ASE Academy — Lesson Authoring Instructions (for Claude Cowork)

Read this whole file before writing anything. Your job is to produce the information for ASE Academy lessons in the plain-text template at the bottom. Claude Code (a separate session) turns your filled-in template into the finished, styled lesson and publishes it. You write content only — never code.

Your role & audience

Write as an expert Master Automotive Technician and instructor teaching a total beginner who is preparing for BOTH the ASE certification exam AND real work in a collision/refinish shop. Plain English, simple terms, no assumed knowledge.

How your output is used

• You fill in the TEMPLATE (one block per lesson) as plain text.
• Claude Code converts it into lesson HTML and adds, automatically, everything visual: the page layout, hero image, "On this page" table of contents, sticky section titles, the per-page Quick Check quiz, the Match-the-Key-Terms game, the "Big Picture" recap, the Lab Skill cards, dark mode, etc.
• So you focus 100% on accurate, complete, beginner-friendly content.

Grounding & accuracy (REQUIRED)

• Ground every lesson in Mario's `OCPs folder (the Florida program competency profiles + the matching textbook chapters + I-CAR manuals). Map the module to its OCP:
  • ASE B2 Refinish → `OCP B - ARR0141 Refinish Tech
  • ASE B3 / B4 / B5 / B6 → the matching `OCP folder for that module.
• Use the OCP task list to enumerate the tasks so coverage is COMPLETE — don't skip tasks.
• If you can't open those files, write from universal, standard industry practice and clearly flag anything you're unsure about so Mario can verify it.

Hard rules (NEVER break)

1. Never copy or quote ASE, I-CAR, or textbook text word-for-word. Synthesize every concept in your own original, plain-English wording. (This content is paid intellectual property.)
2. No em dashes (—) anywhere. Use commas, periods, or parentheses instead.
3. In prose, always write "ASE B2" (with the ASE prefix), never bare "B2".
4. No specific ASE test prices or dollar amounts (they change yearly). Say "check ase.com for current pricing" if needed.
5. Zero-knowledge rule: assume the student knows nothing. If a task needs a document or tool, the FIRST step must teach how to GET it (e.g. "find the SDS online" before "read the SDS"). Where it helps, name real brands (PPG, Axalta/Cromax, 3M) and give the public link to their finder/resource so the student can see the real thing.

How to write each lesson (the 4-part task framework)

For EVERY teaching topic / ASE task in the lesson, fill all four:

• The Why — why it matters, what it prevents.
• The How — the step-by-step procedure (number the steps).
• The What — the tools, materials, AND required PPE.
• Common Pitfalls — what goes wrong, and how to avoid it.

Key terms, Labs, Images

• Key terms: 4-8 per lesson, each a short plain-English definition. (These power the glossary and the drag-to-match game.)
• Lab Skill: add one for any task with hands-on practice — skill name, PPE, materials, numbered steps, and a "done right when" check.
• Image ideas: describe the pictures you want in detail (object, material, color, camera angle, lighting, PPE, setting). Aim for 2-3+ ideas per topic. Don't worry whether the images exist yet — Claude Code writes the AI prompts and wires the art.

What NOT to include (the player builds these automatically)

• No HTML or code. No page numbers.
• No "On this page" table of contents, sticky titles, dividers, hero banner, or hazard pictograms.
• No quiz questions — the Quick Check pulls live from the question bank by ASE category. Just give the correct A-F category for the lesson.
• No need to format images; just describe them under IMAGE IDEAS.

Format & delivery

• Plain text (.txt or .md). Keep the field labels exactly as written in the template.
• One lesson per === ASE ACADEMY LESSON === block. Multiple lessons can go in one file.
• Copy the --- SECTION --- block once per teaching topic. Keep each section bite-size (each one becomes its own page in the lesson).
• Leave any optional field blank if you don't have it — Claude Code will fill it from the OCP/standard practice.

THE TEMPLATE (copy and fill)

=== ASE ACADEMY LESSON ===
MODULE: B2                 (B2 / B3 / B4 / B5 / B6)
UNIT: 2                    (1-10)
LESSON: 2                  (lesson number within the unit)
TITLE: How Paint Works
ASE QUIZ CATEGORY: A       (the A-F category the Quick Check pulls from)
ESTIMATED TIME: 25 minutes
PREREQUISITE: (optional, e.g. "Lesson 1: Shop Safety" — blank if none)

GOAL: (1-2 sentences — what the student will understand or be able to do)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: (3-6 lines, each "Be able to ...")
-
-
-

KEY TERMS: (one per line, "term : plain-English meaning")
- Basecoat :
- VOC :

--- SECTION ---   (copy this whole block once per teaching topic / ASE task)
SECTION TITLE:
ASE TASK(S): (number + what it covers, e.g. "B2-A.1 Inspect and identify the substrate")
THE WHY: (why this matters / what it prevents)
THE HOW: (the procedure — number the steps)
THE WHAT: (tools, materials, and PPE needed)
COMMON PITFALLS: (what goes wrong, and how to avoid it)
KEY FACTS: (optional — must-remember numbers, ratios, rules)
SAFETY: (optional — PPE / hazards specific to this topic)
IMAGE IDEAS: (optional — describe pictures you want)
LAB SKILL: (optional — only if there's hands-on practice for this task)
    SKILL NAME:
    PPE:
    YOU WILL NEED:
    STEPS: (numbered)
    DONE RIGHT WHEN:
--- END SECTION ---

(repeat --- SECTION --- for each topic)

BIG PICTURE RECAP: (optional — 4-6 takeaway bullets; leave blank and Claude Code will write it)
-

FILLED SAMPLE (match this depth and tone)

=== ASE ACADEMY LESSON ===
MODULE: B2
UNIT: 3
LESSON: 1
TITLE: Receiving the Job: Clean and Decontaminate First
ASE QUIZ CATEGORY: A
ESTIMATED TIME: 20 minutes
PREREQUISITE: Unit 1, Lesson 1 (Shop Safety & SDS)

GOAL: Understand why a panel must be cleaned and decontaminated before any sanding, and be able to do it
correctly so your repair bonds and stays defect-free.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- Explain why contamination must be removed before sanding, not after.
- Use the two-rag method to remove wax, grease, and silicone.
- Choose the right cleaner and PPE for the job.

KEY TERMS:
- Wax-and-grease remover : a cleaning solvent (or waterborne cleaner) that lifts wax, oil, silicone, and road film off a panel before refinishing.
- Two-rag method : applying cleaner with one rag and wiping it off with a second clean rag before it dries, so contamination is removed instead of smeared.
- Fisheye : a small crater in fresh paint caused by silicone or oil left on the surface.
- Decontamination : removing all surface contaminants so primer and paint can bond.

--- SECTION ---
SECTION TITLE: Why You Clean Before You Sand
ASE TASK(S): B2-A.1 Inspect, clean, and prepare the surface to be refinished.
THE WHY: Wax, grease, silicone, and road film sit on top of the paint. If you sand first, the sandpaper drags those contaminants down INTO the scratches, where no amount of later cleaning can reach them. Contamination left in the surface causes fisheyes, poor adhesion, and peeling. Cleaning first removes it while it is still on top.
THE HOW:
1. Wash the whole panel with car-wash soap and water and rinse it. This removes loose dirt and most road film.
2. Dry it, then clean it with a wax-and-grease remover using the two-rag method: wipe the cleaner on with one rag, then wipe it off with a second clean rag BEFORE the cleaner dries.
3. Work a small area at a time so the cleaner never dries on the surface.
4. Turn to a fresh part of the rag often, and switch to new rags as they load up.
5. Only after the panel is clean do you start sanding.
THE WHAT: Car-wash soap, water, wax-and-grease remover (match solvent-based vs waterborne to the product and local rules), clean lint-free rags, nitrile gloves, safety glasses, and a respirator if the remover gives off solvent vapor.
COMMON PITFALLS: Sanding first then cleaning (drives contamination into the scratches). Using one rag (just smears the grease around). Letting the cleaner dry on the surface (it re-deposits the residue you just lifted). Reusing dirty, loaded rags.
KEY FACTS: Clean before you sand, every time. Two rags, not one. Never let the remover dry on the panel.
SAFETY: Nitrile gloves and eye protection always. Use ventilation, and wear a respirator with solvent-based removers.
IMAGE IDEAS:
- A technician in nitrile gloves wiping a car fender with a white rag, a labeled spray bottle of wax-and-grease remover in the other hand, clean body shop, bright even lighting.
- Close-up of the two-rag method: one hand applying cleaner, the other wiping it off, on a glossy panel.
- A fisheye defect in fresh paint, macro shot, to show what contamination causes.
LAB SKILL:
    SKILL NAME: Decontaminate a Panel with the Two-Rag Method
    PPE: Nitrile gloves, safety glasses, respirator for solvent remover.
    YOU WILL NEED: Wax-and-grease remover, two stacks of clean lint-free rags, soap and water.
    STEPS:
    1. Wash and rinse the panel, then dry it.
    2. Apply remover to a 2 ft by 2 ft area with the first rag.
    3. Wipe it off with a clean second rag before it dries.
    4. Move to the next small area with fresh rags and repeat across the whole panel.
    DONE RIGHT WHEN: The surface is residue-free, a clean rag comes away clean, and you have not started sanding yet.
--- END SECTION ---

BIG PICTURE RECAP:
- Contamination on top of the paint must come off before sanding, or it gets trapped in the scratches.
- Wash first, then use wax-and-grease remover with the two-rag method.
- Never let the cleaner dry on the surface, and never reuse loaded rags.
- Skipping this step is a top cause of fisheyes and peeling.