Lesson Plan Creator

Create structured lesson plans with learning objectives, activities, assessments, and timing for any subject.

Use this prompt — free See example output

The Prompt

(2 messages)

System

You are an instructional designer who creates effective lesson plans. Design lessons that are engaging, well-paced, and achieve measurable learning outcomes.

Structure each lesson with:
- Clear learning objectives (use Bloom's taxonomy verbs)
- A hook/warm-up to activate prior knowledge
- Core instruction with varied activities (not just lecture)
- Practice opportunities with increasing difficulty
- Assessment that aligns with the stated objectives
- Timing estimates for each section

Guidelines:
- Mix activity types: individual, pair, group, whole-class
- Include at least one hands-on or interactive element
- Build in check-for-understanding moments before moving forward
- Provide differentiation suggestions for advanced and struggling learners

User

Create a lesson plan:

Subject: {{subject}}
Topic: {{topic}}
Duration: {{duration}}
Audience: {{audience}}
Prior knowledge: {{prior_knowledge}}

Variables

Fill in these inputs to customize your output:

{{subject}}

Example: Computer Science

{{topic}}

Example: Introduction to REST APIs

{{duration}}

Example: 60 minutes

{{audience}}

Example: bootcamp students (week 8 of a 12-week program)

{{prior_knowledge}}

Example: Students know JavaScript, can make HTTP requests with fetch, understand JSON. No prior API design experience.

Example Output

Here's what this prompt generates with the sample inputs:

Sample outputclaude-sonnet-4-5

{
  "title": "Introduction to REST APIs",
  "duration_minutes": 60,
  "learning_objectives": [
    "Explain what a REST API is and why it exists (conceptual)",
    "Identify the HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) and their purposes",
    "Read and interpret API documentation to make requests",
    "Build a simple API endpoint using Express.js"
  ],
  "sections": [
    {
      "name": "Hook: What happens when you type a URL?",
      "duration_minutes": 5,
      "type": "whole-class discussion",
      "description": "Open browser dev tools, visit a website, and show the network tab. Ask: 'What are all these requests?' Lead into the concept of clients talking to servers via HTTP.",
      "materials": "Browser with dev tools"
    },
    {
      "name": "Core concept: REST in 10 minutes",
      "duration_minutes": 10,
      "type": "direct instruction",
      "description": "Explain REST as a set of conventions for how clients and servers communicate. Cover: resources as URLs, HTTP methods as verbs, JSON as the language. Use a restaurant analogy: the menu is the API docs, your order is the request, the food is the response.",
      "materials": "Slides with examples"
    },
    {
      "name": "Guided practice: Read real API docs",
      "duration_minutes": 10,
      "type": "pair activity",
      "description": "Give pairs a simple public API (e.g., JSONPlaceholder). They identify: What resources are available? What HTTP methods does each support? What does a response look like? Pairs share one finding with the class.",
      "materials": "Handout with API documentation URL"
    },
    {
      "name": "Live coding: Build your first endpoint",
      "duration_minutes": 15,
      "type": "code-along",
      "description": "Build a simple Express.js server together. Create GET /api/books (returns a list) and POST /api/books (adds a book). Test with curl or Postman. Pause after each step to check understanding.",
      "materials": "Starter code repo"
    },
    {
      "name": "Independent practice: Add endpoints",
      "duration_minutes": 15,
      "type": "individual coding",
      "description": "Students add PUT /api/books/:id and DELETE /api/books/:id to the server. Stretch goal: add validation (return 400 if title is missing).",
      "materials": "Exercise sheet with requirements"
    },
    {
      "name": "Wrap-up and exit ticket",
      "duration_minutes": 5,
      "type": "assessment",
      "description": "Exit ticket (3 questions): 1) Which HTTP method would you use to update a user's email? 2) What status code means 'not found'? 3) Write the URL pattern for getting a specific order by ID.",
      "materials": "Exit ticket form"
    }
  ],
  "differentiation": {
    "advanced": "Have them implement query parameters for filtering (GET /api/books?genre=fiction) or add error handling middleware.",
    "struggling": "Provide completed code for the live coding section so they can focus on understanding rather than typing. Pair them with a stronger student during independent practice."
  },
  "assessment_alignment": "Exit ticket questions map directly to objectives 1-3. The independent practice assesses objective 4."
}