What a lesson plan is
A lesson plan is the document a teacher works from in the classroom: it takes a single lesson out of the scheme of work and sets out exactly how to teach it. It names the specific learning outcomes for that one lesson, the key inquiry question that frames it, the activities learners will do, the resources needed, and how learning will be checked.
It is the last and most detailed step in a chain of four documents, and the one an assessor or curriculum support officer asks to see when they visit a classroom.
Where the lesson plan sits in the KICD hierarchy
Every teaching document in the Kenyan system derives from the one above it, and lesson plans sit at the bottom of that chain — the most specific and the most practical:
- Curriculum design – the official KICD document defining what a learner should know, do and value in a learning area by the end of a grade. It is the authority; everything else derives from it.
- Scheme of work – turns the design into a term-by-term, week-by-week plan: which strand is taught in which week, with outcomes, experiences and resources.
- Lesson plan – takes one lesson from the scheme and sets out how to teach it, minute by minute.
- Record of work – written after teaching, recording what was actually covered.
So a lesson plan is never invented from scratch. It traces back through the scheme of work to the curriculum design, which is why a plan that is properly aligned will match what learners are eventually assessed on.
Two packages: Continuous or Termly
We publish lesson plans in two packages, and the difference is simply how much of the term each covers:
- Continuous (Normal) Package – a flexible, pay-as-you-go package covering a few weeks at a time. Suited to taking the term in stages, or to seeing the format before committing to a full term.
- Termly Package – the comprehensive package covering every lesson in the term in a single download. Suited to having the term planned up front.
Both follow the same KICD lesson-plan format and cover the same learning areas at each grade. The grade links below open into whichever package you choose.
Browse lesson plans by level
Every level below links straight into the catalogue for that grade, in whichever package you need. Where we have written a detailed guide for a grade, the grade name links to that guide instead — it explains the learning areas and links on to the files.
Pre-Primary
Pre-primary plans are built for short, play-based activity sessions rather than written work, with songs, games, real objects and group play.
Lower Primary
Lower primary (Grades 1–3) builds early literacy and numeracy through integrated "Activities" learning areas.
- Grade 1 Lesson Plans
- Grade 2 Lesson Plans – Continuous package · Termly package
- Grade 3 Lesson Plans – Continuous package · Termly package
Upper Primary
Upper primary (Grades 4–6) moves into distinct subjects, and the plans become more structured as written work increases.
- Grade 4 Lesson Plans – Continuous package · Termly package. For Mathematics specifically, read our detailed Grade 4 Mathematics Lesson Plans hub.
- Grade 5 Lesson Plans – all learning areas, with a deeper Grade 5 English hub.
- Grade 6 Lesson Plans – all learning areas.
Junior School
Junior School (Grades 7–9) teaches nine distinct learning areas in depth, including Integrated Science, Pre-Technical Studies, and Creative Arts and Sports.
- Grade 7 Lesson Plans – all learning areas, with a deeper Grade 7 Mathematics hub.
- Grade 8 Lesson Plans – all learning areas.
- Grade 9 Lesson Plans – all learning areas.
Senior School
Senior School begins at Grade 10, where learners follow pathways and specialise, so plans are organised by the subjects a learner has taken up.
- Grade 10 Lesson Plans – Continuous package · Termly package
Secondary (8-4-4)
Secondary classes follow the 8-4-4 subject syllabuses rather than CBC learning areas, so plans are organised by subject and topic.
- Form 1 Lesson Plans – Continuous package · Termly package
- Form 2 Lesson Plans – Continuous package · Termly package
- Form 3 Lesson Plans – Continuous package · Termly package
- Form 4 Lesson Plans – Continuous package · Termly package
What every lesson plan contains
Whichever grade, learning area and package you choose, each plan follows the KICD structure:
- Administrative Details: school, teacher, grade, learning area, date, time and roll.
- Strand and Sub-Strand: the exact part of the curriculum design the lesson comes from.
- Specific Learning Outcomes: what the learner should be able to do by the end of that lesson.
- Key Inquiry Question: the question that frames the lesson and drives learner thinking.
- Learning Resources: materials, references, and any digital or real-object resources needed.
- Organisation of Learning: introduction, lesson development step by step, extended activities, and conclusion.
- Reflection: space for the teacher's note on how the lesson actually went.
Core competencies, values and Pertinent and Contemporary Issues are mainstreamed into the activities rather than taught as separate items, which is what the CBC design intends.
Who this page is for
- Teachers – ready-made, editable plans in the KICD format across every grade, saving preparation time without losing curriculum alignment.
- Trainee teachers and education students – a worked example of how a curriculum design becomes a scheme of work and then a lesson plan. If you are learning the document hierarchy, read the section above before downloading anything.
- School administrators and heads of department – complete, consistent lesson-plan sets across learning areas and grades.
- Anyone downloading on a teacher's or school's behalf (including from a cyber café or business centre) – check three things: the grade, the learning area, and which package was asked for. Continuous and Termly are different products and are not interchangeable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a scheme of work and a lesson plan? A scheme of work plans the whole term week by week; a lesson plan sets out how to teach one single lesson from it. The scheme says what is taught in week four; the lesson plan says how Tuesday's lesson runs.
What is the difference between the Continuous and Termly packages? Coverage. The Continuous (Normal) Package covers a few weeks at a time and can be taken as you go; the Termly Package covers every lesson in the term in one download. The format and learning areas are identical.
Are the lesson plans editable? Yes. They come in Word format, so you can add your school and teacher details, adjust activities to your class, and change dates to match your calendar.
Do these follow the KICD lesson-plan format? Yes. Each plan carries administrative details, strand and sub-strand, specific learning outcomes, key inquiry question, learning resources, the organisation of learning, and a reflection.
Are the lesson plans tied to a particular coursebook? Some are. Alongside general CBC-aligned plans, we publish lesson plans developed against specific KICD-approved publisher coursebooks. Open a catalogue link and check the file titles to see which a file follows.
Do you have lesson plans for 8-4-4 secondary classes? Yes — Form 1 to Form 4, in both packages. Secondary plans follow the subject syllabus rather than CBC learning areas, so they are organised by subject and topic. Use the Form links in the Secondary section above.
I've been asked to download these for a school – what do I check? The grade, the learning area, and the package. Those three together identify the right file; two out of three is not enough.
Related resources
Lesson plans are one of four linked documents. For the others, see our CBC Curriculum Designs hub for the KICD source documents, our Schemes of Work hub for the term-by-term plans lesson plans are built from, and our Exams & Assessments hub for testing and revision material.
Download the lesson plans (Editable Word)
All lesson plans are in our catalogue as editable Word files in the KICD format, kept in line with the current school calendar and the latest curriculum designs. Use the buttons below for the Continuous or Termly package across every grade, or the grade links above to go straight to the level you need.