where an article or adjective before a blank would reveal the answer's gender or number, rewrite the line.
- A Spanish word problem keeps every number, unit, and condition of the English and adds nothing, including any operation word the English does not use.
- Terms: worked example = ejemplo resuelto; setup = planteamiento; step = paso; show your work = muestra tu procedimiento; sentence frame = marco de oración; math terms bank = banco de términos matemáticos; glossary = glosario; background (not from the assignment) = contexto (no viene de la tarea); shorter sentences (same problem) = oraciones más cortas (el mismo problema); I know = sé; I need to find = necesito encontrar; inequality = desigualdad; evaluate = evaluar; slope = pendiente; y-intercept = intersección con el eje y; function = función; graph (noun) = gráfica; ratio = razón; rate = tasa; proportion = proporción; mean = media; median = mediana; simplest form = mínima expresión; round to the nearest tenth = redondea a la décima más cercana; justify = justificar; frame = marco; proof = demostración; statement = afirmación; reason (in a proof) = justificación.

OUTPUT
- Title as a level-1 heading, section names as level-2, numbered questions as level-3, so they export as Heading styles. The Spanish version of a heading is normal italic text on the line below, not a heading.
- Body text uses only bold, italics, numbered and bulleted lists, and tables. No literal symbols (#, *, >) used as formatting, no backticks or code formatting around math, and no citation tags such as [cite: 1]; remove any that appear. Math symbols (−, ×, ÷, =, <, >) stay.
- Return the complete document only. No introduction, summary, or commentary.

Prompt 4: FORMAT HTML run after TRANSLATE to generate a print-ready PDF layout

FORMAT HTML (Print-to-PDF)
Convert the entire document above into one complete, standalone HTML file styled for student printing. Do not summarize, shorten, solve, add, or omit anything. Remove any citation tags such as [cite: 1]. Return ONLY the HTML code block.

1. Page: @page { size: letter; margin: 0.6in; }. Font stack system-ui, -apple-system, Arial, sans-serif at 10.5pt, line-height 1.4. page-break-inside: avoid on problem cards.
2. Header: a table with the title, its Spanish title beneath, and underline slots for Name/Nombre, Date/Fecha, and Period/Periodo.
3. Callout boxes for directions, terms banks, and glossaries: background #f7fafc; border 1px solid #e2e8f0; border-left 4px solid #3182ce; padding 10px 14px; border-radius 4px; margin-bottom 12px. "Background (not from the assignment)" gets its own box after the terms bank, never combined with it. Each worked example in its own box (background #f0fff4; border 1px solid #c6f6d5; border-left 4px solid #38a169; padding 10px 14px; margin-bottom 12px), each step on its own line with its label beside it in smaller text.
4. Math: exponents and subscripts with sup and sub. Each numeric or algebraic fraction (not a unit like m/s or mi/h) is a stacked fraction: an inline-flex column span, vertical-align middle, numerator over denominator with a 1px solid line between; a mixed number keeps its whole number beside it. A radical gets a border-top over the radicand. Convert any leftover LaTeX. Math is never italic, even inside a Spanish line.
5. Bilingual text: English in #1a202c; each Spanish translation directly beneath in italics, #4a5568.
6. Visuals: each "[VISUAL: keep from original]" placeholder becomes a dashed box (border 2px dashed #a0aec0; min-height 3in; padding 16px; text-align center; color #4a5568; margin-bottom 15px) holding the placeholder text and any look-for list already in the document; never write a new one. A blank coordinate plane becomes an inline SVG grid at least 3in square with both axes, tick marks, and the range and scale of the original (axes unnumbered if it gives none), nothing plotted. A blank number line becomes an SVG line with the original's tick marks and labels.
7. Problem cards: each problem and its frames in a card (border 1px solid #cbd5e0; border-radius 6px; padding 10px 12px; margin-bottom 12px), the problem in a light header inside it (background #edf2f7; padding 8px 10px; border-radius 4px; font-weight 600). Blanks and bracketed hints get border-bottom 1px dashed #4a5568. Every problem that asks students to solve, show work, or explain gets a work area inside its card (min-height 1.5in; border 1px dashed #cbd5e0) labeled Work / Procedimiento; multiple-choice and matching items do not. Consecutive problems that have only a work area and an Answer line (no frames, no retelling) go two per row (display: grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr; gap: 12px); everything else stays full width. Worked examples stay complete; in a frame for a student problem, anything filled in after a label (I know, I need to find, a step, an equation, a "because" clause) is replaced with a blank.
8. Tables: full width, borders #cbd5e0, light header shading, English and Spanish stacked in header cells. A table of values or a proof keeps the original rows and columns, blank cells stay blank and at least 0.4in tall, and every row with its own blank stays its own table row, never stacked inside one cell.

Teacher check two minutes, before you print

  1. Every number, negative sign, exponent, fraction, radical, and inequality sign matches the original. Check negative signs first; they're the easiest to lose. Gemini can drop a sign or a letter and then report the original as missing it, so trust the paper, not CHECK.
  2. Work each worked example yourself. Its math is correct, its problem is not one students do, and it is not harder than theirs.
  3. Nothing on the page (frames, hints, "Shorter sentences," Background, worked examples) shows a step, equation, operation, or answer for a problem students must solve, or states the idea an item tests (a Background rule that settles a "who is correct" question). Delete any that does.
  4. Each "Shorter sentences" retelling has every number and condition from the original and nothing added.
  5. Every graph or figure the task needs is marked with a placeholder, the measurements listed match the figure, and you have the original to paste in or hand out.
  6. Blank coordinate planes and number lines have the original's range and scale.
  7. The last item is complete, with all its answer choices or answer lines. Gemini sometimes cuts off long HTML partway through; if it did, type "continue" in the same chat or run FORMAT HTML again in a new chat. Search for [CHECK ORIGINAL] and fix or delete every one.
  8. Every table from the original is there, with the same rows and columns, still blank where students write. No [cite: 1] tags anywhere on the page.
  9. Every item still asks for what the original asks (a "set up" item was not turned into "solve"), answer-format rules (units, rounding, simplest form) are still on the page, and nothing your rubric requires was dropped.
  10. No answer key is on the page, and no line tells students where to find answers. Directions are in tú (Resuelve, not Resuelva).
  11. Every Spanish line is in italics, math is not, and tables survived. If exporting directly to Google Docs, use Export to Docs. If using FORMAT HTML, open the file in Chrome/Edge and press Ctrl+P / Cmd+P to save as PDF.

If a prompt refuses or asks for missing material, it's doing its job: attach it and run it again. If the model tells you it verified something, check anyway; it can be confidently wrong.

If the Spanish isn't in italics, or runs into the English on the same line Gemini does this about half the time; this fixes it in one step

FIX ITALICS
Reprint the entire document you just produced. Change nothing except this: every Spanish translation is on its own line directly under its English line, never on the same line, and every Spanish line, including full paragraphs, list items, frames, table cells, and answer-key lines, is in italics, while every English line is not. Numbers, expressions, and equations are never italic, even inside a Spanish line. Remove every citation tag or bracketed source marker such as [cite: 1]. Do not shorten, summarize, solve, or omit anything, and keep every table. Then I will export it.

Paste it in the same chat, right after the TRANSLATE result, then Export to Docs from the reprinted version. If it still comes back plain, the Doc is correct in every other way; the italics can be added by hand for the few lines students will read most (directions and problems).