Research Guides: Lesson Planning for Educators: Units vs Lessons

Units vs Lessons

A unit plan is the big picture framework for a series of lessons that:

organizes multiple lessons under a common theme, topic, or set of learning objectives
helps you see how each individual lesson connects to broader goals and standards
includes an overview of what students should know and be able to do by the end of the unit
shows the order in which topics will be taught
lists ideas for assessments and major projects

General Unit Plan Template
Provides a structured format for organizing multi-day instruction around clear goals, standards, and assessments.

A lesson plan zooms in on one day or class period within a particular unit. Each lesson plan builds on the ones that came before it and sets students up for the next steps. Lesson plans:

lay out what you’ll teach that day
list what materials you’ll use
shows exactly what activities students will do
demonstrate how you’ll check for understanding.

General Lesson Plan Template
A flexible, all-purpose template suitable for a wide range of subjects and grade levels. Use this to practice structuring lessons that include objectives, standards alignment, instructional procedures, and assessment.
Interactive Read Aloud Template
Designed for literacy instruction, this template helps you plan engaging and purposeful read alouds that promote comprehension, vocabulary development, and student interaction.
Science Lesson Plan Template
Tailored to the unique needs of science instruction, this template emphasizes inquiry, hands-on activities, and opportunities for students to engage with the scientific method.

💡 Tip: Good lesson plans make the goals of the unit achievable in clear, manageable steps. By carefully sequencing lessons within a unit, you help students build skills and knowledge in a logical way - and you’re prepared to adjust if something needs to be revised, retaught, or expanded.

🔍 Dive Deeper

Developing Well-Designed Standards-Based Units
highlights the importance of a unifying planning framework that ensures alignment between "stated" curriculum, "taught" curriculum, and "assessed" curriculum. A sound structure that guides teams of teachers in developing tightly aligned units of instruction, before the first lesson of the unit is taught, has the potential to significantly improve student performance.
Better than Nothing? An Analysis of AI-Generated Lesson Plans Using the Universal Design for Learning & Transition Frameworks
Since ChatGPT’s launch in 2022, educators have struggled to use AI tools like Diffit and MagicSchool AI effectively while managing their drawbacks. This study uses qualitative analysis to assess how well these tools' lesson plans align with the UDL/UDT framework.