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Lesson Plan Template

A lesson plan answers four questions before you teach: what students will be able to do, how you will know, what happens minute by minute, and what changes for students who need it. Copy the template, or start from the example closest to your grade and subject.

Updated 2026-10-27

Copy and adapt

The template

Lesson planTemplate

[Lesson title], {{date}}

Grade and subject: [Grade, subject] Class or period: [Period, room]. Length: [minutes] Unit: [[Unit plan name]], lesson [#] of [#] Standard: [Code and short description]

Objective

Students will be able to [observable verb] [content] [condition or tool].

Success criteria

[What students can show or say by the end, in student-friendly words]

Assessment

During: [quick check, e.g. whiteboards, thumbs, cold call]
End: [exit ticket or product, and what counts as "got it"]

Materials

[Handouts, manipulatives, slides, links, lab supplies]

Vocabulary

[Terms students need to use]

Lesson flow

Time	Phase	Teacher	Students
[0-5]	Opening or hook	[...]	[...]
[5-15]	Direct instruction (I do)	[...]	[...]
[15-30]	Guided practice (we do)	[...]	[...]
[30-45]	Independent practice (you do)	[...]	[...]
[45-50]	Closure and exit ticket	[...]	[...]

Differentiation

Support: [scaffold, grouping, sentence frames]
Extension: [harder task for students who finish early]
Accommodations: [IEP, 504 and language supports that apply]

Likely misconceptions

[What students often get wrong, and how you will address it]

Reflection (after teaching)

What worked:
What to change next time:
Exit ticket results:
[Follow-up for next lesson] @due(YYYY-MM-DD)

5 examples

Examples for different situations

The same structure, filled in for the situations people actually bring to it. Copy the one closest to yours.

1.Kindergarten: rhyming words in a small group

When it fits: Use this for a short small-group lesson with five-year-olds, where the whole plan is twenty minutes and the assessment is a checklist you fill in while they play.

Kindergarten: rhyming words in a small groupExample 1

Rhyme time: hearing and making rhymes, 2026-11-03

Grade and subject: Kindergarten, reading foundations Class or period: Small group B (6 students), reading table. Length: 20 min Unit: [[Phonological awareness unit]], lesson 4 of 10 Standard: CCSS RF.K.2.a, recognize and produce rhyming words

Objective

Students will be able to tell whether two spoken words rhyme and say a rhyming word for a picture.

Success criteria

I can hear when two words end the same.
I can say a word that rhymes with cat.

Assessment

During: thumbs up or down for "Do these rhyme?" pairs.
End: each child sorts 6 picture cards into rhyme pairs. 5 of 6 correct counts as got it. Mark on the group checklist.

Materials

12 picture cards (cat, hat, sun, bun, frog, log, bee, tree, cake, snake, pig, wig)
Puppet, group checklist on clipboard

Lesson flow

Time	Phase	Teacher	Students
0-3	Hook	Puppet only says words that rhyme with its name, Pat	Guess the puppet's rule
3-8	I do	Say pairs, stretch the ending: c-at, h-at	Listen, echo
8-13	We do	"Do these rhyme?" 8 pairs	Thumbs up or down
13-18	You do	Hand out cards	Find your card's rhyming partner
18-20	Closure	"Tell Pat a word that rhymes with your card"	Say a real or silly rhyme

Differentiation

Support: Noor and Ben get 3 pairs instead of 6, with the endings said aloud.
Extension: make a silly-word rhyme (cat, zat) and explain why it rhymes.
Accommodations: Luca (speech IEP) can point to the matching card instead of saying it.

Likely misconceptions

Matching the first sound (sun, sock) instead of the ending. Stretch the ending, not the start.

Reflection (after teaching)

What worked: the puppet; everyone joined in.
What to change next time: 12 cards was too many to spread on the table. Use 8.
Exit ticket results: 4 of 6 got 5 or more. Noor and Ben matched by first sound.
Reteach endings with Noor and Ben using clapping @due(2026-11-05)

2.Grade 4 math: equivalent fractions with fraction strips

When it fits: Use this for a full math period where the concept is new, manipulatives do the explaining, and one misconception is predictable enough to plan for.

Grade 4 math: equivalent fractions with fraction stripsExample 2

Same amount, different pieces: equivalent fractions, 2026-11-10

Grade and subject: Grade 4, math Class or period: Room 12, 26 students. Length: 60 min Unit: [[Fractions unit]], lesson 3 of 12 Standard: CCSS 4.NF.A.1, explain why fractions are equivalent using visual models

Objective

Students will be able to show with fraction strips that two fractions are equivalent and explain why using the size and number of the parts.

Success criteria

I can find a fraction equal to 1/2 using fraction strips.
I can explain that the pieces are smaller but there are more of them.

Assessment

During: partners hold up strips on cue; I scan for matching lengths.
End: 3-question exit ticket. 3 of 3 is got it, 2 is close, 0 to 1 is reteach group.

Materials

Fraction strip sets (halves to twelfths), one per pair
Document camera, exit tickets

Vocabulary

equivalent, numerator, denominator, whole

Lesson flow

Time	Phase	Teacher	Students
0-8	Hook	Two pizzas: one cut in 2, one in 8. "Would you rather have 1 slice or 4 slices?"	Vote, then argue
8-20	I do	Under the camera, line 1/2 against 2/4, 3/6, 4/8	Copy the lengths in notebooks
20-35	We do	Pairs find all strips equal to 1/3 and 3/4	Record matches in a table
35-50	You do	Worksheet: 8 pairs, equal or not equal, with a drawing	Work alone
50-60	Closure	Exit ticket	Answer 3 questions

Exit ticket: (1) Shade 2/3, then show an equal fraction in sixths. (2) Are 3/5 and 6/10 equal? Prove it. (3) Kai says 2/4 is bigger than 1/2 because 2 and 4 are bigger numbers. Is Kai right?

Differentiation

Support: reteach group starts with halves and fourths only.
Extension: find a rule that works without strips, test it on 5/6.
Accommodations: Grace (504) uses a printed strip chart instead of loose strips.

Likely misconceptions

Bigger numbers mean a bigger fraction. Question 3 targets it directly.

Reflection (after teaching)

What worked: the pizza vote; students argued before any instruction.
What to change next time: We do ran 5 minutes long, worksheet was cut to 6 pairs.
Exit ticket results: 17 got it, 6 close, 3 reteach.
Reteach group of 3 during intervention block @due(2026-11-11)

3.Grade 7 science: leaf disk photosynthesis lab

When it fits: Use this for a lab period where the timing is tight, safety and setup take real minutes, and the write-up has to connect what students see to the standard.

Grade 7 science: leaf disk photosynthesis labExample 3

Do leaves make oxygen in the light? Leaf disk lab, 2026-11-17

Grade and subject: Grade 7, life science Class or period: Period 3, lab room 204, 28 students in 7 groups. Length: 50 min Unit: [[Matter and energy in organisms]], lesson 5 of 9 Standard: NGSS MS-LS1-6, explain with evidence the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy

Objective

Students will be able to collect data on leaf disks in light and dark and write a claim, evidence and reasoning paragraph linking floating disks to oxygen made by photosynthesis.

Success criteria

I can record how many disks float each minute.
I can use my data as evidence that light is needed for photosynthesis.

Assessment

During: check each group's data table at minute 5.
End: CER paragraph, scored on the unit rubric (claim 1 point, evidence 2, reasoning 2).

Materials

Per group: 2 cups, 10 spinach leaf disks, plastic syringe, hole punch, lamp, foil
Solution: 1/8 teaspoon baking soda in 300 mL water, one drop dish soap (made before class)

Lesson flow

Time	Phase	Teacher	Students
0-5	Hook	Show a cup of floating disks from first period	Predict why they float
5-15	I do	Demo: punch disks, pull air out with the syringe until they sink	Watch, note the steps
15-35	We do	Circulate, check that one cup is under foil	Run the lab, count floating disks every minute for 15 min
35-45	You do	Display class data for both cups	Draft CER paragraph
45-50	Closure	Clean-up and one-sentence share	Share claims

Differentiation

Support: CER sentence frames ("Our data shows...", "This means...").
Extension: predict what would happen with the lamp twice as far away, and design the test.
Accommodations: Diego (ELL) gets a labeled diagram of the setup; Ava (IEP) records data while a partner handles the syringe.

Likely misconceptions

Plants get their food from the soil. Reasoning sentence must name light, carbon dioxide and water.
Disks float because they are dry. Point to the dark cup.

Reflection (after teaching)

What worked: every group had at least 6 lit disks floating by minute 15; dark cups stayed sunk.
What to change next time: two groups lost 5 minutes getting disks to sink. Pre-punch disks for period 3.
Exit ticket results: 19 of 28 scored 4 or 5 on the CER.
Model a strong reasoning sentence at the start of tomorrow's lesson @due(2026-11-18)

4.Grade 10 English: counterargument in a famous letter

When it fits: Use this for a high school text-analysis lesson where students study how a writer answers objections, then use the move in their own argument.

Grade 10 English: counterargument in a famous letterExample 4

Answering the other side: Letter from Birmingham Jail, 2026-11-12

Grade and subject: Grade 10, English Class or period: Period 6, 31 students. Length: 55 min Unit: [[Argument writing unit]], lesson 6 of 14 Standard: CCSS W.9-10.1.a, distinguish claims from opposing claims and organize claims, counterclaims, reasons and evidence

Objective

Students will be able to identify three objections Martin Luther King Jr. answers in his 1963 letter, explain how he answers each, and write a counterclaim paragraph for their own argument.

Success criteria

I can find where King states an objection before answering it.
I can write a counterclaim and a rebuttal for my own claim.

Assessment

During: chart check after group work.
End: counterclaim paragraph for their own argument essay, submitted at the bell.

Materials

Letter excerpts (pages on outside agitators, timing and waiting, just and unjust laws)
The clergymen's public statement for context
Three-column chart: objection, King's answer, technique

Lesson flow

Time	Phase	Teacher	Students
0-7	Hook	"Someone says your protest is badly timed. What do you say?"	Quick-write
7-17	I do	Model the first excerpt: the clergymen called the protests unwise and untimely, King names the charge before answering it	Annotate along
17-32	We do	Groups take one excerpt each	Fill the chart for their objection
32-47	You do	Circulate, conference with 5 students	Write a counterclaim paragraph for their essay
47-55	Closure	Two volunteers read paragraphs	Peer feedback: is the objection stated fairly?

Differentiation

Support: paragraph frame ("Some people argue... This view misses...").
Extension: find a fourth objection King answers that we did not assign.
Accommodations: shortened excerpts with glossed vocabulary for the 4 students with reading accommodations.

Likely misconceptions

A counterclaim weakens your argument. Show that King gains authority by stating the other side fairly.

Reflection (after teaching)

What worked: groups found the technique on their own in the timing excerpt.
What to change next time: the just and unjust laws excerpt is too long for 15 minutes. Split it across two groups.
Exit ticket results: 22 of 31 paragraphs stated a real objection; 9 set up a straw man.
Mini-lesson on straw men with 2 anonymous examples @due(2026-11-14)

5.Grade 6 social studies: a substitute plan

When it fits: Use this when someone else will teach the lesson, you will not be there to explain anything, and every instruction has to survive being read cold at 7:45 in the morning.

Grade 6 social studies: a substitute planExample 5

Sub plan: Was Hammurabi's Code fair? 2026-11-20

Grade and subject: Grade 6, social studies Class or period: Periods 2 and 4, room 118. Length: 50 min each Unit: [[Ancient Mesopotamia]], lesson 7 of 11 Standard: state grade 6 standard on the laws and government of early river civilizations, using a primary source

Objective

Students will be able to read 8 laws from the Code of Hammurabi (Babylon, about 1754 BCE) and decide with evidence whether the code treated people fairly.

Success criteria

I can explain what a law means in my own words.
I can use two laws as evidence for my opinion.

Assessment

End: completed worksheet, collected in the blue tray. I will grade it.

Materials

Worksheet with 8 laws and questions: 60 copies on the front table, in the folder marked SUB
Seating charts: in the same folder. Attendance by 8:10 in the online system.

Lesson flow

Time	Phase	Teacher	Students
0-5	Opening	Read the box on the worksheet aloud: what the code was and why it was carved on a stone pillar	Listen
5-15	We do	Read law 1 together, ask "Who does this protect?"	Answer aloud
15-40	You do	Students may work in pairs, quietly	Rate each law fair or unfair, cite the law number
40-50	Closure	Ask 3 students to share their verdict	Hand in worksheet

Differentiation

Support: Mariela and Jaden have a version with 4 laws (green paper, in the folder).
Extension: early finishers write one law they think is missing from the code.
Accommodations: Owen may use headphones during independent work.

Notes for the substitute

If the projector does not work, nothing is lost. The lesson is paper only.
Period 4 is chatty after lunch; seat changes are fine, the chart is a suggestion.
Emergency procedures are in the red binder by the door.

Reflection (after teaching)

Sub's note: left blank for the substitute to fill in
Grade worksheets and discuss verdicts as a class @due(2026-11-24)

What belongs in a lesson plan

A lesson plan template earns its place by answering four questions before you are in front of the class: what will students be able to do, how will you know, what happens minute by minute, and what changes for the students who need it. Each section in the template maps to one of those.

Objective. One sentence with an observable verb: identify, explain, sort, write. "Understand" cannot be observed, so it cannot be assessed.
Success criteria. The objective in students' words. Post them, read them aloud at the start, and ask about them at the end.
Standard. The code your school uses, with a few words of description so the plan still makes sense when the code is forgotten.
Assessment. A quick check during the lesson and an exit ticket at the end, with what counts as "got it."
Materials and vocabulary. What to prepare the day before, with quantities.
Lesson flow. Timed phases: hook, direct instruction, guided practice, independent practice, closure.
Differentiation and misconceptions. Concrete moves for named needs, and the mistake you expect.
Reflection. Filled in after teaching. Most downloadable templates skip it, and it is the section that pays off the most.

Plan backward

The most reliable order is objective, then assessment, then activities. Write the exit ticket before you choose the activities, and each activity becomes practice for what students will be asked to show. In the fractions example, the third exit ticket question names the predictable mistake, and the hook is designed to surface it in the first eight minutes.

Timing that survives a real class

Plans run long. Three habits keep the closure from disappearing:

Write the minutes, not just the order. A column of times shows you on paper that you have planned 65 minutes for a 50-minute period.
Decide in advance what you cut. Independent practice can shrink; the exit ticket cannot.
Protect the last five minutes. Closure is where you find out whether the lesson worked. Without it, you are guessing tomorrow.

The reflection habit

Downloadable templates stop at closure, which is why the same lesson goes wrong the same way two years running. After school, spend three minutes on the Reflection section: what worked, what to change, what the exit tickets showed, and one follow-up for tomorrow. Next year you open last year's plan and the changes are already written down. Over a few years, the reflections are worth more than the plans.

Common mistakes

Activities without an objective. A fun lab that does not lead to the exit ticket is a fun lab, not a lesson.
"Differentiate as needed." Name the scaffold, the extension and the accommodations that apply to this lesson.
No time column. The plan looks fine until minute 40.
Assessment only at the end. By then it is too late to reteach in the same lesson. Plan one check in the middle.
Sub plans that assume you are there. If the substitute would need to ask you something, write the answer down.

When to use a different template

To lay out a whole week across periods and subjects, use the weekly planner template, with each slot linking to a lesson plan. For meetings about a student's IEP, the IEP meeting notes template captures goals and services, and the accommodations you agree on there belong in the Differentiation section here.

Customization tips

Write the assessment before the activities
Decide what the exit ticket asks first, then plan backward. Every activity should be practice for that ticket. If an activity does not lead to it, it is probably filler.
Time every phase, then add slack
Write minutes next to each phase. First drafts are almost always too long; plan the closure as protected time and cut the independent practice if you run over, never the exit ticket.
Name the misconception you expect
One line about what students usually get wrong changes what you say in the direct instruction. Put a question on the exit ticket that catches it, like the bigger-numbers question in the fractions example.
Make differentiation specific
"Differentiate as needed" helps nobody. Write the actual move: fewer items, a sentence frame, a printed chart, a harder question for early finishers. For accommodations, write what applies to this lesson.
Fill in the reflection the same day
Three lines after school: what worked, what to change, how the exit ticket went. Next year's version of this lesson starts from those lines, not from memory.
Write sub plans for a stranger
Assume the substitute has never seen your room. Say where every paper is, what to do if technology fails, and which instructions are firm and which are suggestions.

In the app

How to do this in Scribelet

Open Desk Settings, then Templates, tap Add Template, paste the template above and set the category to Planning. Keep {{date}} in the title and set a default tag like #lessonplan so each new plan is dated and filed.
Write each unit as its own note and link lessons to it with [[Fractions unit]]. The unit note's backlinks panel then lists every lesson in the unit, which is your unit calendar without a separate document.
Turn reflection follow-ups into tasks with - [ ] Reteach group of 3 @due(2026-11-11). They appear in the Tasks view and on that day's daily note until done.
Prefer starting from a description? Generate with AI in the template settings writes a template from a plain-language request, such as "a 45-minute lab lesson plan with safety notes and a CER write-up", which you can then edit.
Next year, ask the AI chat "what did I change after teaching the leaf disk lab?" It answers from your own reflections with citations to the plans.

Templates, template variables and AI generation are documented in Note templates.

Frequently asked questions

What are the 7 components of a lesson plan?

Lists vary, but the usual seven are: objective, standards, materials, lesson procedure (opening, instruction, guided and independent practice), assessment, differentiation, and closure. Many teachers add an eighth, reflection after teaching, which is the part that makes the next version better. The template above has all of them.

How do I make a lesson plan as a teacher?

Start with the standard and write one objective with an observable verb. Write the exit ticket that would prove students met it. Then plan the minutes backward: a short hook, direct instruction, guided practice, independent practice, and closure. Finish with differentiation for the students you know will need it.

What are materials and resources in a lesson plan?

Everything you or the students need to touch during the lesson: handouts, manipulatives, lab supplies, texts, slides and links, with quantities. Listing them is what lets you prepare the day before and lets a substitute run the lesson without searching the room.

How detailed should a lesson plan be?

Student teachers and observed lessons usually need full detail: scripted questions, timings and differentiation. Experienced teachers often plan in less detail for routine lessons. The test is whether someone else could teach it from the page; if a sub would need to ask you anything, add that detail.

Which AI tool is best for lesson planning?

General AI chat tools can draft activities and questions, and many teachers use them for first drafts. Whatever you use, check every fact and standard code yourself and adapt it to your students. In Scribelet, Generate with AI can write the lesson plan template itself, and the AI chat answers from your own past plans and reflections, which is useful for reusing what worked.

A lesson plan that is better the second year

Save this lesson plan template in Scribelet, link each lesson to its unit, and write the reflection after you teach. Next year, ask your notes what you changed and why. Encrypted, free to start.

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