How to Use Claude for Lesson Planning — Differentiated Materials in 10 Minutes

How to Use Claude for Lesson Planning — Differentiated Materials in 10 Minutes

Differentiated instruction is the gold standard. Every teacher knows it. Every administrator asks for it. And every teacher with 30 students and 6 periods knows that creating truly differentiated materials for every lesson is a 60-hour-a-week job.

Claude changes the math. A lesson plan that takes 45 minutes to differentiate by hand takes about 10 minutes with the right prompts. Not generic worksheets — actually thoughtful materials tailored to different readiness levels, learning styles, and student needs.

Here is exactly how to use Claude for lesson planning that works in real classrooms.

The Core Lesson Plan Prompt

This prompt generates a complete lesson plan aligned to standards. Customize the bracketed sections for your class.

Create a lesson plan with the following parameters:

- Subject: [e.g., 7th Grade Life Science]
- Topic: [e.g., Cell Structure and Function]
- Standards: [e.g., NGSS MS-LS1-2]
- Class duration: [e.g., 50 minutes]
- Class size: [e.g., 28 students]
- Special considerations: [e.g., 4 ELL students, 3 students with IEPs for reading comprehension, 5 students working above grade level]

Include:
1. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 2-3 measurable objectives using Bloom's taxonomy verbs
2. WARM-UP (5 min): An engaging hook that activates prior knowledge
3. DIRECT INSTRUCTION (15 min): Key concepts with suggested explanations and analogies
4. GUIDED PRACTICE (15 min): Activity students do with teacher support
5. INDEPENDENT PRACTICE (10 min): Activity students do on their own
6. CLOSURE (5 min): Quick formative assessment to check understanding
7. MATERIALS NEEDED: Everything I need to prepare
8. DIFFERENTIATION NOTES: Specific modifications for the student groups mentioned above

The special considerations line is where the real differentiation begins. Be specific about your student population and Claude tailors the entire lesson accordingly.

Generating Differentiated Materials

Once you have the lesson plan, use this prompt to create the actual student-facing materials at multiple levels:

For the lesson plan above, create three versions of the independent practice worksheet:

**Version A — Approaching Grade Level:**
- Simplified vocabulary (define key terms inline)
- Sentence starters and word banks provided
- Fewer questions, more scaffolding
- Visual supports (describe diagrams to include)
- Focus on the foundational objective only

**Version B — At Grade Level:**
- Standard vocabulary with a glossary at the bottom
- Mix of recall and application questions
- Covers all learning objectives
- One open-ended question

**Version C — Above Grade Level:**
- Extended vocabulary including challenge terms
- Application and analysis questions
- Includes a real-world scenario requiring students to apply concepts to a novel situation
- Open-ended research connection

All three versions should:
- Look similar in layout so students do not feel singled out
- Cover the same core topic
- Use the same header and title
- Be completable in 10 minutes

That last set of requirements matters. Students notice when they get the "easy" worksheet. Making the layouts visually similar while varying the cognitive demand is a differentiation best practice that Claude handles well.

Subject-Specific Prompts

ELA / English Language Arts

Create a close reading activity for [GRADE LEVEL] students on the following text:

[PASTE TEXT OR DESCRIBE IT]

Include:
1. Pre-reading vocabulary (8-10 words with student-friendly definitions)
2. First read: 3 comprehension questions (right-there answers)
3. Second read: 3 analysis questions (requires inference and citing evidence)
4. Third read: 1 synthesis question connecting to [THEME OR STANDARD]
5. Extension activity for early finishers
6. Modified version for students reading 2 grades below level (same text, simplified questions, added supports)

Math

Create a practice problem set for [GRADE LEVEL] on [TOPIC, e.g., solving two-step equations].

Structure:
- 4 worked examples with step-by-step solutions (show thinking, not just steps)
- 6 guided practice problems (first 3 have hints, last 3 do not)
- 8 independent practice problems (graduated difficulty)
- 2 word problems that apply the concept to real situations
- 3 challenge problems for students who finish early
- Common mistakes section: show 2 incorrect solutions and ask students to find and fix the error

Important: Use clean numbers for the first half (no fractions or negatives until problem 5). Include the answer key separately.

Science

Design a lab activity for [GRADE LEVEL] on [CONCEPT].

Include:
1. Driving question (student-friendly, curiosity-driven)
2. Materials list (use commonly available materials — no specialized equipment)
3. Safety considerations
4. Procedure (numbered steps, clear enough that students can follow independently)
5. Data collection table
6. Analysis questions that guide students from observation to conclusion
7. Connection to the standard: [SPECIFIC STANDARD]
8. Modifications for students who cannot physically do the lab (observation role, data analysis partner, virtual alternative)

Social Studies / History

Create a primary source analysis activity for [GRADE LEVEL] on [TOPIC/ERA].

Include:
1. A brief (2-paragraph) context-setting introduction
2. Three discussion questions that move from comprehension to analysis to evaluation
3. A perspective-taking writing prompt ("You are a [historical figure/role]. Write a letter/diary entry...")
4. A connection to modern day: How does this topic relate to something students see in their lives today?
5. Vocabulary support for ELL students

The Assessment Generator

Creating assessments that are fair, aligned, and at the right difficulty is one of the most time-consuming parts of teaching. This prompt handles it:

Create a [TYPE: quiz / unit test / formative assessment] for [GRADE LEVEL] [SUBJECT] on [UNIT/TOPIC].

Learning objectives being assessed:
1. [OBJECTIVE 1]
2. [OBJECTIVE 2]
3. [OBJECTIVE 3]

Format:
- [NUMBER] multiple choice questions (4 options each, one correct, plausible distractors based on common misconceptions)
- [NUMBER] short answer questions
- [NUMBER] extended response question(s) with a rubric

Requirements:
- Questions should assess at varied Bloom's levels (tag each question)
- Include the answer key with explanations for why each wrong answer is wrong
- For the extended response, provide a 4-point rubric with specific descriptors at each level
- The assessment should take approximately [TIME] to complete

Also create a modified version for students with IEP accommodations for reading comprehension (same content, simplified language, fewer options per MC question).

The Report Card Comment Generator

Every grading period, teachers write hundreds of individualized comments. Claude can draft these:

Write a report card comment for a [GRADE] student in [SUBJECT].

Student profile:
- Academic performance: [e.g., B+ average, strong in labs, struggles with written analysis]
- Behavior/participation: [e.g., engaged in class, sometimes off-task during independent work]
- Growth: [e.g., improved significantly in vocabulary quizzes since last quarter]
- Area for improvement: [e.g., needs to show work in math, cite evidence in writing]

Rules:
- Positive but honest tone
- Start with a genuine strength
- Be specific (not "good student" but "consistently contributes thoughtful questions during class discussions")
- Include one actionable suggestion for improvement
- 3-4 sentences maximum
- Do not use the student's name (I will add it)

Tips for Teachers Using Claude

Always review for age-appropriateness. Claude occasionally pitches content too high or too low. Read through everything before copying it for students.

Add your personality. The best worksheets reflect the teacher's style. Swap in your inside jokes, reference class experiences, and adjust the tone to match how you actually talk to your students.

Build a prompt library. Save the prompts that work for your specific classes. Over time, you will have a personalized toolkit that generates exactly what you need in seconds.

Use Sonnet 4.6 for most tasks. Lesson plan generation and worksheet creation work great on Sonnet. Save Opus 4.6 for complex assessment design or when you need deeply differentiated materials for students with significant learning differences.

For more education-focused prompts, including templates for parent communication, IEP goal writing, and student feedback, browse our prompt collection. Our cheat sheet has a printable quick-reference for the most-used teacher prompts.

Reclaim Your Evenings

Teachers became teachers to teach, not to spend every evening formatting worksheets. Claude handles the production work so you can focus on what actually matters — knowing your students, building relationships, and making learning come alive in the room. Try the core lesson plan prompt with your next unit and see how much time you get back.