As a course creator, online educator, or teacher of any kind, it’s essential to have a lesson plan template up your sleeve to ensure that your students have a seamless introduction to your course material.
A lesson plan example is handy to use as it helps establish a proper framework when designing your course so that your students proceed from one level to the next in a way that makes sense.
No matter what profession or niche area you are in, having an online lesson plan template ready to go will help you save valuable time when planning a well-structured, logically sequenced course.
Whether you’re teaching an in-person class or designing an eLearning curriculum, lesson plan templates are the key to a smooth-running and organized course.
This guide will equip you with a ton of daily, weekly, monthly, generic, and niche lesson plan template examples so that you can streamline your lesson planning process and provide detailed learning objectives for your students.
These free online course lesson plan templates will take the stress off your shoulders when it comes to developing an effective lesson plan, allowing you to focus on delivering a top-notch course.
Or grab them here for google docs or word!
Continue reading or skip ahead:
- Benefits of using lesson plan templates
- Understanding online course lesson planning
- Exploring different types of lesson plan formats
- Free online course lesson plan templates
- Using lesson plan templates effectively
- Conclusion
- FAQs
Related: How To Build A Lesson Plan (+ templates)
Benefits of using lesson plan templates
A lesson plan template is simply a document that outlines the key objectives of your course material, including learning goals, materials, teaching strategies, resources, timelines, assessments, end takeaways, and more.
Lesson plan templates are a great way to save time and add consistency to your course delivery.
As a course creator or instructor, lesson plan templates help make you and your students’ lives easier by providing everyone with a detailed list of what exactly is going to happen during the course. They prepare you so that nothing is missed and your students aren’t surprised with any unexpected learning tasks.
Lesson plan templates are beneficial for these key reasons:
- Clarifies objectives – Each lesson plan you create should have measurable goals that you students are able to understand. This will help them learn the course material and achieve the specific learning objectives that are set out for them.
- Provides structure and flow – This will help keep your course organized and easy to follow, helping you stick to a concrete lesson plan. When deciding what learning objectives should be included in your template, think about the order in which you will present your material, if it is chronological or sequential.
- Outlines required materials – Resources, methods, steps, and different teaching materials are all things you will want to include in your lesson plan template. Handouts that need to be distributed or downloaded, or specific physical tools and equipment that need to be used during the classes will be easier to remember if they are scheduled in!
- Tracks learning progress – Lesson plan templates allow you and your students to meet learning goals and deadlines, helping prepare for upcoming assessments and evaluations. This allows you to check for understanding and modify anything if needed.
- Creates a timeline – It’s easy to lose track of time if you’re conducting your online course live, however a framework helps to divide your class by time duration and effectively cover all of your learning objectives.
Related: 10 Steps To Creating A Wildly Successful Online Course
Understanding online course lesson planning
It’s important to have a thorough lesson plan template for your class, but before you create one you’ll need to have a complete understanding of the purpose of your course and the individual needs of your students.
Drawing out a full lesson plan example can be a great way to help you recognize the areas your course is lacking and to fill in some knowledge gaps. Lesson plan templates help you decide on the best layout for your course and choose the necessary sections to include.
Online lesson planning is different from traditional in-person learning as courses are typically a shorter duration and there is more student-facilitated learning. This means that online course lesson plan templates need to be very meticulous and detailed in the expectations of the course so that students can follow along easily at their own pace.
Lesson plan templates provide a comprehensive base for your course. If you are teaching multiple courses that are similar to one another, you can easily repurpose the lesson plan templates you create to save you valuable time and energy.
Having multiple online course lesson plan templates will ultimately ensure that you provide a quality course to your students that will leave them with no questions. There are many different types of lesson plan templates that you can experiment with, which we’ll explore later on.
Now that we know why lesson plan templates are beneficial to have and understand, let’s dive a little deeper into the key components of an effective online course lesson plan.
Related: How to Plan an Online Course (Templates & Tips)
Exploring different types of lesson plan formats
No course is the same, which means that you will need varying lesson plan templates to suit your different teaching needs.
Thankfully, there are many different free online course lesson plan templates out there to choose from!
Styles of lesson plan templates
Let’s take a closer look at the various types of lesson plan formats:
Daily lesson plans
Daily lesson plans are like mini agendas that outline the contents of your day-to-day teachings. This is beneficial if you have a one-day course or a short-term program and want to make sure your students are understanding the material and staying on track.
Weekly lesson plans
Weekly lesson plans set your course intentions for everything you want your students to accomplish throughout the week. This is great for courses where students are more self-sufficient with their learning so that they can ensure they meet any deadlines and goals. Weekly lesson plans help you monitor your students’ learning progress at the end of the week and plan for the succeeding ones.
Monthly lesson plans
Monthly lesson plans outline the overall goals for the whole course. This is especially useful if you have a longer course that goes on for a few months or a year. Monthly lesson plans give students a timeline of what they are expected to know by the end of the month so they can plan accordingly.
Unit lesson plans
Unit lesson plans focus on a specific topic within a broader subject. This type of outline is beneficial for any course that has a lot of content to divide up, allowing students to learn all the necessary components of each unit to prepare for assessments.
Topic lesson plans
Topic lesson plans are based on a subject itself, such as science, math, english, art, and any other topic. This can be used to structure learning objectives in a specific academic subject or professional niche.
eLearning lesson plans
Online learning lesson plans typically involve shorter, more condensed bite-sized content chunks. This offers a structure that is broken down into smaller parts so that students can easily digest the material. This type of lesson plan can be as detailed as you wish.
Grade level lesson plans
Grade level lesson plans are extremely useful if you are teaching more than one class across different grade levels. Preparing this type of lesson plan can help you manage your time and each class more effectively.
Niche lesson plans
Niche lesson plans will be quite different from the other templates, which is perfect if the course you are offering is more unique. Just remember that you may have to customize existing templates extensively for a proper course structure.
Generic lesson plans
Generic lesson plans are there to help you form a base for creating an outline to your course. If you aren’t really sure what kind of online lesson plan template you are looking for, this is the best place to start. You can always modify generic lesson plan templates if you need.
Chances are, you’ll want to use a combination of these lesson plan formats to help outline your course well in advance. Below we have provided the top free lesson plan examples for you to use to help outline your course contents. Let’s dive in!
Related: 8 Steps to Building an Online Course Business (+ Business Plan Template)
Free online course lesson plan templates
Below we’ve put together the ultimate roundup of the 21 best free online lesson plan templates across categories like single-day lessons, weekly, monthly, niche, and generic topics that you can use for any style of course you offer.
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Here are 21 of the best free online lesson plan templates:
This simple and basic lesson plan template is perfect for short courses that last only a few hours. If you are looking to start your own online course that isn’t overly complex or hard to grasp, this daily lesson plan template is the perfect fit.
This lesson plan template provides a comprehensive outline that can be adapted to any kind of course. While it has headings that indicate what you should include, this template gives you the freedom to reflect on your students’ needs and reminds you to include all of your necessary and required course components.
This lesson plan format helps you outline your advanced lessons in an organized manner. This template is great for higher-level courses that require more thorough lesson plans. You can customize this template as you need, suiting all your advanced learning objectives and goals.
What if you need to teach multiple classes or conduct multiple workshops on the same day? This lesson template will help you do just that with little effort on your part. You’ll have all of your lesson objectives neatly laid out in front of you so that you can effectively deliver your courses.
This detailed lesson plan is comprehensive and customizable for eLearning needs. It’s great for simple or more advanced online courses, and can be tailored to any kind of learning preference.
This 90 minute literacy block lesson template is more niche as it was designed for group guided reading. However, you can customize this template to any course where you will have to divide your class into groups based on different parameters.
This is a simple and vibrant weekly lesson plan template that you are free to use if you want to add a pop of color to your lesson plan. This is perfect for a 6-day learning week instead of the usual 5-day lesson plan templates. It comes in multiple colors and can easily be edited using Canva’s drag-and-drop editor.
Although this lesson plan was designed for art lessons, you can use it for any topic. You can even mention a student’s grade and make notes at the bottom. This lesson plan is great for a 6-day work week as well, or you can simply have students fill in their own creative activities during their free time on Saturday’s.
This lesson plan format is perfect for a weekly lesson plan that considers different activities and types of assessments. It’s a simple format that is easy to follow, and it also provides the next steps for the following week.
If you are looking for a lesson plan template that lists specific activities at certain times during the day, then this is the template for you. It outlines seven days a week, making it suitable for lengthy and comprehensive courses.
This standard weekly lesson plan template is perfect for outlining course objectives without overwhelming your students and going into too much detail. It is simple yet effective at getting to the point and also lists any take home work for students.
This monthly lesson plan template is perfect to plan the scope of your lessons for the entire duration of the month on a weekly basis. This is great if you have an online course that’s longer in length, especially at different levels.
This template is designed to help streamline online learning objectives into a manner that is easy to follow and understand, with all the course components clearly and concisely planned out for each lesson.
This lesson plan may have been designed for preschool students, but it lists activities per week and has a specific purpose for different topics. Use this template if you need to cover multiple topics in a single course. You can also divide your cohort into small and large groups and create customized activities.
This template is geared towards art students or more creative hands-on courses. It even highlights a vocabulary section for learning some specific art-related terms that are important to know for the course.
This lesson plan template is not only related to fields of music or sound engineering, it can be customized and applied to any kind of subject. It provides a thorough overview of all of the expected learning outcomes, along with listing prior knowledge.
If you’re teaching math, science, data interpretations, or any other quantitative subject, this template can prove to be very useful. You can also customize it and make changes as necessary.
If you are just starting your journey creating an online course, this structured template is the perfect option. It’s generic and customizable, meaning this basic lesson plan could work with any learning outcomes for your course.
This free detailed lesson plan is quite comprehensive and customizable. This template is ideally more suitable for advanced online lessons, as it not only helps you plan your expectations, content, and assessments but also the context of the learners themselves.
Though this lesson plan example was designed for elementary teachers, you can use it for basic online courses that last for a month or longer. This template also supports listing activities date-wise.
Backwards design prioritizes the intended learning outcomes instead of topics to be covered. This lesson plan goes into detail on the overall course learning outcomes, and is a great option for more advanced courses that explore a lot of different competencies within a module.
There you have it!
Our complete list of the 21 best online lesson plan templates to help your course meet its learning objectives. Remember, you can download any one of these templates to customize and use for your own course, for free!
Related: How To Presell A Course (Ultimate Guide To Pre-Selling)
Using lesson plan templates effectively
Now that we’ve gone over some of the best free online course lesson plan templates out there, how do you choose the right one for your course?
When it comes to building a lesson plan for your course, you need to be strategic as each lesson plan is a stepping stone to your overarching course goals. You want to make sure you are clear, concise, and adaptable when outlining your learning objectives for your course.
With the right lesson plan template, this becomes a breeze! Looking through all of those lesson plan templates can be intimidating, so we’ve put together some important questions to consider that’ll help you choose the best template for your course.
Is it customizable?
- Sometimes having a super specific and detailed lesson plan template is great if you are leading a generic course (such as math, science, and even art). However, if you have developed more of a niche and speciality course, having the option to customize your lesson plan template is essential. Every online course differs in its goals and objectives, and so you should be able to customize it to suit your course needs.
Does it support all of your learning objectives?
- Your lesson plan should ideally specify how you will deliver your lessons and list the learning objectives that need to be met by the end of the lesson. This will help you map out your course so that students learn what they need to by the end of the course.
Can you list your timeline for activities?
- Many online courses consist of activities that are timed. If that’s the case, make sure that your chosen template supports listing out activities by their time duration. As well, students should have a timeline listed for when important things need to be completed. Most course instructors need to follow a strict schedule, so this could also be a useful feature to look for when scouting out the perfect lesson plan template.
Does it allow for creativity?
- Lesson plan templates don’t need to be boring! Incorporating visual elements such as illustrations, infographics, animations, and videos into your lesson plan template can bring your learning objectives to life and engage your students.
Can you make changes during lessons?
- You will almost always adapt or change some aspect of your course as you develop it and teach more. Having a flexible lesson plan template that you can alter freely will help you in the long run when you realize that a certain aspect of your course is not working as well as it used to. Make sure that your lesson plan template supports making changes along the way.
Does it allow you to plan for future lessons/courses?
- As your course progresses, future activities should always be based on how the previous lessons went. Consequently, you should always have space to plan your future lessons. Choosing a lesson plan template that has space for feedback will let you know what changes to make for future lessons or courses.
If you don’t see quite the right lesson plan template for you, even with customizations, try creating your own! Tools like Canva make this process extremely simple and easy.
Remember that an online lesson plan template typically includes these key sections:
- Lesson objectives
- Course resources and lesson materials
- Teaching strategies
- Evaluations techniques and assessment methods
- Lesson reflection and feedback for future coursework
Related: How to Structure Your Course (Ultimate Guide)
Conclusion
Having an effective lesson plan template will assist you in delivering quality content with any type of course you teach. It helps with defining your course goals and objectives, promotes critical thinking and problem solving skills, and it motivates students to stay on track of their learning. Overall, lesson plan templates make learning and teaching easier for everyone involved!
Online courses take a lot of work to build and organize. It requires an enormous amount of patience, skills, and perseverance! We hope that this free online lesson plan template list will help you develop your courses and plan your teaching strategy with ease.
Download Thinkific’s free online course lesson plan templates that are adapted for Google Docs and Microsoft Word here.
FAQs
Are these lesson plan examples suitable for all types of online courses?
Yes, our list of free online course lesson plan templates are extremely versatile for different course topics and adaptable to all of your teaching needs. They can be downloaded by clicking onto the links attached, and are ready to use for your online course.
Are all of the templates customizable to meet my specific course requirements?
Absolutely! Thinkific offers lesson plan templates that are completely customizable, allowing you to tailor them to your learning objectives, course content, and future goals.
Are these templates compatible with different learning management systems (LMS)?
Yes, these templates work with any LMS or online course platform. Simply download the template and then you’ll be able to integrate it into your course design workflow.
How often are new templates added to the list?
We are always adding new templates to our list and updating our site with new and innovative lesson plan templates. Be sure to check back frequently for the latest additions!
Do these templates have any specific software requirements?
Nope! Our templates are compatible with common software programs that include Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and PDF viewers. All you have to do is choose the format that works best for your course and start planning your lessons!
This blog was originally published in March 2023, it has since been updated on April 30 2024.
