ELA Lesson Plan Template

An English Language Arts template structured around reading, writing, speaking, and language skills, with sections for text selection, close reading, discussion, and written response.

ELAEnglishReadingWritingElementaryMiddle SchoolHigh School

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

  • Reading comprehension lessons centered on a text
  • Writing workshop sessions with mini-lessons
  • Integrated ELA blocks combining reading, writing, and discussion
  • Close reading and text analysis activities

Template sections

Identify the text and the purpose for reading.

Text: ...

Purpose for reading: Students will read to understand/analyze/evaluate...

State the ELA skill students will practice.

Students will be able to...

Teach one focused skill or strategy.

What reading or writing skill will you teach? How will you model it?

Students read and annotate with teacher guidance.

What annotations should students make? What questions will guide reading?

Facilitate whole-class or small-group discussion.

Text-explicit: ...

Inferential: ...

Evaluative: ...

Students write a response connecting reading to the objective.

What writing task will students complete?

How will you assess the learning objective?

How will you evaluate student writing/discussion?

The Flip Perspective

Literacy instruction is most effective when it integrates reading, writing, and discussion. This template prioritizes close engagement with text and structured analysis. Flip's AI can suggest Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary words, discussion prompts, and writing frames based on the text you are teaching.

See what our AI builds

Adapting this Template

For ELA

For literacy lessons, ELA helps scaffold close reading and analytical writing with clear thinking phases.

For English

For literacy lessons, ELA helps scaffold close reading and analytical writing with clear thinking phases.

For Reading

Apply ELA by adapting the phase timings and prompts to fit Reading's unique content demands.

About the ELA framework

English Language Arts instruction weaves together reading comprehension, writing craft, speaking and listening, and language conventions. This template helps you plan lessons that integrate these strands meaningfully.

Text-centered instruction: Strong ELA lessons center on a text, whether a novel excerpt, poem, article, or student writing sample. The template guides you through text selection, purpose for reading, close reading strategies, discussion, and written response.

Close reading strategies: The template includes prompts for planning multiple reads: first for gist, then for craft and structure, and finally for integration and evaluation. Not every lesson needs all three reads.

Discussion as assessment: In ELA, discussion is both a teaching strategy and an assessment tool. The template includes space for planning questions at multiple levels of complexity.

Writing as thinking: The template treats writing not as a separate activity but as a tool for thinking. Whether students write a full paragraph or annotations in the margins, writing deepens comprehension.

This template works for reading-focused lessons, writing workshops, grammar instruction, and integrated ELA blocks.

Pair with these methodologies

Socratic Seminar

Deep discussion in inner/outer circles

RAFT Writing

Creative writing from a specific Role, Audience, Format, Topic

Save the Last Word

Share a quote, others discuss, sharer gets the final word

Hot Seat

One student in character, class asks questions

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.

UDL

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.

Middle School

Built for grades 6–8 with adolescent learners in mind, balancing structure with autonomy, collaborative learning, choice, and identity-affirming instruction.

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Frequently asked questions

An ELA lesson plan should include text selection and purpose, a learning objective, a mini-lesson, guided reading time, discussion with text-dependent questions, a written response, and formative assessment.
Plan in three passes: first for gist, second for craft and structure (vocabulary, author's choices), and third for integration and evaluation (theme, argument). Provide guiding questions for each pass.
Center the lesson on a text, teach a skill through it, have students apply the skill while reading, then transfer to their own writing. The reading informs the writing.
Active learning transforms ELA from passive reading into genuine engagement with texts and ideas. Flip missions put students into roles: they might debate a character's moral choice, investigate a historical claim from a nonfiction text, or build an argument for a real audience. This template provides the close reading and discussion structure, while a Flip mission gives students a compelling reason to do the analytical work.
All lesson plan templatesExplore active learning methodologies