Free teacher template

A lesson plan template you can copy and teach from

Start with the simple one-page structure or use the detailed version for an observation, formal submission, or complex lesson. Both are visible below and free to copy without signing up.

Copy the free template Create my lesson draft

The planning test

Can every activity point back to the evidence?

A useful lesson plan connects one measurable objective to evidence you can see. The sequence prepares students to produce that evidence. Everything else supports that connection.

1Name the learning
2Define acceptable evidence
3Sequence the practice
4Plan the next response

Daily planning

The simple lesson plan template

Use this when you know the content and need a dependable plan for one class period. Select the text, copy it, and replace each prompt.

Simple daily template

Select and copy

Lesson title:
Grade / level:
Subject:
Duration:

Learning objective:
Students will be able to...

Success evidence:
I will know students met the objective when...

Materials:

Lesson sequence:
1. Opening / retrieval (___ min):
2. Instruction / modeling (___ min):
3. Guided practice (___ min):
4. Independent or collaborative practice (___ min):
5. Check for understanding / closure (___ min):

Support and extension:

Next step:

Formal planning

The detailed lesson plan template

Use the expanded version when another teacher needs to follow the plan, when an observer needs to see your reasoning, or when learner access requires more deliberate preparation.

Detailed lesson template

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LESSON CONTEXT
Lesson title:
Grade / level:
Subject and unit:
Date and duration:
Prior learning:
Required standard or framework reference:

LEARNING TARGET
Measurable objective:
Student-friendly learning target:
Success criteria:
Evidence to collect:

PREPARATION
Materials and links:
Key vocabulary:
Likely misconceptions:
Access needs and planned supports:

SEQUENCE
Opening / retrieval (___ min):
Teacher action:
Student action:
Check for understanding:

Instruction / modeling (___ min):
Teacher action:
Student action:
Check for understanding:

Guided practice (___ min):
Teacher action:
Student action:
Feedback plan:

Independent or collaborative practice (___ min):
Task:
Expected product:
Support and extension:

Closure / exit ticket (___ min):

AFTER THE LESSON
What evidence will I review?
Who needs reteaching, more practice, or extension?
What changes before I teach this again?

Filled example

See the planning logic in one 50-minute lesson

The objective asks students to compare claims and use evidence. Modeling, annotation, writing, and the closure all prepare for or check that exact work.

Need help tightening the target first? Use the guide to measurable lesson objectives.

Grade 7 social studies example

Select and copy

Lesson title: Which source tells the stronger story?
Grade / level: Grade 7
Subject: Social studies
Duration: 50 minutes

Learning objective:
Given two short accounts of the same event, students will compare the authors'
claims and cite one detail from each source to support a written judgment.

Success evidence:
A six-sentence response that states a judgment, uses one accurate detail from
each source, and explains why one source is more convincing.

Materials:
Two source excerpts, comparison chart, highlighters, exit-ticket slips.

Lesson sequence:
1. Opening (5 min): Students compare two headlines about the same school event.
2. Modeling (10 min): Teacher marks claim, evidence, and point of view in a sample.
3. Guided practice (12 min): Pairs annotate the first source and compare choices.
4. Independent practice (18 min): Students read the second source and write.
5. Closure (5 min): Students underline their judgment and circle both details.

Support and extension:
Provide a claim-and-evidence sentence frame or audio access to the excerpts.
Ask early finishers to name one missing detail that would change their judgment.

Next step:
Sort responses into ready, needs evidence practice, and needs claim practice.

Template or generation

Keep the blank template. Skip the blank-page work.

Draft My Lesson turns your topic, duration, level, teaching direction, and selected school-system profile into an editable teacher plan, student handout, homework, and answer key. You review the draft before using or exporting it.

Generate my first lesson

Choose the right depth

Adapt the template without rebuilding it

Elementary

Add vocabulary, materials setup, transition cues, and the exact model students will see. Keep the objective narrow enough for one block.

Middle and high school

Name prior learning, likely misconceptions, independent evidence, and what students should carry into the next lesson.

Observation or submission

Use the detailed template. Make teacher actions, student actions, checks for understanding, and planned responses explicit.

Looking for 5E, workshop, backward design, or another model?

This page gives you blank structures you can use now. Our lesson plan format comparison explains how six instructional models differ and when each earns the extra structure. For the full planning process, read how to write a lesson plan.

Lesson plan template questions

What should every lesson plan template include?

At minimum, name the learning objective, the evidence students will produce, the lesson sequence, the materials, and the next instructional step. Add standards, vocabulary, misconceptions, and accommodations when your context requires them.

Can I copy this template without creating an account?

Yes. The simple and detailed templates on this page are free to copy into a document, learning platform, or paper planner. An account is only needed if you want Draft My Lesson to generate a lesson draft for you.

How is a lesson plan template different from a lesson plan format?

A template is the blank structure you fill in. A format is the instructional model that shapes the sequence, such as 5E, workshop, or direct instruction. This page gives you flexible templates. The linked format guide compares models and their tradeoffs.

Where do standards belong in the template?

Put the exact standard or framework reference in the context section, then translate it into a measurable lesson objective. A standard may span several lessons, so do not copy it into the objective unless one lesson can genuinely produce the required evidence.

Is this detailed enough for an observed lesson?

The detailed version covers the common evidence an observer needs: objective, success criteria, prior learning, teacher and student actions, checks for understanding, support, and reflection. Add any fields required by your school or district.

Planning beyond one lesson? Keep the class, week, and teaching content together in your current planning system.

Create an editable lesson draft