k12-lesson-plan-creation

• **math** — arithmetic, fractions, geometry, algebra, calculus, statistics, CCSS-M codes, IM (Illustrative Mathematics)
• **ela** — reading, writing, phonics, literature, comprehension, vocabulary, CCSS-ELA codes (RL/RI/RF/W/L)
• **science** — phenomena, NGSS Performance Expectations, biology/chemistry/physics/earth science, OpenSciEd
• **social_studies** — history, civics, geography, economics, C3 inquiry arc, state social-studies standards

Then read the matching reference file NOW:

• math → references/math.md
• ELA → references/ela.md
• science → references/science.md
• social studies → references/social_studies.md

**Loading the matching reference file is mandatory.** Drafting a lesson without first reading the

subject reference is a critical failure. The reference file carries the complete subject-specific

instructions: clarify priorities, curriculum branching, grade-band structures, section structure,

non-negotiables, and what goes on each page (its "Writing lesson.json" section — the mapping into

the baseline file of Step 5a). Treat the loaded reference as your full skill instructions for

this turn. If the subject is genuinely ambiguous or the prompt spans multiple subjects, ask about

it in Step 1.

2. **Curriculum.** If the teacher names or implies a curriculum (Illustrative Mathematics,

OpenSciEd, …), the subject file's curriculum branch covers it — each subject

file carries its curriculum's structures and language inline (curriculum and subject are

1:1: IM→math, OpenSciEd→science). If they use a curriculum the subject

file doesn't cover, follow its "no curriculum named" path and do not fake

curriculum-specific terminology.

3. **Connector.** Check whether the Learning Commons Knowledge Graph tools (e.g.

find_standard_statement) are available in this conversation. This decides which path

Step 2 takes. The skill is fully functional without the connector.

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Step 1 — Clarify

Read the subject file first — its clarify section defines the priorities and defaults. Ask

at most 2 clarifying questions, chosen by the subject file's priority ranking; apply the

defaults silently for everything else.

The clarify questions and the **draft offer** (*Step 4*) go out together as ONE

structured-question round — the offer is its own question and doesn't count toward the 2.

When nothing needs clarifying, the offer is asked on its own. A second round happens only

when the answers still don't say what the lesson teaches.

---

Step 2 — Ground in standards

**If the LC Knowledge Graph is connected:** follow the subject's section in

references/learning-commons-kg.md — call BEFORE drafting; not calling when connected is a

critical failure. Extract only what each call specifies, then proceed directly to Step 3 — do

not summarize findings in chat.

**If not connected:** draft from best knowledge and add this footer to the lesson plan:

*"Generated without the Learning Commons Knowledge Graph. Standards and misconceptions reflect

general best practice."* Do not invent KG citations or attribute content to curriculum

materials you have not seen.

---

Step 3 — Build the lesson

Follow the subject file's build section: curriculum branching, grade-band structure, section

structure, and non-negotiables. Respect the **Copyright guardrail** below — never reproduce

curriculum student-facing text verbatim.

---

Copyright guardrail

Always write original content. KG curriculum materials inform structure, scope, text

selection, phenomenon selection, problem context, and lesson-arc design only — never

reproduce student-facing text, teacher notes, comprehension questions, investigation

prompts, discussion questions, activity narratives, or problem contexts verbatim from KG

curriculum materials.

If the loaded reference identifies a source curriculum (e.g., IM for math, OpenSciEd for science) and the teacher is not curriculum-confirmed for it, never name

that curriculum anywhere in the output or in any chat message — not in headers, footnotes,

rationale sections, facilitation notes, or your message presenting the artifacts. The KG

data informs the design without being cited.

---

Step 4 — The draft offer

The teacher gets the choice of a fast draft before the build. The offer rides in Step 1's

round (structured question tool when available, chat otherwise), and its two sides are

always the packet and the draft. The wording below lives in the question itself — the

teacher may act on it without reading the chat text around it:

• Question: *Should I build a full classroom-ready packet (lesson plan + student materials, as

editable, printable documents), or do you want to see a quick draft first?*

• Options: **Go ahead and build it** · **Quick draft first** — the lesson at a glance,

right here in chat

**The full packet is the default.** A reply that selects the draft option or asks to see

the draft gets the draft; every other reply runs Steps 2–3 and goes straight to Step 5.

**The draft (on a yes) is built on Steps 2–3, never instead of them.** Run Step 2 in full — every KG

call, exactly as written — and Step 3 before sketching anything. A draft sketched without the Step 2

grounding is a critical failure, the same failure as skipping the KG on the full build. Then present

the lesson in chat — the draft is chat text only; the documents are made at Step 5 once the teacher

approves. Show:

• one line naming the grade, topic, and the standard the lesson is anchored to (code plus

a gist of ten words or fewer);

• a summary of at most 3 sentences (what students do and why it works for this class);
• the sequence as one bullet per phase (name, minutes, one line of what happens);
• the student work at a glance — the actual tasks students will do, enough for the

teacher to skim and judge coverage;

• what the lesson assumes students already know — the prerequisite skills or key

vocabulary in play — so the teacher can catch a mismatch with where their class is;

• the exit ticket

The draft borrows its names from the documents it previews — phases, tasks, tiers,

and sections are called what the plan will call them.

Afterwards, ask what's