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How to use GenAI to create Common Core-aligned lesson plans in minutes
A step-by-step guide to building effective, standards-aligned lesson plans using free AI tools.
This article is part of the eBook: Everyday AI guide: Practical genAI life hacks from real users, a free download from We Love Open Source.
Every day during any given school year, teachers everywhere are writing lesson plans to guide their instruction, satisfy school administrators, and ultimately to guide and assess their students. That’s a monumental task and one that is usually overlooked by those not familiar with the nuances of teaching and learning. Using AI chatbots can provide the necessary momentum to change and improve the process and the outcome fundamentally.
One of the leaders in that field is Juan Miguel Guhlin. I suggest you follow him on Mastodon and read the TCEA blog, which is filled with exciting ways teachers are using AI to transform education. His most recent article on Bot stacking refers to leveraging multiple AI agents in sequence—each with unique strengths—to collaboratively produce smarter, more polished outcomes. For example, one bot might draft an outline, another might improve argumentation, and a third might add current examples.
Generative AI can be used to find books for children to read who like a particular author or style of literature. Here’s an example of a simple text prompt to ChatGPT looking for ten books for second-grade students to read. I entered the following text into ChatGPT:
Please give me a list of ten books for second-grade students to read.Here are the results of that prompt.
📚 10 great books for second-grade students
- “Henry and Mudge” by Cynthia Rylant
A sweet early chapter book series about a boy and his big, lovable dog. - “Frog and Toad Are Friends” by Arnold Lobel
A classic set of short stories about friendship, full of humor and life lessons. - “Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark” by Mary Pope Osborne
The first book in a popular time-traveling adventure series that introduces history and science topics. - “Amelia Bedelia” by Peggy Parish
A literal-minded housekeeper who hilariously misunderstands instructions—great for language play. - “The Princess in Black” by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale
A brave princess secretly fights monsters in this fun and empowering early chapter book. - “Mr. Putter & Tabby Pour the Tea” by Cynthia Rylant
Gentle, humorous stories about an elderly man and his cat—perfect for quiet reading time. - “Mercy Watson to the Rescue” by Kate DiCamillo
Follow the adventures of a toast-loving pig in this fun, silly, and beautifully illustrated book. - “Nate the Great” by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
A beginner detective story series that promotes critical thinking and problem-solving. - “Lola Levine Is Not Mean!” by Monica Brown
A multicultural chapter book series featuring a confident and relatable protagonist who learns empathy. - “Bink and Gollie” by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee
A quirky, beautifully illustrated book about two very different friends and their adventures.
The chat bot follows up this list with the following prompt. “Would you like these organized by reading level, theme (like animals, friendship, adventure), or aligned with a curriculum like Common Core or NYS standards?“
I asked ChatGPT to align these books with the Common Core standards.
Align the books with the Common Core standards.Here is the result.
📘 Second‑grade books aligned to Common Core RL standards
| Book | Key Common Core RL standards aligned |
| Henry and Mudge by Cynthia Rylant | • RL 2.1: Ask and answer who, what, where, when, why, and how questions to show understanding of key details. • RL 2.3: Describe how characters respond to events and challenges. • RL 2.5: Identify how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes. (Common Core State Standards Initiative, Teachers Pay Teachers) |
| Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel | • RL 2.2: Recount short story episodes and determine the central message (e.g. friendship). • RL 2.4: Explore rhythm, repeated lines, and language play. • RL 2.7: Use text and illustrations to understand characters and plot. (Common Core Resources, Wikipedia, Common Core State Standards Initiative) |
| Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne | • RL 2.1 & RL 2.3: Understand key details and explore how Jack and Annie adapt to challenges. • RL 2.5: Recognize story structure—setup and resolution. (Common Core State Standards Initiative, Common Core Resources) |
| Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish | • RL 2.4: Examine literal vs. idiomatic language and humor with wordplay. • RL 2.6: Explore differences in character point of view and tone (Amelia vs. others). (Common Core State Standards Initiative) |
| The Princess in Black by Hale & Hale | • RL 2.3: Track how the princess handles unexpected monster problems. • RL 2.5: Beginning sets tone; ending resolves action neatly. (Common Core State Standards Initiative, Common Core Resources) |
| Mr. Putter & Tabby Pour the Tea by Cynthia Rylant | • RL 2.1 & RL 2.7: Discuss events and use illustrations to understand characters’ feelings. • RL 2.5: Identify story structure. (Common Core State Standards Initiative, Common Core Resources) |
| Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo | • RL 2.1, RL 2.3, RL 2.7: Understand plot actions, character responses, and combine text with images. • RL 2.10: Meets grade‑level complexity band. (Common Core State Standards Initiative, Common Core Resources) |
| Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat | • RL 2.1 & RL 2.3: Solve cases by asking and answering questions and observing characters’ actions. • RL 2.5: Clear beginning, middle, ending as mystery unfolds. (Common Core State Standards Initiative, Common Core Resources) |
| Lola Levine Is Not Mean! by Monica Brown | • RL 2.3: Track Lola’s emotional growth in social challenges. • RL 2.2: Derive lesson or central message about empathy and behavior. (Common Core State Standards Initiative, Common Core Resources) |
| Bink and Gollie by DiCamillo & McGhee | • RL 2.1, RL 2.3: Understand separate episodes and how friends respond. • RL 2.4: Fun repeated phrasing and rhythmic dialogue. • RL 2.7: Illustrations help clarify plot. (Common Core State Standards Initiative, Common Core Resources) |
📚 Common Core RL Standards Cited
- RL 2.1: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
- RL 2.2: Retell stories and determine their central message.
- RL 2.3: Describe how characters respond to challenges.
- RL 2.4: Explain how words and phrases (e.g., rhyme, alliteration) add meaning.
- RL 2.5: Describe story structure—beginning, middle, and ending.
- RL 2.6: Acknowledge differing character viewpoints.
- RL 2.7: Use illustrations and text to understand characters, setting, or plot.
- RL 2.10: Read and comprehend literature at the 2–3 text complexity band. (Common Core State Standards Initiative)
✅ How to Use in the Classroom
- Discussion prompts: After reading, ask students RL 2.1 style questions like “Why did Amelia Bedelia do …?”
- Character journals: Use RL 2.3 to reflect on how Henry responds to Mudge.
- Story maps: Apply RL 2.5 to map beginning/middle/end for each book.
- Illustration analysis: Use RL 2.7 to discuss what the drawings reveal beyond the words.
- Compare stories: E.g. Frog and Toad vs. other friendship tales for RL 2.9 extension if desired.
OpenAI. (2025, August 6). Response to a prompt about Common Core-aligned second-grade books. ChatGPT (Aug 6 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/
AI cannot replace the creativity and insight teachers bring to the classroom, but it can make planning faster and more efficient. With a few well-structured prompts, educators can save time and focus on what matters most: Helping students learn.
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