Download the free templates
Real Word tables, so you can type straight in, add rows, delete what you do not need and add your school logo. US Letter, US wording.
Want everything on a single page? Try the one-page lesson plan template, or plan a whole unit with the unit plan template.
What goes in each section
A lesson plan is a thinking tool, not paperwork. Each box asks you to make one decision about what students will learn and how you will know they learned it.
Objective (Students will be able to...)
One measurable objective in student-friendly language. If you cannot picture what a student would write, say or do to show it, sharpen the verb.
Standards
The Common Core, NGSS or state standard the lesson addresses, by code and wording, so the lesson is easy to map to your curriculum.
Success criteria
Two or three 'I can' statements that break the objective into steps students can check themselves against.
Academic language
The words students must understand and use accurately. Pre-teach them, display them and expect them in answers.
Warm-up or bell ringer
Three to five minutes of review or a hook that gets everyone working as they arrive, ideally recalling something they will need today.
I do
Direct instruction: you explain and model the skill, thinking aloud so students see the steps an expert takes.
We do
Guided practice: the class works through examples with you, while you check and correct before anyone works alone.
You do
Independent practice: students apply the skill on their own, which is your best evidence of who has it and who needs more.
Check for understanding
How you will know during the lesson: cold call, mini whiteboards, thumbs, quick polls, or a hinge question before moving on.
Closure and exit ticket
One or two questions at the end that show whether the objective was met, and tell you how to start tomorrow.
Differentiation and supports
Accommodations from IEPs and 504 plans, supports for English learners, and extension for students who finish early.
Reflection
A minute after the lesson: what worked, what to change and which students to follow up with. This is what makes next year's plan better.
A filled-in example
| Warm-up (5 min) | Three quick questions on cells from last week, answered on whiteboards. |
|---|---|
| I do (10 min) | Model labeling a plant cell, explaining what each part does as you go. |
| We do (10 min) | Label an animal cell together; students hold up answers before you reveal each one. |
| You do (15 min) | Compare plant and animal cells in a table, then answer two explain questions. |
| Closure (5 min) | Exit ticket: name two structures only plant cells have and say what one of them does. |
How to plan a lesson quickly
- Write the objective and the exit ticket first. If they match, the lesson has a clear end point.
- Note what students already know and the likely misconceptions, then plan the explanation and examples around them.
- Plan the practice: what students do with you, then on their own, and the check you will use in between.
- Add the supports for IEPs, 504 plans and English learners and one stretch question, rather than three separate worksheets.
- Keep it to the page. If it runs longer, you are scripting the lesson rather than planning it.
More on planning: how to write a lesson plan and formative assessment strategies.
Lesson plan template FAQ
Is the lesson plan template free?
Yes. Both templates are free to download as Word or PDF with no sign-up, and you can edit them however you like.
What is I do, we do, you do?
It is a gradual release model: you model the skill (I do), the class practices it with you (we do), then students try it on their own (you do). It moves responsibility from teacher to student step by step, and each stage tells you whether the class is ready for the next.
Should I use the detailed or the weekly template?
Use the detailed template for observed lessons, new topics or when you are training. Use the weekly template for day-to-day planning, when you know the routines and only need the key decisions for each lesson on one page.
Where do standards go?
In the detailed template there is a box for the standard code and wording next to the success criteria. In the weekly template the objective column includes the standard, so every lesson is mapped.
Can it fill itself in?
Yes. The LessonHQ lesson plan generator writes a full plan in this structure for any topic and grade, aligned to the standards you choose, ready to edit and download. Your first plans are free.
Is it US Letter size?
Yes. On lessonhq.us the templates are US Letter with US wording. The UK version on lessonhq.co.uk is A4.