- Definition: A lesson plan template
- A lesson plan template is a standard document layout that prompts a teacher to fill in the same essential sections, such as objective, activities, timing and assessment, for every lesson.
What is in the free lesson plan template?
The template has thirteen sections, each with a short instruction and a worked example from a grade 6 science lesson on the water cycle. The timed segments add up to 45 minutes.
| Section | What to write | Example: grade 6 science, the water cycle |
|---|---|---|
| Lesson basics | Subject, grade, date, unit and lesson title | Grade 6 science; Unit: Earth's water; Lesson 3: The water cycle |
| Standard or goal | The standard your school requires, copied from the official document, or the unit goal | The water cycle standard your district requires, pasted word for word |
| Learning objective | What students will be able to do, with an observable verb | Students will explain how evaporation, condensation and precipitation move water through the water cycle |
| Success criteria | What a correct response includes, in student-friendly language | I can name the three processes and describe what causes each one |
| Materials | Texts, handouts, supplies and slides | Textbook pages on the water cycle, clear cups, warm water, plastic wrap, ice cubes, diagram handout |
| Warm-up (5 min) | A quick task that activates prior knowledge or surfaces misconceptions | Where does a puddle go on a sunny day? Students write one sentence, then share with a partner |
| Direct instruction (10 min) | Key vocabulary and the core explanation, with a visual | Introduce evaporation, condensation and precipitation using the textbook diagram |
| Guided practice (10 min) | A task students do with your support while you circulate | Water cycle in a cup: warm water covered with plastic wrap, ice on top; students record what forms |
| Independent or partner work (10 min) | Practice that mirrors the evidence task | Partners label a blank water cycle diagram and write a caption for each arrow |
| Check for understanding (5 min) | An exit ticket or short quiz every student completes | Exit ticket: explain why droplets formed under the plastic wrap |
| Closure and homework (5 min) | A one-sentence summary and any homework | Students state one process in their own words; homework: find one example of condensation at home |
| Supports and extensions | Help for students who need more support or more challenge | Word bank and labeled diagram for support; extension question on how temperature affects evaporation |
| Reflection | Notes after teaching on what to change | Did the cup demonstration work? Which process confused students most? |
How do you use the lesson plan template?
Fill in the template in backward design order rather than top to bottom. The University of Toronto's summary of Wiggins and McTighe's Understanding by Design sets the sequence as desired results first, acceptable evidence second, and learning experiences and instruction last.
- 1
Copy the table
Paste the template into a document, spreadsheet or planner, keeping the example column until the format feels familiar.
- 2
Write the objective and exit ticket first
Decide what students will be able to do and write the exact exit ticket question before choosing any activity.
- 3
Plan activities that lead to the evidence
Choose a warm-up, instruction and practice that prepare students to answer the exit ticket well.
- 4
Set the minutes
Adjust each timed segment so the total matches your period length.
- 5
Add materials and supports
List every item you need and note how you will support students who need help or extra challenge.
- 6
Reflect after teaching
Spend two minutes noting what worked and what to change, so next year's version starts stronger.
How do you write the objective in the template?
Write the objective as what students will be able to do, using an action verb you can observe. Carnegie Mellon's Eberly Center recommends student-centered objectives built on action verbs and points to Bloom's taxonomy for verb choices.
- Weak: Students will learn about the water cycle.
- Stronger: Students will explain how evaporation, condensation and precipitation move water.
- Stronger: Students will compare evaporation and condensation using evidence from the cup demonstration.
Why does the lesson plan template include an exit ticket?
An exit ticket gives you evidence from every student before they leave, which tells you where to start the next lesson. Edutopia's Rebecca Alber describes the exit slip as a short response students write at the conclusion of learning, sometimes on a half-sheet with sentence starters, which the teacher collects.
Write exit ticket questions that match the objective directly. If the objective says explain, the exit ticket should ask students to explain, not to pick a vocabulary word.
How do you adapt the template for a different period length?
Scale the practice segments first and keep the warm-up and exit ticket about the same length. For a 60-minute period, add time to guided and independent practice; for a 30-minute period, merge them into one task.
Block schedules of 80 to 90 minutes work well with two cycles of instruction and practice, separated by a quick check for understanding. Keeping the same section names across period lengths makes your plans easy to compare from week to week.
Can CourseSmith fill in a lesson plan template for you?
CourseSmith can supply most of the content for the template, though it uses its own format. It drafts lesson plans from the textbook you upload for the lecture length you set, with learning objectives, an in-depth explanation, a step-by-step delivery plan for each method you choose, homework and a project idea.
Copy what fits into your template, then add the warm-up, exit ticket and materials yourself. CourseSmith is free to start, with starter credits and no credit card needed, and every draft needs your review because AI output can contain errors.
Frequently asked questions
Is the lesson plan template free to use?
Yes. Copy the table into any document, spreadsheet or planner and adapt the sections to match what your school requires. No sign-up is needed to use the template itself. If your district mandates a specific format, keep its headings and use the example column as a guide to what each section should contain.
What goes in the standard section if my school does not require one?
Write the unit goal or the big idea from your curriculum instead. The section exists to connect the daily objective to something larger, so students and observers can see why the lesson matters. If you later need a standard, copy the exact wording from your state's official document rather than paraphrasing it.
How detailed should each section be?
Detailed enough that a substitute teacher could run the lesson. That usually means the exact warm-up and exit ticket questions, the key points of direct instruction and clear directions for practice. Routine lessons can be brief, while labs, new units and observed lessons deserve more detail, including expected student answers.
Can I use the template for subjects other than science?
Yes. The sections are subject-neutral, so the same structure works for math, English language arts, social studies and world languages. Only the example column is science-specific. Replace it with a reading passage, a problem set or a primary source, and keep the timing and the exit ticket.
Should a lesson plan include homework every day?
Only when the homework serves the objective. A short practice task or a real-world observation, like spotting condensation at home, can reinforce the lesson, while busywork adds checking time without adding learning. It is fine to leave the homework row blank on lab or test days and note the reason.