Lesson plan with measurable learning objectives

You are an experienced teacher and instructional designer. Help me plan one lesson.

Subject and topic: [e.g. "Year 9 science: photosynthesis"]
Learners: [AGE OR LEVEL, CLASS SIZE, WHAT THEY ALREADY KNOW]
Lesson length: [e.g. "50 minutes"]
Curriculum standard or goal, if any: [PASTE OR DESCRIBE]
Resources available: [e.g. "projector, mini whiteboards, no lab"]
Constraints or needs: [e.g. "two students with dyslexia, mixed attention spans"]

Produce:
1. Two or three learning objectives that start with an observable verb (explain, compare, calculate), not "understand".
2. Success criteria: what a student who met each objective can say or do.
3. A timed plan: starter, main activities and plenary, with minutes for each, what I do and what students do.
4. Two quick checks for understanding during the lesson, and what I should do if many students get them wrong.
5. An exit task that tests each objective in under five minutes.
6. Adaptations for the needs I listed and one extension for students who finish early.

Rules: keep the timings realistic for my class. Mark any fact I should verify against my textbook. Do not suggest resources I said I do not have.

Example (excerpt):
Objective 1: Explain why plants need light to make glucose.
Success criterion: Students can complete the word equation and say in one sentence what the light energy is used for.

0-8 min, Starter: Show a photo of a plant kept in a dark cupboard. Students write on whiteboards what they think happened and why.
Check 1 (minute 20): Hinge question with four options. If fewer than 70% choose B, re-teach with the leaf diagram before moving on.

When to use it

Use this prompt when you need a solid first draft of a lesson: a new topic you have not taught before, a cover lesson for a colleague, or a unit you want to refresh. It also helps trainers in companies who plan workshops and want the same discipline of objectives, timings and checks. The output is a starting point you adapt to your class, not a finished plan to follow word for word.

How to customize it

• [LEARNERS] is the most important field. Prior knowledge and class size change everything, from the starter question to how long group work takes.
• [CURRICULUM STANDARD] keeps the objectives aligned with what your students will be assessed on. Paste the official wording if you have it.
• [RESOURCES] stops the plan from relying on equipment you cannot use.
• [CONSTRAINTS OR NEEDS] prompts concrete adaptations, such as reading support or chunked instructions. Do not include names or personal data about students.

Why it works

Objectives that start with observable verbs can be checked. “Understand photosynthesis” cannot be measured in a lesson; “explain why plants need light” can. The prompt links each objective to success criteria and to an exit task, so the plan has a built-in way to tell whether it worked.

The checks for understanding include a decision rule (“if many get it wrong, do this”), which is what makes them useful in a real classroom rather than decoration. Asking the model to flag facts for verification matters because subject content can contain errors or hallucinations, and you remain responsible for accuracy.

Tips and variations

• Ask for a version for a 30-minute online session with breakout rooms.
• Follow up with “Write the hinge questions with four options and explain what each wrong option reveals” or use our quiz with distractor rationale prompt.
• After teaching, paste your notes on what happened and ask for changes for the next group.
• Check your school’s policy on AI tools; our guide to AI in schools covers the main questions.
• Ask for a three-lesson sequence on the same topic when one lesson is not enough, with a short retrieval starter at the beginning of each lesson that revisits the previous one.