What are the Differences Between Lesson Plans & Unit Plans?

Both lesson plans and unit plans may appear similar at first glance. Giving it a closer look, you will realise that there are significant points of differences between them.

In this blog, we will delve deeper into what is lesson planning, what is unit planning, the key differences between lesson plans and unit plans, and how additional tools like Extramarks can help you with it.

What is a Lesson Plan?

A lesson plan is a detailed guide teachers create to outline the flow and structure of class sessions. Imagine it as a roadmap for teaching a lesson. It ensures that your learning objectives are clearly defined, resources are well prepared, and activities are organised for smoother functioning in a learning session.

The main components of a lesson plan include:

• Learning goals that need to be achieved after every lesson or class
• List of required supplies, resources, and tools for one class
• Teaching methods like group discussions, lectures, and hands-on practices
• A breakdown of the time needed for every class session
• Assessment methods like assignments and quizzes

Read a Complete guide on Lesson Planning here!

What is a Unit Plan?

A unit plan focuses on creating an outline that works on organising several lessons around a central topic, theme, or subject. This framework helps teachers build their teaching plan for an entire unit which can typically last for several days or even weeks. It basically covers the gist of all the lessons that will be taught in a defined duration, like a term or a semester.

The key components of a unit plan are:

• Goals of the particular unit
• Title or the theme of a unit (term or semester)
• Unit alignment with the curriculum requirements and educational standards
• List of resources like textbooks, technology, and other materials
• Lesson sequences that need to be included in the unit

Read a Complete guide on Unit Planning here!

Key Differences Between Lesson Plans and Unit Plans

From a bird’s-eye view, you may barely see any difference between a lesson plan and a unit plan, but when you analyse closely, there are some key differences to take note of:

Features	Lesson Plan	Unit Plan
Definition	A detailed outline that covers what needs to be taught in one lesson or class.	A complete plan that covers all the series of lessons that will be taught over time, like a semester.
Scope	Narrow scope that focuses on particular objectives for one lesson.	Broader scope that focuses on multiple lessons within one topic or theme.
Timeframe	Single session, like one hour or 30 minutes of a class.	Spans of multiple days, weeks, or even months.
Content	A particular topic that needs to be covered in detail.	Set of different topics that revolve around one theme.
Goals	Short-term that hit immediate learning outcomes.	Long-term that focus on broader educational outcomes.
Flexibility	Less flexible as it contains a detailed teaching guide.	More flexible, allowing adjustments here and there based on the flow of each lesson.
Assessment	A lesson plan evaluates immediate understanding.	A unit plan evaluates progressive knowledge within multiple class sessions.
Components	Includes materials, assessments, procedures, and objectives.	Includes objectives, timelines, overviews, and resources.
Created By	Mostly created by teachers individually for their classes.	Mostly created by curriculum designers or educators.
Example	Teaching the water cycle in a 45-minute science class.	A unit on ecosystems, covering multiple lessons like the water cycle, food chains, and biodiversity.

How Extramarks Can Help with Lesson and Unit Plannings?

Lesson and unit planning help teachers set clear goals and maintain consistency across classes and terms. With the launch of Extra Intelligence, Extramarks now makes this process faster and more efficient through its AI Lesson Planner.

The AI Lesson Planner automatically creates structured lesson plans aligned with the teacher’s textbook and teaching schedule. By simply capturing the textbook index, teachers can generate chapter-wise plans with suggested videos, practice questions, and test papers. Educators can easily allocate time per chapter, organise lessons into class periods, and adjust the sequence based on classroom needs.

Along with AI-driven planning, Extramarks supports teachers through NEP-aligned curriculum updates, engaging learning resources, smart assessment tools, and cloud-based access for flexible and effective lesson planning.

Last Updated on December 26, 2025