Lesson Plan Templates

Lesson Plans come in all shapes and forms. What you should use depends upon your principal, DRE, etc. and what you need as a teacher. Teachers must also take into account inclusion of special needs students into their classroom. Keeping all the needs of everyone in mind while doing a lesson plan can sometimes be overwhelming.

Lesson Plan Template Filled Out- example of one I did




Below are some lesson plan templates that I found online that might be helpful:

thereligionteacher.com- Click on the links below to download your free copies of the lessons planning templates from The Religion Teacher’s Guide to Lesson Planning.

lessonplanspage.com- This lesson plan template was designed to make lesson plan writing easier to do while ensuring that all lesson plan components are met. Copy and paste below into your authoring program.

lessonplans4teachers.com- Every teacher has a unique way of completing lesson plans. Some are based on strict district guidelines, while others come out of years of experience and successful practices. The following is a list of generally accepted lesson planning templates. These are all Free Lesson Plan templates.

nwlink.com- Lesson Plan Template (rtf)
This template is intended to be the ultimate lesson plan. If you only use a quarter of the learning techniques within the template, you will still have a great lesson plan. This template uses Outlining to keep the numbers correctly sequenced. By pressing the [Enter] key within the outline or deleting an outline number, the numbers will automatically resequence themselves.

k6educators.about.com- Blank 8-Step Lesson Plan Template

personal.psu.edu- Lesson Plan Template



What kind of lesson plan do you use? Please comment so I can add the link to your blog to this post. We would love to see what you use!

What To Include In Your Lesson Plan

Each teacher is different and so are their students, but there are a few things that need to be in a lesson plan. While there are many formats for a lesson plan, most lesson plans contain some or all of these elements.


What should be included in your lesson plan?

1. Subject or Topic- what the lesson is about

2. Brief Overview- a short description of your lesson

3. Objectives- what you want the students to learn

4. Prerequisites- factor in necessary prep activities to make sure that students can meet the lesson objectives. What must students already be able to do before this lesson? What concepts have to be mastered in advance to accomplish the lesson objectives?

5. Materials & Equipment- what materials and equipment are needed to teach the lesson

6. Introduction or lead in to the lesson- this is designed to focus students on the skill or concept about to be instructed. This includes showing pictures or models, asking leading questions, or reviewing previously taught lessons.

7. Vocabulary and Key Words- terminology you want your students to learn

8. Lesson Procedure- a detailed, step-by-step description of how to do the lesson and achieve lesson plan objectives. This includes all the activities the teacher will have the students do. This section is divided into several parts and basically consists of: an introduction, a main activity, and closure. Depending on the students and how best they learn the lesson plan can consist of crafts, games, worksheets, coloring pages, puzzles, skits, etc. All the activities focus on the objectives that the teacher wants the students to learn.

9. Follow Up Lessons/Activities- activities for enrichment and remediation and/or lessons that might follow as a result of this lesson. This could also be a review of the lesson to help students understand and comprehend what they have just learned. Reading Comprehension & Assessment Activities and How To Review Material

10. Assessment/Evaluation- how you will evaluate what the students have learned. Assessing Student Progress

Using Technology In Your Classroom

Today we can use several different kinds of equipment to assist the teaching in our classrooms. What is effective and needed for your classroom depends upon your students and what is available for the catechist to use.


What is effective and necessary in your classroom?

1. Whatever equipment you are using it must achieve your learning objectives for your lesson. Why use the equipment and material if it does not enhance your lesson?

2. Know how to use the equipment. Nothing is worse than getting some technical equipment in your classroom and you do not know how to use it.

3. Have the equipment in your classroom ready before class. Being prepared is essential.

4. Make sure the equipment is running properly before class. Set up the equipment and test to see if everything is working correctly. Test volume, brightness, off/on, pause, and any other feature.

5. Have the equipment and material ready. Make sure that all you have to do is turn the equipment on so you do not have to waste time finding the right place to start on your tape, DVD, CD, etc. This loss time can allow you to lose control of the classroom and disruptive behavior can start. Test run what you are planning to do and make sure all the students can see and hear it the way it is supposed to be.

Lesson Planning

Before you do anything you must plan and prepare. When you go grocery shopping, you make a list of the food you want or you will buy things you don’t need and you won’t have what you want to eat for the week. You do the same thing with planning what you will teach in your CCD class. You plan what you are going to do and you prepare.

Having a well planned and prepared CCD class is essential. Without this your students cannot learn to their fullest potential. A well planned and prepared lesson plan will also help to avoid possible behavior problems that could arise in your class as well.


Tips For Planning and Preparing Your Lessons

1. Know your curriculum. Read, study, and learn. A good lesson depends on how well the catechist understands the material.

2. Prepare ahead. Take your class CCD schedule and plan for the whole year what lessons (chapters from your curriculum) you will do. It does not have to be elaborate, just jot down the chapter and/or subject for each Sunday you have CCD.

3. Formulate objectives for your lesson (what you want your students to learn). That will determine what you will teach.

4. Select what activities you will be doing with your students. Find various activities (crafts, worksheets, games, coloring sheets, puzzles, etc.) that go with your lesson. Review the objectives of your lesson to determine if the activity is appropriate for your students. Remember that the activities must relate to the lesson. Only do crafts, games, and activities that emphasize the lesson and the objectives of what you want your students to learn. These activities make your lessons more concrete and easier for the students to understand and also a lot of fun. Keeping the students busy with relevant activities also helps eliminate discipline problems that might erupt due to the students being bored.

*Be sure to list all the materials for each activity needed in the lesson plan.

5. Adjust lesson plan to your students. Be sure to take into account that every year each group of students is different and can learn differently than previous classes. What activities worked one year might not work this year. Take into account the unique needs of your students or how they learn best to make your lesson as effective as possible. Example: If your students learn better when they are in small groups, make sure you have an activity planned for your students to break into a small group and work together.

6. Have alternative activities. Sometimes what you have planned for the class does not work out so have alternative activities to accomplish your objectives for the lesson.

7. Have extra activities. Sometimes what you have planned takes less time than expected. Be sure to have other activities to fill in if you have extra time in your lesson.

8. Review lesson plan. Go over it thoroughly. Practice doing the lesson plan and picture yourself doing it. Make adjustments if necessary.

9. Make sure you have enough materials for all students. Have enough books, pencils, craft supplies, worksheets, puzzles, etc. for each student. Have a few extra for any new students or if they bring a friend to class.

10. Have materials and classroom ready before class. Make sure you arrive early to set up your classroom and to make sure all the materials and equipment you need are there, easy to access, and ready to go.