6 Lesson Plan Formats Compared (And When to Use Each)

Most "lesson plan format" articles do one of two unhelpful things. They show you a single template (usually Madeline Hunter, often without naming her) and pretend it is the only one. Or they list twenty-five formats with no judgment, leaving you to figure out which one fits your Tuesday math block. Neither helps when you have a planning period ending in 22 minutes and a department head who wants something in your binder.

Six formats are worth knowing as a K-12 teacher in the United States. Each was built by a specific person or institution to solve a specific instructional problem. Each has a shape that signals what it values and what it ignores. And each has a use case where it is the right tool, plus several where it is the wrong one.

This guide compares those six head to head: origin, named components, ideal use case, what gets left out, and a 3-line look at the literal template. At the end, a decision matrix tells you which one to reach for on a given week.

Key takeaways

• There is no universal lesson plan format. There are six well-established ones, each optimized for a different instructional context.
• Madeline Hunter and the daily one-pager are the workhorses for everyday teaching. 5E, Workshop, and SIOP are content- or learner-specific. Backward design is for unit planning, not daily lessons.
• The format your district hands you is almost always a reskin of one of these six. Knowing the original helps you fill it in faster.
• Pick the format that matches the work you are doing this week, not the one that looks most impressive in a binder.

Why there is no single "right" lesson plan format

Every format on this list was invented to fix a different complaint. Madeline Hunter built her seven-step model in the 1980s to give new teachers a reliable scaffold for direct instruction. The 5E model came out of the BSCS Science Learning curriculum work to give inquiry science a defensible structure. The Workshop model emerged from Lucy Calkins and the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project to fit how literacy actually develops. Backward design was Wiggins and McTighe's Understanding by Design answer to objective drift at the unit level. SIOP was built by Echevarria, Vogt, and Short at CAL to make mainstream content lessons accessible to English learners. The one-pager evolved on its own from veteran teachers who needed a plan a substitute could run.

Each one is correct for the problem it was built to solve and awkward when forced into a context it was not designed for. A Madeline Hunter plan for a project-based learning week feels stiff. A 5E plan for grammar drill feels overbuilt. The skill is not picking the "best" format. It is matching the format to the lesson.

Almost every format your district will hand you is a reshuffle of one of these six, plus a header for state standards and a footer for reflection. If you understand the originals, you can fill in any district template in a quarter of the time. For the universal building blocks underneath every format, see our reference on the parts of a lesson plan.

Format 1: Madeline Hunter (the classic 7-step)

Origin. Madeline Hunter, a UCLA principal and professor, distilled effective direct instruction into a seven-step template through the 1970s and 1980s. Her model was adopted by thousands of districts and is still the default on most university teacher-prep checklists. The Cornerstone collection at Minnesota State catalogs the Hunter format alongside several others.

The components (in order).

1. Objective and purpose
2. Anticipatory set (hook)
3. Input (direct instruction)
4. Modeling
5. Check for understanding
6. Guided practice
7. Independent practice (with closure usually folded into step 7)

Ideal use case. Teaching a new procedural skill or a discrete piece of content that benefits from explicit explanation: long division, comma rules, the steps of mitosis, citing evidence in a paragraph. Strong for K-8 across subjects, for high school math and grammar, and for any observed lesson where you need to show a clear instructional arc.

What gets left out. Inquiry. Student-driven exploration. Sustained discussion. The model assumes the teacher knows what students need to learn and is going to transmit it efficiently. It is not a framework for "let them figure it out." It also tends to under-weight closure, which is why we treat closure as a separate eighth part in our guide to writing a lesson plan.

What the template looks like.

Objective:
Anticipatory Set:
Input:
Modeling:
Check for Understanding:
Guided Practice:
Independent Practice / Closure:

If your district template starts with "Objective" and ends with "Independent Practice," you are filling in a Hunter plan whether they tell you or not.

Format 2: The 5E model (inquiry science and STEM)

Origin. Developed at the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) in the late 1980s, the 5E model became the de facto plan structure for Next Generation Science Standards lessons. Most NGSS-aligned curricula in the United States are written as 5E sequences, and the model is endorsed in the NGSS framework documentation.

The components.

1. Engage (surface prior knowledge, spark curiosity)
2. Explore (hands-on investigation before formal explanation)
3. Explain (formalize the concept with vocabulary and models)
4. Elaborate (apply or extend to a new context)
5. Evaluate (assess understanding, often performance-based)

Ideal use case. Science investigations from grade 3 through high school. Any lesson where the concept is best discovered through manipulation of materials before it is named. Strong for engineering design, ecology fieldwork, physics phenomena, chemistry reactions. The order matters: explore comes before explain on purpose, so students build intuition before vocabulary.

What gets left out. Speed. A real 5E lesson usually runs across two or three class periods, not one. If you have 50 minutes to teach the difference between mitosis and meiosis, 5E is the wrong tool and Hunter is the right one. It also assumes lab materials; a 5E plan written without supplies becomes a Hunter plan in disguise.

What the template looks like.

Engage (5-10 min):
Explore (15-25 min):
Explain (10-15 min):
Elaborate (15-25 min):
Evaluate (5-10 min):

For a deeper walk-through of how to write each E, see our dedicated guide to the 5E lesson plan format.

Format 3: Workshop model (literacy)

Origin. The reading and writing workshop model was developed across the 1980s and 1990s by Lucy Calkins, Nancie Atwell, and others, and is most closely associated with the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. It is the dominant literacy planning structure in elementary classrooms across the United States and has spread into middle school humanities.

The components.

1. Mini-lesson (8 to 12 minute focused teach with a single teaching point)
2. Active engagement (1 to 3 minutes where students try the teaching point)
3. Independent work time (25 to 45 minutes of reading or writing, with conferring)
4. Mid-workshop teach (a brief redirect or pattern you noticed)
5. Share (5 to 10 minutes of student voices closing the workshop)

Ideal use case. Independent reading blocks, writing workshop, any time the teacher coaches individuals while the class works in parallel. Strong for K-5, common in 6-8, occasionally used in 9-12 ELA. The structure protects sustained independent reading or writing time, which research identifies as a literacy growth bottleneck.

What gets left out. Whole-class discussion. The model assumes most learning happens in the independent block via conferring, not in shared inquiry. It is also a poor fit for content-heavy subjects: a workshop-shaped science lesson where students "read about photosynthesis for 30 minutes" usually leaves half the class behind.

What the template looks like.

Connection / Mini-lesson teach (10 min):
Active Engagement (2 min):
Independent Reading or Writing + Conferring (30 min):
Mid-Workshop Teach (2 min):
Share (5 min):

Format 4: Backward design (unit and project planning)

Origin. Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe published Understanding by Design through ASCD in 1998. Their core argument: most teachers plan activities first and ask "how will I assess this" last, which is exactly backward. UbD inverts the order. You design the assessment first and then build instruction toward it.

The components. Three stages, not steps.

1. Stage 1: Identify desired results (the enduring understandings and essential questions)
2. Stage 2: Determine acceptable evidence (the performance task and other assessments)
3. Stage 3: Plan learning experiences and instruction (the daily lessons that lead to stage 2)

Ideal use case. Unit planning, project-based learning, any 1 to 6 week stretch where daily lessons need to ladder up to a meaningful performance. Strong for capstone projects, science investigations, social studies units, writing units that culminate in a published piece. UbD prevents the most common unit-planning failure: teaching three weeks of activities that do not assemble into anything assessable.

What gets left out. Daily detail. Stage 3 is intentionally schematic. You still need a Hunter, 5E, or Workshop plan for each class period. Backward design is the architect's blueprint; a different tool lays the bricks. It also takes longer to write than any other format here, which is why most teachers use it for one or two units a semester, not weekly.

What the template looks like.

Stage 1 - Desired Results:
  Established Goals (standards):
  Enduring Understandings:
  Essential Questions:
Stage 2 - Acceptable Evidence:
  Performance Task:
  Other Evidence:
Stage 3 - Learning Plan:
  Daily lesson sequence (W.H.E.R.E.T.O.):

For a step-by-step walkthrough of writing each stage, see our backward design lesson plan guide. Pair backward design with Bloom's taxonomy when you are building the stage 2 assessment, so you can verify the cognitive demand actually matches your stage 1 goals.

Format 5: SIOP (sheltered instruction for ELLs)

Origin. The Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol was developed by Jana Echevarria, MaryEllen Vogt, and Deborah Short at the Center for Applied Linguistics. It is the most widely adopted framework in the United States for making mainstream content instruction accessible to English language learners, and many states require SIOP-aligned plans for ESL or sheltered classrooms.

The components. Eight features that must show up somewhere in the plan, organized into three phases.

1. Lesson preparation (content and language objectives, adapted materials)
2. Building background (link to past learning, key vocabulary)
3. Comprehensible input (modulated speech, visuals, modeling)
4. Strategies (scaffolded learning strategies)
5. Interaction (frequent student-student talk, varied grouping)
6. Practice and application (hands-on materials, integration of four language domains)
7. Lesson delivery (objectives met, pacing, engagement)
8. Review and assessment (review of vocabulary and content, comprehensive review)

Ideal use case. Any classroom with English learners in the mix, which in the United States is now most classrooms. Required in many sheltered or newcomer programs. Strong because it forces the planner to separate the content objective ("students will explain the water cycle") from the language objective ("students will use the words evaporate, condense, and precipitate in a complete sentence"), which is the move that makes content reachable for an ELL.

What gets left out. Speed and simplicity. A full SIOP plan with all eight features named is long. Most experienced teachers fold the features into a shorter daily plan and reserve the full SIOP write-up for observations. It is also overbuilt for an all-native-speaker classroom.

What the template looks like.

Content Objective:
Language Objective:
Key Vocabulary:
Building Background:
Comprehensible Input (visuals, models, simplified speech):
Strategies and Scaffolds:
Interaction (grouping, talk structures):
Practice and Application:
Review and Assessment:

For more on adapting any lesson to varied learners, including ELLs, see our piece on differentiated instruction.

Format 6: The one-pager (daily teaching reality)

Origin. No single author. The one-pager evolved from veteran teachers' spiral notebooks and clipboards: a plan you can read at a glance between classes, that a sub can run cold, that fits on one printed sheet. It is the format most experienced teachers actually use Monday through Friday, regardless of what the formal binder contains.

The components. Four sections, no more.

1. Objective and standard (one sentence each)
2. Today's activities, in order, with times
3. Materials list
4. Exit ticket or check for understanding

Ideal use case. Daily teaching. The Tuesday math block. The Wednesday science recap. Any class period where you do not need a formal write-up but you do need a plan readable while walking from the copier to the classroom. Also the right format for a sub plan, because a sub can execute a one-pager and cannot execute a 5E or SIOP write-up cold. The Vanderbilt Center for Teaching frames lesson planning as a balance of rigor and usability; the one-pager is the usability side.

What gets left out. Almost everything that would impress an observer. There is no anticipatory set field, no closure field, no language objective field, no enduring understanding. Those things still happen in the actual lesson; they are just not written down. The one-pager is the wrong format for an observed lesson, a formal evaluation, or any plan that has to show instructional depth on paper.

What the template looks like.

Date / Class / Standard:
Objective:
Plan (with times):
  - Bell-ringer (5 min):
  - Activity 1 (15 min):
  - Activity 2 (15 min):
  - Wrap (10 min):
Materials:
Exit Ticket:

For a library of one-pager-style daily plans across grades, see our lesson plan example and lesson plan ideas collections.

A decision matrix: which format when

Format	Best for	Time required	Skill level needed	Skip if
Madeline Hunter	Direct instruction of a new skill or concept, observed lessons	25-40 min to write	New teacher friendly	The lesson is inquiry-based or sustained literacy work
5E model	Inquiry science, NGSS-aligned lessons, engineering design	45-75 min to write, 2-3 class periods to teach	Mid-career, comfortable with science content	You have one period and a single discrete skill to teach
Workshop	Reading or writing blocks, independent literacy work	20-30 min to write	Strong in conferring	Lesson is content-heavy or whole-class discussion-based
Backward design (UbD)	Units and projects spanning 1-6 weeks	2-4 hours per unit	Mid-career, planning at the unit level	You only need a single daily plan
SIOP	Classrooms with English learners, sheltered content	45-60 min to write the full version	Trained in SIOP or willing to use the checklist	Class is all native English speakers and time is tight
One-pager	Daily teaching, sub plans, your real Monday-Friday	5-15 min to write	Any level once you know your content	Lesson is being formally observed or evaluated

Frequently asked questions

What is the format for a lesson plan?

There is no single format. The six most commonly used formats in U.S. K-12 classrooms are Madeline Hunter (7 steps), the 5E model (5 phases), Workshop (mini-lesson plus work time plus share), Backward Design (3 stages, unit level), SIOP (8 features for ELLs), and the daily one-pager (4 sections). Most district templates are reskins of Madeline Hunter with a state standards header. Pick the format that matches the lesson you are planning, not the one that looks fanciest.

What are the 7 parts of a lesson plan?

The most common "7 parts" list comes from the Madeline Hunter model: objective and purpose, anticipatory set, input (direct instruction), modeling, check for understanding, guided practice, and independent practice. Closure is sometimes counted as an eighth part and sometimes folded into independent practice. If your school asks for "the 7 parts," they almost always mean Hunter's seven. See our reference on the parts of a lesson plan for a deeper breakdown with examples.

How do you structure a lesson plan?

The simplest reliable structure is: start with a learning objective, plan a hook that points at it, deliver direct instruction in chunks, give students guided practice with you nearby, then independent practice on their own, then a short assessment, then closure. That is the Hunter spine, and it works for most daily lessons. If the lesson is inquiry-based use 5E instead. If it is a literacy block use Workshop. If you are planning a multi-week unit use Backward Design.

What are the 5 parts of a lesson plan?

The standard "5 parts" compression is: objective, materials, instruction (combining hook and input), practice (combining guided and independent), and assessment. Closure is usually dropped, which is a mistake. The 5-part frame is fine as shorthand once you are experienced, but as a planning template for newer teachers it hides too many decisions inside "instruction" and "practice." If you want to draft a complete plan in a few minutes using any of these formats, our AI lesson planning guide shows how Draft My Lesson handles the format-switching for you.

Continue your lesson planning toolkit

You came here for "lesson plan format" and you got six of them. The right next move depends on what you are planning this week. If you are writing a unit, head to backward design. For a science lesson, the 5E walkthrough is the next stop. If your daily plans take too long to write, our how to write a lesson plan guide walks through a 30-minute version of the Hunter format. And if your weak link is the objective itself, the lesson plan objectives deep dive will tighten that one part for good.

Once your format is settled, the next variable is differentiation. The same Hunter plan needs to flex when a fourth of your class reads two years above level and a fourth reads two years below. Our piece on differentiated instruction shows how to layer support without rewriting the plan. Paired with our assessment types reference, you have the four ingredients of any strong lesson cycle: a format, an objective, a differentiation strategy, and an assessment that actually measures what you taught.