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What are some online resources for finding lesson plans?

Updated October 2026 · How we answer

Short answerMany free and paid sites offer lesson plans, such as Teachers Pay Teachers, Share My Lesson, and PBS LearningMedia. For specific subjects, try Khan Academy, National Geographic Education, or ReadWriteThink.

General Lesson Plan Repositories

Sites like Share My Lesson (from the American Federation of Teachers) and Teachers Pay Teachers host thousands of plans across all grades and subjects. PBS LearningMedia offers standards-aligned resources with videos and interactives. These sites often let you filter by grade, subject, and standard.

For a more curated approach, try the National Education Association's lesson plan section or the U.S. Department of Education's FREE (Federal Registry for Educational Excellence) site. Many of these resources are free, but some require a free account to download materials.

  • Share My Lesson – free, AFT-run, wide variety
  • Teachers Pay Teachers – free and paid, huge selection
  • PBS LearningMedia – free, media-rich, standards-aligned
  • National Geographic Education – free, science and social studies
  • ReadWriteThink – free, literacy-focused, K-12

Subject-Specific and Standards-Aligned Resources

For math and science, Khan Academy and PhET Interactive Simulations offer complete lesson sequences. For English language arts, ReadWriteThink and the Library of Congress provide primary-source-based plans. History teachers often use Stanford History Education Group (SHEG) and the National Archives.

If you need plans tied to specific standards, check your state's education department website or sites like Achieve the Core (for Common Core). Many districts also maintain internal sharing platforms, so ask your instructional coach or librarian.

  • Khan Academy – math, science, and more
  • PhET – science and math simulations
  • ReadWriteThink – literacy, K-12
  • Stanford History Education Group – history
  • National Archives – primary sources and lessons

Common mistakes

  • Assuming all free lesson plans are high quality; many are unvetted and may not align with your standards.
  • Overlooking your own district's curriculum guides and shared drives, which often have vetted plans.
  • Forgetting to check copyright and terms of use before downloading or modifying plans.

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