Lesson Plan Skill

Generate standards-aligned, pedagogy-grounded lesson plans ready to print or drop into a planner.

When to use this skill

Trigger on any phrase combining topic + grade + duration, or any of these concrete cues:

• "Write me a lesson plan on [topic] for [grade]."
• "I need a [duration] lesson on [topic] by tomorrow."
• "Plan a [grade] NGSS lesson on [topic]."
• "Build a Common Core ELA lesson on [topic] for [grade]."
• "Make a homeschool lesson on [topic] for my [grade]er."
• "Give me a [duration] high school [subject] lesson on [topic]."
• "Draft a kindergarten lesson on [topic]."
• "I need an emergency sub plan for [grade] [subject]."
• "Plan a multi-day unit on [topic] for [grade]."
• "Create an IB MYP lesson on [topic]."
• "Cambridge / IGCSE / A Level lesson on [topic]."
• "TEKS-aligned lesson on [topic] for [grade]."
• "First-year-teacher SOS — [duration] lesson on [topic]."

Inputs

Required:

• Topic — free-text.
• Grade — K, 1, 2, … 12, college, grad, or homeschool-equivalent.
• Duration — minutes (or days × minutes for units).

Optional (reasonable defaults applied if absent):

• Standards framework — defaults by subject (CCSS for ELA/Math, NGSS for Science, general best practice otherwise).
• Pedagogy — default Gradual Release (Fisher & Frey "I do / we do / you do"), with UDL as the lens for differentiation. Auto-overrides to 5E for Science lessons unless user specifies otherwise.
• Class size, prior knowledge level, accommodations (ELL/SPED/Gifted).

Output

• Markdown lesson plan (default). 13 sections — see references/templates/lesson-plan.md for the skeleton.
• YAML footer — machine-readable handoff block for sibling skills (worksheet, quiz-generator, rubric). Spec in references/output-contract.md.
• Optional PDF — via shared/scripts/pdf_render.py if the user asks for a printable version.

Inferring grade from phrasing (before asking)

Ask about grade ONLY if you cannot confidently infer it. Use these cues first:

Cue in user's phrasing	Likely grade band
"my kindergartener," "my 5yo," "circle time," "calendar math"	K
"my 3rd grader," "multiplication tables," "book report"	3-5
"middle school," "pre-algebra," "ratios," "5 paragraph essay"	6-8
"AP ___," "PSAT," "thesis statement," "MLA works cited"	9-12
"syllabus," "semester," "lecture," "TA," "office hours"	College
"dissertation," "my students' IRB," "cohort"	Grad
"my ELL/EB student," "newcomer," "WIDA"	pair with grade + add ELL strategies
"homeschool," "my own kid"	use grade number; add home-friendly mods

If confidence is still low, ask ONE clarifying question in this exact shape:

Quick check so I can calibrate this — which grade is this for? (e.g. K · 3rd · 7th · 10th · college)

Do not stack questions. Do not ask for framework, duration, class size, etc. unless the user explicitly wants tight customization.

Workflow (summary — full details in references/workflow.md)

1. Parse request — extract topic, grade, duration, framework, flags (sub-plan, multi-day, mini-lesson, block).
2. Infer, then clarify — attempt grade inference from the table above first. Only ask one question if grade is still unclear. Duration defaults to 45 min if unspecified.
3. Infer defaults — framework by subject, pedagogy = Gradual Release (or 5E for science).
4. Select template — default / sub-plan / multi-day unit / mini-lesson trim / block-schedule expansion.
5. Load standards reference — read only the file(s) matching the framework.
6. Load pedagogy reference — Gradual Release by default; 5E / Madeline Hunter if user-specified.
7. Load differentiation catalog — plus learner-category file(s) as needed.
8. Load grade-calibration rules — tone, vocabulary, session structure.
9. Fill template — measurable objectives, cited standards, topic-specific hook, concrete differentiation.
10. Self-check — all sections present, standards cited, YAML valid, timing sums to duration.
11. Format + offer follow-ups — suggest sibling skills (worksheet / quiz-generator / rubric) but do NOT auto-invoke.

Progressive disclosure — reference files

Load on demand based on the request. Do NOT read all references for every request.

Standards (load one matching the user's framework)

• references/standards/common-core-ela.md — CCSS ELA strands (RL, RI, W, SL, L, RH, RST, WHST) K-12.
• references/standards/common-core-math.md — CCSS Math domains + Mathematical Practices K-12.
• references/standards/ngss.md — NGSS Performance Expectations, DCIs, SEPs, CCCs.
• references/standards/state-frameworks.md — TEKS, NY NGLS, CA, FL B.E.S.T., VA SOL (+ pointers to other states).
• references/standards/ib.md — PYP, MYP, DP.
• references/standards/cambridge.md — Primary, Lower Secondary, IGCSE, A Level.

Pedagogy

• references/pedagogy/gradual-release.md — default — Fisher & Frey.
• references/pedagogy/udl.md — always apply — Universal Design for Learning lens.
• references/pedagogy/5e.md — auto-override for Science.
• references/pedagogy/madeline-hunter.md — on explicit user request.

Differentiation

• references/differentiation/catalog.md — always load — cross-cutting strategy index.
• references/differentiation/ell-strategies.md — WIDA + SIOP scaffolds.
• references/differentiation/sped-strategies.md — IEP / 504 accommodations.
• references/differentiation/gifted-strategies.md — depth-not-pace extensions.

Templates

• references/templates/lesson-plan.md — default 13-section template.
• references/templates/sub-plan.md — emergency substitute plan.
• references/templates/multi-day-unit.md — unit with daily sub-sections.

Meta

• references/grade-calibration.md — tone + length + vocabulary + activity rules by band.
• references/workflow.md — step-by-step generation procedure.
• references/edge-cases.md — sub-plan, multi-day, mini-lesson, block schedule, cross-grade, sensitive topics, non-English-primary.
• references/output-contract.md — YAML footer spec.

Locked defaults

Setting	Default
Pedagogy	Gradual Release (I do / we do / you do)
Differentiation lens	UDL (multiple means of engagement / representation / action & expression)
Framework — ELA	CCSS ELA
Framework — Math	CCSS Math
Framework — Science	NGSS (+ auto-override pedagogy to 5E)
Framework — other	General best practice
Output	Markdown + YAML footer
Cross-skill invocation	None — offer sibling-skill suggestions, do not auto-invoke.

Micro-example

User: "45-minute lesson on photosynthesis for my 7th grader"

Inferred: grade 7 (explicit), subject=Science → NGSS + 5E pedagogy, duration 45. Skill responds (no clarifying question needed): fully formed plan starting —

# Photosynthesis: How Plants Make Food (7th Grade Science)

**Standards:** NGSS MS-LS1-6 — Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence
for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy…

**Objective:** Students will model the chemical equation of photosynthesis and
explain how light energy is captured by chloroplasts and converted into chemical
energy in glucose, with 80% accuracy on the exit ticket.

## 5E Workflow (45 min)
1. **Engage (5 min)** — Show a sped-up timelapse of a seedling sprouting in light…
2. **Explore (10 min)** — Lab: observe two elodea sprigs, one in light one in dark…
…

Full YAML footer follows the plan. Sibling-skill suggestions appear at the end.

PDF export (optional)

When the user asks for a PDF, run the shared script from the repo root:

python3 shared/scripts/pdf_render.py \
  --input <markdown-file.md> \
  --output <output-file.pdf> \
  --style lesson-plan

The script expects lesson-plan-style formatting (letterhead, section headers). If the --style lesson-plan flag is unsupported (first-time run against a worksheet-only script), fall back to --style default and note to the user: "PDF rendered with default style — the lesson-plan-specific template is planned for a later update."

Quality bar

Every generated plan must satisfy:

• All required template sections present.
• Standards cited with framework + code + full text (or explicit "no framework applies" note).
• Objectives use measurable Bloom's verbs (NOT "understand," "know," "learn about" as sole verb).
• Differentiation has ELL + SPED + Gifted subsections with 2+ concrete strategies each.
• Materials list matches activity requirements.
• Timing sums to the requested duration.
• Grade-band calibration applied.
• YAML footer present and valid.

What NOT to do

• Do not invent standards codes. If uncertain, describe the strand and note "Verify the specific code with your district."
• Do not use "understand," "know," or "learn about" as the sole verb in any objective.
• Do not skip the Differentiation section, even for short lessons.
• Do not auto-invoke sibling skills — just suggest.