Children's Lesson Plan Template

Every time you prepare to teach a lesson, you use a specific format. When preparing your lesson, using a lesson planning worksheet can be extremely helpful in your preparations to both write down your main outline and to make certain that you are not missing anything important. Here is an explanation of a standard lesson planning worksheet that I use for many of my children’s lessons:

Lesson Planning Worksheet:

Target Group: Age, Gender, Background


Passage: Your main Scripture passage and any supporting passages.


Exegetical Idea: The big idea. What is the Biblical author trying to communicate to the original audience?


Pedagogical Idea: The truth that the teacher wants the children to understand from the Biblical passage.

Lesson AIM’s: The lesson AIM’s are designed to make sure that your teaching will affect all three domains of learning:

• Cognitive (Head): Thinking and Knowing. What will the audience learn?
• Affective (Heart): Values and Attitude. How will the attitudes and values of the audience be affected?
• Behavioral (Hands): Actions and Skills. What will the audience be motivated to do because of this message?

This teaching approach is designed to give you a basic outline for teaching a Bible lesson. Each section is a vital part of teaching Biblical truth and will help you engage your audience more.

HOOK: (designed to draw in your audience)

• Captures audience’s attention
• Surfaces a need
• Sets a goal
• Leads into Bible lesson

BOOK: (designed to communicate Biblical truth from a passage)

• Involves the audience engaging in the study of the passage.
• Clarifies the meaning of the passage.
• Communicates the general and transferable principles from the passage.

LOOK: (designed to relate the meaning of the passage to life)

• Relates truth to life.
• Provides opportunity to explore general implications of passage to life.
• Motivates the students to action.

TOOK: (designed as the application section of your lesson)

• Provides opportunity to identify out-of-class application of truth to life.
• Leads the audience to specific actions or life change.
• Allows meaningful completion of the lesson.

For this section, write down how you think you did, or have someone else evaluate you while you are teaching. What were your three biggest strengths?  What are one of two areas that you could work on improving?

For a blank template of this lesson plan, download the PDF attachment below.

*HBLT approach shared from Creative Bible Teaching, copyright 1998, Moody Press.