Lesson planning: Most teachers either love it or hate it. Either way, it’s something every teacher has to spend at least some time doing, so it’s worth learning to do it well. To give you a hand, we’ve put together a variety of lesson plan examples for elementary, middle, and high school.
Why Lesson Planning Matters
“Lesson planning is more than something you submit to your administrator at the end of the week,” says Helena Hains, educator and author of That New Teacher Next Door, as well as founder of The Present Teacher. “It’s a roadmap that allows teachers to be fully present in the classroom and create the impact they were always meant to make.”
Completing lesson plans is more than just busywork. “Effective lesson planning creates engaging learning experiences that meet the needs of all students. It takes into consideration students’ background knowledge, culture, strengths, areas for growth, learning preferences, and accommodations,” explains Helena.
“Most importantly,” she continues, “lesson planning provides enough clarity that teachers can stop worrying about what comes next and focus on the students sitting in front of them.”
Lesson-Planning Expert Tips
As a coach for new teachers, Helena knows how to make lesson planning a streamlined process that truly supports instruction in your classroom. Check out her top dos and don’ts:
Do present the material. Don’t tell students how to perceive it.
“A good teacher will present the material without telling students what to think about it,” Helena clarifies. “Ask questions. Have discussions. Get curious. Don’t just read questions from the curriculum. You might just find your students teach you just as much as you teach them.”
Do plan for the outcome. Don’t plan minute by minute.
“Identify the learning objective and evidence of mastery before planning activities,” advises Helena. “Have an end goal but don’t be married to the journey of how you get there. The fun thing about teaching is you never know what’s going to happen. Be flexible, and know where you are headed. But don’t be afraid to lean into the journey when it takes you in a different direction.”
Do work smarter, not harder. Don’t reinvent the wheel.
“Teaching is hard enough,” Helena empathizes. “You don’t earn extra points for creating every lesson from scratch. Save your energy for the moments that matter most: building relationships, supporting students, and actually teaching.”
One way to make your life easier? “Use templates, and look at what worked well last year and start with that. Get inspiration from your coworkers’ lesson plans if you have a good team. See a great activity from another teacher? Use that too. Teachers are stronger when we lean on each other.”
Do lean into a rhythm that works for you. Don’t do what’s popular for the sake of fitting in.
Worry less about what others are doing, and find the method you personally need. As Helena says, “Some teachers swear by planning the morning of, the day before, or a week before. The truth is, there’s no right answer. Lean into what works for you. And ignore what everyone else has to say about it. You know you and your students best.”
Do be flexible. Don’t ignore the students in front of you.
“Build extra time into lessons for reteaching, discussion, or questions. Students aren’t the same kids that curriculum was made for,” advises Helena.
“Allow your lesson plan to be the tool that allows you to look up and actually see your students for who they are. Meet them where they are. Reteach. And reteach again in a different way. You’re not here to read the script of a curriculum. You’re here to make an impact on the kids sitting in front of you.”
Do lean into your authenticity. Don’t read from a script.
Helena wants you to remember that each teacher has their own personality, and that’s what makes them special. “If you love to sing, lean into that. If you love games, do that too. Teaching is an art. It’s about sharing a piece of yourself in a way that changes future generations. Never be afraid to show your students who you really are. Sometimes the most authentic moments are the most impactful ones.”
Do check for understanding throughout. Don’t wait until the end to find out students got lost.
“In my M.Ed program, I was taught to incorporate three formative assessments to check for understanding,” Helena specifies. “It can be a think-pair-share, teach-okay, or simply ask questions. But make sure your students understand, and reteach if they don’t. You shouldn’t be getting to the end of the lesson only to find most of the class was stuck on the first step.”
Learn more: Find a big list of formative assessment options here!
Do keep in mind the greater picture. Don’t let one lesson define your worth as a teacher.
“We all have bad lessons. Even the teacher you look up to the most has had a lesson flop,” Helena promises. “But we are not defined by how well one lesson or one observation went. We are amazing teachers because we never stop learning. We never stop getting better, and we don’t let our mistakes define us. At the end of the day, our mistakes are sometimes our greatest lessons.”
How To Write a Lesson Plan in 5 Simple Steps
OK, we’re not saying it’s necessarily easy to create lesson plans. Coming up with the ideas, the activities, the assessments—all of that takes time and dedication. But writing them down can actually be the easy part! Follow these lesson-planning steps to capture everything you need to know. (Don’t forget to grab our free printables to make the whole process a snap!)
1. Write a clear learning objective
Learning objectives should be specific and measurable, often following the SMART goal format. They often align with Common Core or other learning standards. Once you’ve set your objective, everything else in your lesson plan should support that goal.
2. List your materials and resources
List any items you’ll need, such as worksheets or handouts, school supplies, etc. Having a detailed list will help you make sure you’re ready to teach, with everything close at hand. Include things like handouts, worksheets, slide decks, books, videos, art supplies, lab equipment, and classroom setup.
3. Lay out the lesson structure and activities
This is usually the longest section, where you’ll lay out what the lesson and its activities look like. Some teachers write these in great detail. Others include just an overview to help them plan. Looking at the lesson plan example ideas here will help you decide what works best for you.
Learn more: Make time for more creativity in your lesson planning with these 40 ideas!
4. Describe learning assessments
How will you assess your students’ learning and find out how well they’ve met your stated objective? Include a variety of formative assessments so you can check for understanding and adjust your teaching as needed, and summative assessments to see if students are meeting learning goals.
5. Plan for differentiation
Describe how you’ll vary the level of difficulty for students at all levels. How will you accommodate those who find the material more difficult, and how will you challenge those who breeze right through?
Learn more: How to differentiate your lessons.
What’s the Best Lesson-Planning Method?
As you’ll see from our examples below, there are a lot of different ways to lay out a lesson. How can you choose the one that’s right for you? Here’s what Helena says:
“First and foremost, I recommend checking with your district,” she cautions. “Some administrations have different standards that you must adhere to.”
If you don’t follow a specific format, Helena recommends trying them all! “In the beginning, try one way. If you hate it, try another. When you find one that works well for your process, use it. We don’t tell artists which paintbrush to use! Just like we shouldn’t be telling teachers which method to use.”
Remember that every teacher is different. “Once you have a system that works for you, use it and never look back. Don’t compare it to that teacher next door. Don’t feel guilty because the Type A teacher has five pages for one lesson. And don’t feel guilty because the Type B teacher has one page for the whole week,” Helena urges. “There is no other teacher like you. No other teacher can impact your students as you do. So trust yourself. Trust the impact you are here to create.”
Over time, things may change. Helena notes: “Don’t be afraid to pivot as you go. For example, when I first started teaching, I loved to do two-page lesson plans for every lesson. With more experience, however, I started planning a week or two ahead of time and tweaking my plans the night before. Which meant a weekly overview was better for me.”
When it comes right down to it, Helena concludes: “The truth is, there’s no right answer. Use what inspires you. Don’t let other people’s opinions guilt you into doing more or less than what works for you.”
Be sure to follow Helena on Instagram (@thepresentteacher) for more teaching tips, advice, and expert coaching! Then, check out our lesson plan examples below to get some ideas. Like these templates? Don’t forget to grab your free copies!
Elementary Lesson Plan Examples
Weekly Overview Elementary Lesson Plan
A weekly overview gives you your whole week at a glance, with just a few descriptive sentences for each day. This is often what’s required when admin asks to see lesson plans in advance. Use this method for a single subject or for a very brief overview of what you’ll do in class each day.
5E Lesson Plan Example for Elementary
The 5Es stand for Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaborate, and Evaluate. This type of lesson planning can be helpful for students as they work through each of the 5Es related to the topic you’re studying.
Elementary Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Example
This elementary lesson plan example shows teacher-led instruction step-by-step. It includes an anticipatory set (the “hook”), modeling, guided practice, and individual practice, gradually releasing responsibility to the students for their learning.
Understanding by Design (UbD) Lesson Plan for Elementary
In this lesson-planning method, you start with the end goal in mind. Then, work backward to design the assessments you’ll use, and finally the instruction methods and materials.
Elementary Individual Lesson Plan
This traditional lesson plan example for elementary includes sections for learning objectives, materials, procedure and activities, assessment, and differentiation/modification. It’s the structure most people think of when they picture a lesson plan, and it works well for many situations.
Middle and High School Lesson Plan Examples
Weekly Overview Middle/High School Lesson Plan
A weekly overview in middle and high school is generally for one specific class, such as 7th grade social studies or AP Calculus. If you teach multiple classes (say, 9th grade Geography and 11th grade American History), you’ll need an overview for each.
5E Lesson Plan Example for Middle/High School
When you’re lesson planning for a specific topic or activity, try the 5E method: Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaborate, and Evaluate.
Middle/High School Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Example
Direct instruction is a teacher-led method that starts out with the instructor sharing information or modeling the activity. Throughout the lesson plan, students gradually take more responsibility through guided practice and independent practice.
Understanding by Design (UbD) Lesson Plan for Middle/High School
If you’re ready to think a little differently, try the UbD method of lesson planning. In this lesson plan example, you start by determining the exact goal or outcome you want students to meet. Then, you decide how you’ll assess that knowledge or skill. Finally, you plan the instruction methods you’ll use to get them to the end goal.
Middle/High School Individual Lesson Plan
This traditional option helps you plan out a less on detail, including assessment and differentiation. It’s especially helpful for newer teachers who need a little extra guidance as they plan and instruct.
Don’t forget to grab your free customizable lesson plan template bundle!
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