UDL Lesson Plan Template

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) builds flexibility into every lesson by providing multiple means of engagement, representation, and action & expression, so every student can access the learning.

All SubjectsElementaryMiddle SchoolHigh School

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  • Structured PDF with guiding questions per section
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When to use this template

  • Planning lessons for diverse classrooms with varied learning needs
  • When you have students with IEPs, 504 plans, or English learners
  • When you want to build choice and flexibility into instruction from the start
  • To replace reactive accommodations with proactive design

Template sections

Define clear, measurable objectives aligned to standards. Separate the goal from the means: what must every student understand vs. how they show it.

What is the learning goal? What standards does it align to? What is the essential understanding vs. the flexible pathway?

How will you recruit interest, sustain effort, and support self-regulation? Offer choices in context, collaboration, or challenge level.

How will you hook students? What choices will you offer? How will you support students who struggle to persist?

How will you present content in more than one way? Consider visual, auditory, hands-on, and text-based formats.

What formats will you use to present information? (e.g., video + text, diagrams + verbal explanation, manipulatives + written steps)

How will students demonstrate understanding? Offer flexible options beyond traditional tests and essays.

What options will students have for showing what they know? (e.g., write, draw, record, present, build, act out)

Anticipate potential barriers for specific learners and plan proactive solutions.

What barriers might students face? What supports, scaffolds, or modifications will you provide?

Design assessments that measure the learning goal, not the method. Ensure assessment options align with the flexibility built into the lesson.

How will you know students met the goal? What formative checks will you use throughout? What flexible summative options will you offer?

The Flip Perspective

Universal Design for Learning focuses on removing barriers to ensure every student has equal access to the curriculum. This framework encourages flexibility in how information is presented and how students express what they know. Flip's AI helps you brainstorm diverse instructional methods that accommodate different learning styles and needs automatically.

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Adapting this Template

For All Subjects

Apply UDL by adapting the phase timings and prompts to fit All Subjects's unique content demands.

About the UDL framework

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework developed by CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) that proactively designs instruction to meet the needs of all learners from the start, rather than retrofitting accommodations after the fact.

The three UDL principles: UDL is built on three pillars that align with how the brain processes learning. Multiple Means of Engagement addresses the "why" of learning: how to motivate and sustain student effort. Multiple Means of Representation addresses the "what," or how to present information in varied formats. Multiple Means of Action & Expression addresses the "how," giving students flexible ways to demonstrate what they know.

Why UDL matters: Traditional lesson plans assume all students learn the same way. UDL recognizes that learner variability is the norm, not the exception. By building choices and flexibility into the lesson design, you reduce barriers for students with disabilities, English learners, advanced learners, and everyone in between.

Practical implementation: UDL doesn't mean creating three separate lessons. It means building options into your existing plan. For Representation, you might present vocabulary with both text and images. For Action & Expression, you might let students choose between a written response, a drawing, or a verbal explanation. For Engagement, you might offer choice in topics or collaboration structures.

Research basis: UDL draws on neuroscience research about learning networks in the brain: affective networks (engagement), recognition networks (representation), and strategic networks (action & expression). Studies show that UDL-designed instruction improves outcomes for students with and without disabilities.

This template walks you through each UDL principle with practical prompts for building flexibility into your lesson without adding complexity.

Pair with these methodologies

Learning Contracts

Student-negotiated goals, methods, and assessment criteria

Stations Rotation

Rotate through different activity stations

Flipped Classroom

Pre-learn at home, apply and deepen in class

Simple

A clean, no-fuss lesson plan template with just the essentials: objective, materials, procedure, and assessment. Perfect for quick planning or teachers who prefer minimal structure.

5E Model

The 5E Model structures lessons through five phases (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate), guiding students from curiosity to deep understanding through inquiry-based learning.

Elementary

Designed for K–5 classrooms with age-appropriate pacing, transition cues, movement breaks, and scaffolding. Young learners need more structure, shorter segments, and hands-on engagement.

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Frequently asked questions

A UDL (Universal Design for Learning) lesson plan builds flexibility into instruction by providing multiple means of engagement, representation, and action & expression. It proactively addresses learner variability so all students can access the lesson without needing separate accommodations.
The three UDL principles are: Multiple Means of Engagement (the "why" of learning, covering motivation and interest), Multiple Means of Representation (the "what," or how information is presented), and Multiple Means of Action & Expression (the "how," meaning ways students demonstrate learning).
Differentiation typically adapts instruction after identifying specific student needs. UDL designs flexibility into the lesson from the start, offering options for all students proactively. Think of UDL as building a ramp (universal access) vs. differentiation as offering a hand when someone reaches the stairs.
UDL focuses on removing barriers so every student can access the lesson, while active learning focuses on what students do during the lesson. They complement each other well. UDL ensures multiple entry points, and Flip's mission-based activities give students a hands-on challenge (debating, investigating, building) that naturally provides the varied engagement, representation, and expression UDL calls for.
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