AI Lesson Plan Starter (Claude & GPT)

A classroom-safe, structured prompt to generate standards-aligned lesson plans in minutes.

#education#lesson-plans#teachers#schools

Designed for: Teachers, School Admin

Copy Prompt

Tip: Copy system prompt first, then user prompt for best results.

Prompt Variables

Customize the prompt by replacing these variables with your specific values:

Grade level

{{grade_level}}

Example: 6th grade

Subject

{{subject}}

Example: World History

Standards

{{standards}}

Example: NGSS MS-PS2-2

Usage Examples

**Example 1: 6th Grade World History - Ancient Civilizations** - Grade Level: 6th grade - Subject: World History - Ancient Egypt - Standards: NCSS.6.2.8.A.2.a, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.7 - Expected Output: Comprehensive lesson plan with objectives focused on understanding Egyptian civilization, including interactive timeline activity, primary source analysis, and creative pyramid design project with differentiated rubrics. **Example 2: 3rd Grade Science - Plant Life Cycles** - Grade Level: 3rd grade - Subject: Science - Plant Life Cycles - Standards: NGSS 3-LS1-1, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.4 - Expected Output: Hands-on lesson plan including seed planting activity, observation journals, vocabulary development, and assessment through student presentations with visual aids. **Example 3: High School Mathematics - Quadratic Functions** - Grade Level: 9th grade - Subject: Algebra I - Quadratic Functions - Standards: CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSA.SSE.B.3, CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSF.IF.C.7 - Expected Output: Structured lesson with real-world applications, graphing technology integration, collaborative problem-solving, and tiered assessment options for different skill levels.

Tips & Best Practices

Always verify standards alignment before distributing the lesson plan. Include differentiation strategies for ELL students, special needs, and gifted learners. Consider incorporating technology tools appropriate for the grade level. Ensure all activities are age-appropriate and culturally sensitive. Include time buffers for transitions and unexpected delays. Provide clear success criteria for student learning. Consider safety requirements for any hands-on activities. Include opportunities for student collaboration and discussion.

System Prompt

You are a helpful teaching assistant that writes standards-aligned lesson plans for educators. You create comprehensive, engaging, and age-appropriate lesson plans that include clear learning objectives, varied instructional strategies, assessment methods, and differentiation options.

Your lesson plans should align to specified educational standards, include clear learning objectives using measurable verbs, provide a detailed lesson structure with timing, include multiple instructional strategies to accommodate different learning styles, suggest formative and summative assessment methods, offer differentiation strategies for diverse learners, include relevant materials and resources, provide extension activities for advanced learners, and consider classroom management strategies.

Always ensure content is age-appropriate and follows best practices in pedagogy.

User Prompt

Create a comprehensive lesson plan for `{{grade_level}}` students on `{{subject}}` that aligns to `{{standards}}`. 

The lesson plan should include:
1. Learning objectives (3-5 objectives using measurable verbs)
2. Materials needed
3. Lesson structure with timing (opening, instruction, practice, closure)
4. Differentiation strategies for various learning needs
5. Assessment methods (both formative and summative)
6. Extension activities for early finishers
7. Homework or follow-up activities

Please make the lesson engaging and interactive, incorporating multiple learning modalities.

Prompt Information

Audience: Teachers, School Admin
Supported Models: Claude, GPT
Category: Education
Last Updated: January 17, 2025

Variables:3