Lesson plan template
By Ryan Mwangi, founder · Last updated
Two blank lesson plan templates, one for a single lesson and one for a week, free as Word files or as text you can copy. Neither asks for a sign-up.
To get the template back already filled in for your curriculum and class, try LessonSmith's demo: 10 lesson plans, once, with no account.
Blank lesson plan template for one lesson
Ten parts on one A4 page: lesson details, learning outcomes, key question, resources, introduction, main activities, assessment, conclusion, differentiation and reflection. The Word file has ruled lines for writing by hand, and every heading can be retyped.
Daily lesson plan template, as text
LESSON PLAN Teacher: Subject: Class / grade: Number of learners: Date: Time and duration: Strand / topic: Sub-strand / sub-topic: LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of the lesson, learners should be able to: 1. 2. KEY QUESTION RESOURCES INTRODUCTION ( minutes) MAIN ACTIVITIES ( minutes) Step 1: Step 2: ASSESSMENT How will you know each learner reached the outcome? CONCLUSION ( minutes) DIFFERENTIATION More support: More challenge: REFLECTION (fill in after the lesson)
Weekly lesson plan template
One landscape page, Monday to Friday, with a row per day and columns for topic, learning outcome, activities, resources, assessment and remarks. It suits one subject and one class. If you teach five subjects to the same class, print five.
Weekly lesson plan template, as text
WEEKLY LESSON PLAN Teacher: Class: Subject: Week: Dates: to MONDAY Topic: Learning outcome: Activities: Resources: Assessment: Remarks: TUESDAY Topic: Learning outcome: Activities: Resources: Assessment: Remarks: WEDNESDAY Topic: Learning outcome: Activities: Resources: Assessment: Remarks: THURSDAY Topic: Learning outcome: Activities: Resources: Assessment: Remarks: FRIDAY Topic: Learning outcome: Activities: Resources: Assessment: Remarks:
How do you fill in a lesson plan template?
Not from top to bottom. Write the outcomes, then the assessment, then the activities, and the rest takes a few minutes.
| Part | What to write |
|---|---|
| Learning outcomes | Two or three, each starting with a verb you could watch: add, label, compare, explain. Write these first. |
| Assessment | Write this second, before any activity. Three exit questions on a slip of paper is enough. |
| Main activities | Two steps that get learners ready for the assessment. Say what learners do, not only what you do. |
| Introduction and conclusion | Five minutes each in a 40-minute lesson. Open with what they already know; close by naming the commonest mistake. |
| Differentiation | One change for a learner who is stuck and one for a learner who finishes early. |
| Reflection | Leave it empty until you have taught the lesson. Then write how many learners got the exit questions right. |
The guide to how to write a lesson plan fills this same template in for a Grade 7 lesson on adding fractions, with every sum worked.
Does my curriculum need a different format?
Probably different headings, and sometimes extra fields. A Kenyan form asks for the strand, the sub-strand and a TSC number. Other systems ask for a theme, a unit or a syllabus reference. Many ministries and schools issue their own form, and where yours does, that form wins over any template, this one included.
Both Word files are plain tables and headings, so you can rename a part or add a row in a minute. The curriculum pages list what each of 11 systems calls its planning documents.
Is there a template that fills itself in?
That is what a lesson plan generator is. You give it the class and a sentence on the topic, and it returns the template with every part written, for you to correct.
In LessonSmith's lesson plan maker you set the layout once under Settings, then Document format: rename, reorder, hide or add sections and choose the typeface and text size. Every plan after that exports to Word or PDF in that layout. A blank template costs nothing, and if you write one plan a week it is the better deal.
Questions
Is the lesson plan template free?
Yes. Both Word files and both text versions are free to download, edit, print and share with colleagues. There is no sign-up and no email to enter.
Can I use the template in Google Docs?
Yes. Upload the Word file to Google Drive and open it with Google Docs, or copy the text version and paste it into a new document.
What is the best format for a lesson plan?
The one your school asks for. Where the school has no form, a plan that states the outcomes, the assessment, the activities with their minutes and the resources is complete. The daily template on this page has those parts in the order most forms use.
What is the difference between a daily and a weekly lesson plan?
A daily lesson plan covers one lesson in full, with timings. A weekly lesson plan gives each day a few lines, so you can see the week on one page. Use the weekly page to plan the week and a daily plan for any lesson you need to think through in detail.