How Can Teachers Create a Lesson Plan with Artificial Intelligence?

Tools such as ChatGPT and Claude can serve as assistants in lesson planning. They do not replace the teacher. Instead, they can reduce part of the planning workload by producing an initial draft.

OpenAI’s official guidance for educators also suggests that AI tools can support lesson planning, concept explanation, classroom activities and assessment. However, the output should be treated as a starting point, while the teacher retains responsibility for the final decision.

What Should Teachers Clarify Before Using AI?

Artificial intelligence produces better results when the teacher provides accurate and detailed information. Writing only a sentence such as “Create a lesson plan for me” will usually generate a broad and generic response.

Before writing a prompt, the teacher should clarify:

• the subject and lesson topic;
• the grade and students’ learning level;
• the duration of the lesson;
• the learning objective or objectives;
• students’ prior knowledge;
• the number of students;
• the available resources;
• the assessment method;
• classroom limitations.

For example, a lesson plan for a class of 20 students with access to a projector will not be the same as a plan for 50 students in a classroom without electricity or internet access.

Step One: Clarify the Learning Objective

The learning objective is one of the most important parts of any lesson plan. The teacher should clearly identify what students should know or be able to do by the end of the lesson.

The objective should be clear, specific and observable.

For example, instead of writing:

Students will become familiar with the water cycle.

A more specific objective would be:

Students will be able to name the main stages of the water cycle and explain them using a simple diagram.

A clear objective helps the AI tool suggest more appropriate activities, questions and assessment methods.

Step Two: Explain the Real Classroom Conditions

Artificial intelligence does not know the conditions of your classroom unless you explain them.

In Afghanistan, the following information may be particularly important:

• the class is large;
• there is no internet or projector;
• students do not have enough textbooks;
• the lesson period is short;
• students have different learning levels;
• the activity must be possible using a board, paper and pens;
• explanations should use simple language.

The more accurately the classroom context is described, the more realistic the lesson plan is likely to be.

Step Three: Ask AI for a Structured Draft

It is better to ask the tool to organize the lesson plan into specific sections.

A simple lesson-plan structure may include:

1. Lesson title
2. Grade and subject
3. Lesson duration
4. Learning objectives
5. Required materials
6. Opening activity
7. Explanation of the topic
8. Student activities
9. Checking understanding
10. Final assessment
11. Homework
12. Support for students who need additional help

This structure makes the result more organized and easier to review.

Example Prompt for Creating a Lesson Plan

A teacher can use the following prompt:

As an educational assistant, prepare a 45-minute Grade 6 science lesson plan on the “water cycle.”

The lesson objective is for students to name the stages of evaporation, condensation and precipitation and explain them using a simple diagram.

The class has 40 students. There is no internet, projector or laboratory equipment. The activities must be possible using a board, textbook, paper and pens.

The plan should include an opening activity, teacher explanation, group activity, questions for checking understanding, a final assessment and homework.

Provide a separate suggestion for students who learn the topic more quickly and for those who need more time.

This plan is only an initial draft. Do not present scientific information as unquestionably correct without indicating that it requires teacher review. Clearly identify any sections that should be checked by the teacher.

This prompt can be adapted for other lessons by changing the subject, grade, duration and available resources.

Step Four: Review the AI-Generated Plan

After receiving a response, the teacher should not use it immediately. The plan should be reviewed from several perspectives.

Alignment with the Curriculum

Are the topic, objectives and activities consistent with the curriculum and the grade level?

Practicality

Can the activities realistically be completed within the available time, class size, classroom space and resources?

Accuracy of the Content

Are the scientific, historical, mathematical or language-related details correct?

AI tools may produce incorrect answers or references that do not exist. OpenAI also reminds educators that the model may not always provide accurate information and that teachers should review its output.

Student Participation

Does the plan involve only teacher explanation, or do students also think, discuss, write and solve problems?

Meaningful Assessment

Does the final activity show whether students have achieved the learning objective?

Step Five: Ask AI to Improve the Plan

The first response is not always the best one. Teachers can ask the tool to make the plan more precise and practical.

For example:

The group activity in this plan is difficult to manage in a class of 50 students. Make it simpler and easier to manage.

Or:

The assessment questions are too difficult for Grade 4 students. Simplify them.

Or:

This lesson must be taught without internet access or a projector. Replace all digital activities with low-cost alternatives.

Or:

Prepare three easy, three medium and two difficult questions for this lesson plan.

This step-by-step conversation usually produces a more useful result than a single short instruction.

Which Parts of a Lesson Plan Can AI Support Most Effectively?

Artificial intelligence can be particularly useful in several parts of lesson planning.

Opening Activity

It can suggest a question, short story, everyday example or simple activity to capture students’ attention.

Participatory Activities

It can design group work, pair discussions, educational games or problem-solving activities.

Assessment Questions

It can suggest open-ended, multiple-choice, true-or-false or critical-thinking questions.

Simplifying Content

It can explain a difficult concept in simpler language or create different versions for students at different learning levels.

Homework

It can suggest homework that supports the lesson objective without requiring extensive resources.

What Information Should Not Be Entered into AI Tools?

Teachers should not enter students’ personal information into public AI tools.

Avoid entering:

• a student’s full name;
• individual grades;
• phone numbers;
• addresses;
• photographs;
• health information;
• family problems;
• school documents;
• any information that could reveal a student’s identity.

Instead of providing a student’s name and personal details, a teacher could write:

One student in the class has difficulty reading long texts. Suggest a simpler activity.

Can AI Create a Complete and Final Lesson Plan?

Artificial intelligence can produce a useful draft, but the final lesson plan must be prepared and approved by the teacher.

Teachers understand better than any tool:

• the learning level of their students;
• which topics are difficult for them;
• which activities can realistically be implemented;
• when additional explanation is needed;
• how to respond to individual differences;
• which examples are suitable for the local context.

For this reason, the role of AI is to provide suggestions. The teacher’s role is to select, revise, adapt and make the final decision.

A Short Sample Lesson Plan Created with AI Support

Topic

The Water Cycle

Grade

Grade 6

Duration

45 minutes

Learning Objective

Students will be able to name evaporation, condensation and precipitation and explain the relationship among them.

Opening Activity

The teacher asks:

When we place wet clothes in the sun, where does the water go?

Several students respond, and the teacher connects their answers to the concept of evaporation.

Lesson Explanation

The teacher draws a simple water-cycle diagram on the board and explains each stage.

Group Activity

Students work in small groups to draw the water cycle and label each stage.

Checking Understanding

The teacher asks:

• What is evaporation?
• How are clouds formed?
• At which stage does precipitation occur?

Final Assessment

Each student explains in one sentence how water moves from the ground into the air and then returns to the ground.

Homework

Students observe one example of evaporation or condensation at home and explain it in two sentences.

Before use, this sample should be checked against the textbook, curriculum objective and real classroom conditions.

Common Mistakes When Creating Lesson Plans with AI

One common mistake is using the first response without revision. The response may be too general, too long or impractical.

Another mistake is failing to provide enough information. If the grade, objective, duration and resources are not clearly specified, the plan is unlikely to be accurate or useful.

Teachers should also avoid asking AI to make all educational decisions. The tool cannot determine which student needs more support or which activity is appropriate for the culture and classroom context in the way a teacher can.

Conclusion

Artificial intelligence can make lesson planning faster and more organized. It can suggest objectives, activities, questions and assessment methods, but the quality of the result depends on the information provided by the teacher.

To create a better lesson plan, the teacher should clearly explain the learning objective, grade, duration, available resources, number of students and classroom limitations. The output should then be reviewed and revised for accuracy, curriculum alignment, practicality and students’ needs.

The most effective use of AI occurs when the tool prepares an initial draft, while the teacher remains the main designer of the lesson and the person responsible for the final decision.