How to Build Claude Skills: Lesson Plan Generator Tutorial

What are Claude skills?

Claude Skills are organized folders having instructions, scripts, and resources that Claude can discover and load to perform the specified tasks. They help encode repeatable workflows into Claude AI, transforming it from a general-purpose assistant into a specialized agent that is tailored to your needs.

Building a skill is like putting together an onboarding guide for a new hire. Instead of repeatedly explaining the same process or writing lengthy prompts every time you need something done, you package your expertise once, and Claude applies it automatically whenever relevant. So, what exactly is a skill?

What is a skill?

A skill is a directory containing a SKILL.md file along with folders of instructions, scripts, and resources that give agents additional capabilities. Released in October 2025, skills represent a fundamental shift in how we can customize AI assistants.

The SKILL.md file includes metadata (name, description, and optional dependencies) along with detailed instructions written in plain Markdown, requiring no code for basic skills. When we assign a task, Claude checks which skills match, and only relevant skills get loaded along with the necessary parts. This means we can maintain dozens of skills without overwhelming Claude’s context window.

You might wonder how skills differ from other tools you’ve encountered. Let’s break down the key distinctions:

Skills vs. Prompts

Traditional prompts are one-time instructions you repeat in each conversation. Every time you need Claude to perform a task, you must remember or copy and paste complex instructions. Skills bundle the exact ingredients a task needs, clear instructions, optional templates, and code so they can be tested and versioned

Skills vs. MCP

MCP connects Claude to external systems such as databases, APIs, tools. Skills teach Claude how to perform tasks with procedures, workflows, and standards. MCP solves tool orchestration. Skills solve workflow orchestration.

Skills vs. Plugins

Unlike traditional plugins that require complex APIs, authentication setups, and server infrastructure, skills are just files and folders that’re easy to version control and distribute. This makes skills far more accessible. If you can write documentation, you can create a skill.

Now that we know skills and how they differ from other tools, let us understand how to build the core SKILL.md file.

How to build the SKILL.md file in Claude?

Think of SKILL.md file as a self-contained instruction manual that lets Claude understand your workflow. Here are the key components to add to the SKILL.md file:

1. Metadata

Metadata tells Claude the basic details about the skill before it even reads the main content. It helps organize and categorize the skill so that Claude and users know its purpose, author, and other attributes.

The metadata is written at the top of the file inside a YAML frontmatter block (---), and it must follow proper indentation and formatting.

Required fields:

• name: A concise, descriptive name for the skill.

• description: A short explanation of what the skill does and when to use it.

Optional fields:

• version: Tracks updates or iterations of your skill.

• license: Specifies usage rights if shared publicly.

• metadata: A flexible field to include author name, tags, or project references.

Note: YAML is sensitive to indentation and formatting. Use consistent spacing (usually two spaces, not tabs), avoid special characters in field names, and ensure the frontmatter is wrapped between triple dashes (---) at the beginning and end.

2. Instruction body

The body of the file written below the YAML block defines how Claude should perform the skill. This is the actual playbook Claude follows step by step.

A good instruction body typically includes:

• Overview: A quick summary of what the skill achieves.

• Inputs and outputs: Specify what data the skill expects (like a topic or file) and what it should produce (like a formatted lesson plan).

• Execution steps: A numbered or bulleted list outlining the process Claude must follow.

• Examples: Optional examples showing input-output pairs to clarify expectations.

• References: Any templates, datasets, or scripts that support the skill’s functionality.

The instruction body should be easy to scan, with clear sections and direct language. Claude relies on structure and clarity, so formatting and phrasing impact how well it executes the skill.

With the basics of the SKILL.md file clear, let’s put that knowledge into action.

Building a lesson plan generator using Claude skill

In this section, we’ll build a lesson plan generator skill that helps educators and trainers automatically create structured, ready-to-publish lesson plans from a single topic. The skill guides Claude to generate key lesson components like an introduction, learning objectives, exercises, and quizzes, and then formats everything into a cohesive plan ready for export.

Step 1: Setting up project structure

Before writing the skill, it’s essential to set up the folder structure. Claude expects skills to be organized in a way that it can locate files and execute instructions properly.

For the lesson plan generator skill, the project folder should look like this:

lesson-plan-generator/  

│  
├── SKILL.md  
├── templates/  
│       ├── lesson_outline.md  
│       ├── quiz_template.md  
│       └── exercise_template.md  
└── resources/  
          └── examples/  
                  ├── sample_lesson_plan.docx  
                  └── sample_lesson_plan.pdf 

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Here:

• SKILL.md: The core file that defines metadata, logic, and instructions for Claude.

• templates/: Contains content blueprints for different parts of the lesson plan such as outlines, quizzes, and exercises.

• resources/: Stores sample outputs or reference materials that help Claude understand the expected format.

Each skill must follow this hierarchy when you later compress it into a .zip file for upload. Incorrect folder placement is a common issue that causes skills to fail on upload

Step 2: Writing the SKILL.md file

For this project, the file begins with key metadata that establishes its purpose and usage, followed by detailed operational steps. Here’s what it looks like:

--- 
name: lesson-plan-generator  
description: Generate comprehensive, ready-to-publish lesson plans when provided with a topic. This skill creates structured educational content with learning objectives, content outlines, interactive exercises, assessment quizzes, and instructor notes. Export as .docx or .pdf. Use this skill when educators, trainers, curriculum designers, or instructional designers need to create lesson plans, course outlines, training materials, or educational curricula.  
license: Complete terms in LICENSE.txt 
--- 

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Here’s a sample instruction body below meta data:

# Lesson Plan Generator 

This skill generates comprehensive, professionally structured lesson plans from any topic. It produces ready-to-publish educational content with all core components educators need such aslearning objectives, content structure, interactive exercises, assessment quizzes, and instructor guidance. 


## What This Skill Does 

When provided with a topic, this skill generates: 

1. **Lesson Header** - Title, subject area, target audience, duration, and prerequisites. 
2. **Learning Objectives** - Clear, measurable SMART goals (5-8 objectives aligned to educational standards). 
3. **Content Outline** - Main instructional content organized into logical segments with key concepts. 
4. **Interactive Exercises** - Hands-on activities, discussions, and practice problems to reinforce learning. 
5. **Assessment Quiz** - Multiple-choice and short-answer questions to evaluate student understanding. 
6. **Instructor Notes** - Teaching tips, common misconceptions, time management, and facilitation guidance. 
7. **Resources & References** - Recommended readings, tools, links, and supplementary materials. 

## When to Use This Skill 

Use this skill when: 

- An educator needs a complete lesson plan for a new topic 
- A trainer is developing corporate training materials 
- A curriculum designer requires standardized lesson structures 
- Instructional designers need quick prototypes for course planning 
- Staff need to quickly scaffold lessons without starting from scratch 
- Professional development content requires consistent formatting 

## How to Generate a Lesson Plan 

### Step 1: Gather Input Information 

To create an effective lesson plan, collect the following information: 

- **Topic**: The subject matter to be taught 
- **Target Audience**: Grade level, skill level, or audience description (e.g., "High school biology students," "Corporate onboarding employees," "Adult learners") 
- **Duration**: Total lesson time (e.g., "45 minutes," "2 hours," "Full semester") 
- **Prerequisite Knowledge**: What students should already know 
- **Learning Environment**: Type of setting (classroom, online, hybrid, corporate training room) 
- **Special Considerations**: Any accessibility needs, learning disabilities, diverse backgrounds, or specific constraints 

If not provided, make reasonable assumptions based on the topic, note them explicitly, and proceed. 

### Step 2: Generate SMART Learning Objectives 

Create 5-8 specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound learning objectives using Bloom's taxonomy. Objectives should progress from lower-order thinking (remember, understand) to higher-order thinking (apply, analyze, evaluate, create). 

Format each objective as: 

- "By the end of this lesson, students will be able to [action verb] [specific content] [measurable criteria]" 

Examples: 

- "By the end of this lesson, students will be able to define cellular respiration and describe its role in energy production (recall/understand)" 
- "By the end of this lesson, students will be able to compare aerobic and anaerobic respiration through a detailed written analysis (analyze)" 
- "By the end of this lesson, students will be able to design an experiment to measure cellular respiration in plant tissues (create)" 

### Step 3: Structure the Content Outline 

Organize instructional content into 3-5 main segments, each with: 

- **Segment Title** - Clear, descriptive heading 
- **Duration** - Estimated time for this section 
- **Key Concepts** - 3-5 main ideas or topics to cover 
- **Teaching Approach** - Suggested instructional method (lecture, discussion, video, demonstration, etc.) 
- **Transition Statement** - How this segment connects to the next 

Content should progress logically, with each segment building on previous knowledge. Avoid overwhelming students with too much information; focus on conceptual understanding. 

### Step 4: Create Interactive Exercises 

Design 3-5 hands-on exercises that allow students to practice and apply learning objectives. Include: 

- **Exercise Title** - Descriptive name 
- **Time Allocation** - How long the activity takes 
- **Instructions** - Clear, step-by-step directions 
- **Materials/Resources** - What students need (physical materials, software, handouts, links) 
- **Expected Outcomes** - What students should produce or understand 
- **Facilitation Tips** - How to guide students, address common errors, manage timing 
- **Differentiation Options** - How to modify for advanced or struggling learners 

Exercises should vary in type: individual work, pair/group discussions, problem-solving, creative projects, simulations, case studies, debates, etc. 

### Step 5: Develop Assessment Quiz 

Create a quiz with 8-12 questions that assess achievement of learning objectives. Mix question types: 

- **Multiple Choice** (4-5 options, 1 correct answer) - For quick knowledge checks 
- **Short Answer** (2-3 sentences) - For conceptual understanding 
- **Application Questions** - Scenarios where students apply concepts 
- **Analysis Questions** - Questions requiring synthesis or critical thinking 

For each question, provide: 

- The question text 
- Answer options (for multiple choice) 
- Correct answer(s) 
- Brief explanation of why this answer is correct 

Example:  

**Question 1 (Multiple Choice):** What is the primary role of mitochondria in a cell?  

A) Protein synthesis
B) Energy production through ATP synthesis
C) Storage of genetic information
D) Fat digestion

**Correct Answer:** B  

**Explanation:** Mitochondria are often called the "powerhouse" of the cell because they produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which provides energy for cellular processes. 

### Step 6: Prepare Instructor Notes 

Create a section with practical guidance for teaching this lesson: 

- **Preparation & Setup** - What to prepare before the lesson (materials, room setup, technology checks) 
- **Opening Strategy** - How to engage students, establish context, connect to prior knowledge (5 minutes) 
- **Common Misconceptions** - Frequent student misunderstandings and strategies to address them 
- **Time Management** - Suggested pacing guide with checkpoints 
- **Facilitation Tips** - Strategies for different learning styles, managing discussions, maintaining engagement 
- **Troubleshooting** - What to do if activities run over time, if technology fails, if students struggle 
- **Extension Activities** - Optional deeper-learning tasks for advanced students or for future lessons 
- **Assessment & Feedback** - How to collect feedback, formative assessment strategies, when/how to reteach 

### Step 7: Add Resources & References 

Compile supporting materials: 

- **Recommended Readings** - Books, articles, research papers relevant to the topic 
- **Online Resources** - Curated links to educational websites, videos, simulations, tools 
- **Templates & Handouts** - Any worksheets, graphic organizers, or reference guides used in exercises 
- **Media Resources** - Relevant videos, podcasts, infographics, datasets 
- **Accessibility Resources** - Tools or alternatives for students with disabilities 

## Export Formats 

Once the lesson plan is complete, export to the requested format: 

- **.docx** - Microsoft Word format for easy editing, printing, and sharing. Includes professional formatting with headers, sections, tables, and bullet points. 
- **.pdf** - Portable format suitable for distribution, archiving, and viewing on any device. Maintains formatting and appearance. 

## Output Structure & Formatting 

The final lesson plan should follow this structure: 

LESSON PLAN: [Topic Name] 
 
[Lesson Header with metadata] 
├─ Learning Objectives 
├─ Content Outline 
├─ Interactive Exercises 
├─ Assessment Quiz 
├─ Instructor Notes 
└─ Resources & References 

**Formatting Guidelines:** 

- Use clear, consistent heading hierarchy (H1, H2, H3) 
- Organize information with tables, bullet points, and numbered lists for scannability 
- Highlight key terms in bold 
- Use readable fonts and appropriate white space 
- Ensure page breaks between major sections for print readability 
- Include a table of contents for longer plans 

## Best Practices 

1. **Align Everything** - Ensure exercises and quiz questions directly assess the learning objectives 
2. **Be Specific** - Avoid vague instructions; be explicit about expectations and outcomes 
3. **Vary Engagement** - Include multiple instructional methods and exercise types to reach different learners 
4. **Practical & Realistic** - Consider actual classroom constraints (time, resources, diverse learners) 
5. **Actionable Guidance** - Provide specific facilitation tips, not generic teaching advice 
6. **Include Alternatives** - Offer differentiation and extension options 
7. **Plan for Assessment** - Quiz and exercises should measure actual learning, not just participation 
8. **Professional Quality** - Lesson plans should be ready to share with colleagues or publish as-is 

## Examples 

### Example Topic Inputs: 

- "Introduction to Photosynthesis (High School Biology, 2 hours)" 
- "Project Management Fundamentals (Corporate training, 4 hours)" 
- "Historical Analysis of the American Civil War (College History, 50-minute class)" 
- "Python Functions and Scope (Adult learners in coding bootcamp, 90 minutes)" 
- "Public Speaking Basics (Community education, 6-hour workshop)" 

### Customization 

If a user requests: 

- **Different target audience** - Adjust complexity, vocabulary, and examples accordingly 
- **Alternative duration** - Rescope content, adjust number of exercises and depth 
- **Specific learning standard** - Align objectives to standards (Common Core, State standards, etc.) 
- **Different export format** - Regenerate in requested format (.docx, .pdf, or markdown for further use) 
- **Specific pedagogy** - Apply requested approaches (project-based learning, Socratic method, flipped classroom, etc.) 

## Prerequisites 

To best use this skill, users should: 

- Have a clear topic or subject matter in mind 
- Understand their target audience and learning context 
- Be able to articulate what they want students to know/do 
- Have clarity on available time and resources 

If unclear, the skill will make reasonable assumptions and indicate where user input could refine the output. 

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Step 3: Adding templates and example files

The next step is to build the supporting files. These will be in the two key folders - templates/ and resources/. Together, they give Claude reference points for how to generate and format lesson plans consistently.

templates/ folder

This folder holds structured blueprints that Claude can use to shape its output. A sample lesson_template.md might look like this:

# LESSON PLAN: {{topic}} 

## Lesson Header 

- **Subject Area:** {{subject}} 
- **Target Audience:** {{audience}} 
- **Duration:** {{duration}} 
- **Prerequisites:** {{prerequisites}} 

## Learning Objectives 

{{objectives}} 

## Content Outline 

{{content_outline}} 

## Interactive Exercises 

{{exercises}} 

## Assessment Quiz 

{{quiz}} 

## Instructor Notes 

{{instructor_notes}} 

## Resources & References 

{{resources}} 

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You can create multiple templates for different use cases, for example:

• short_lesson_template.md for 30-45 minute sessions
• full_course_template.md for multi-hour or multi-day programs

`resources/ folder

This folder contains sample inputs and outputs that demonstrate how the skill behaves with real data. Examples help Claude understand tone, depth, and formatting expectations.

These examples help refine your skill’s behavior and make it easier for others to understand how to use or improve it.

Step 4: Uploading the skill to Claude

Now that all our files and folders are ready, we’ll package everything into a single .zip file. We’ll upload this directly to Claude’s skills interface.

Install Claude desktop

Download Claude desktop by visiting its official website. Once downloaded, install it and sign-in to Claude app. You’ll need to be on a version that supports Claude skills.

Locate the skills section

Open your account settings and go to the “Capabilities” tab. You’ll find a skills section where you can add or manage custom skills.

Click upload skill and select the .zip file. Claude automatically reads your SKILL.md and lists the skill details like name, description, and license.

Note: If you see a YAML or frontmatter error, double-check the --- formatting and indentation inside SKILL.md.

Test the skill

Once uploaded, it’s time to test it out. Open a new chat with Claude and call your skill naturally in conversation. Here’s a sample prompt:

Hey Claude. I just added the “lesson-plan-generator” skill. "Create a lesson plan on photosynthesis for 10th grade biology (2 hours) 

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Claude should generate a complete, well-structured lesson plan with objectives, content, activities, and assessments.

Here is a Word document that Claude generated for this test prompt:

Check for:

• Proper formatting and flow (headings, sections, order)
• Relevance and completeness of content
• Adherence to the structure defined in your templates

If you find inconsistencies, tweak the SKILL.md instructions or adjust the template formatting, then re-upload and retest until the results are consistent.

That’s how Claude brings your custom skill to life, turning a basic prompt into a fully structured, ready-to-publish lesson plan.

Now that you’ve successfully built and tested a custom Claude skill, let’s look at the different types of Claude skills you can create.

What are the types of Claude skills?

Claude supports different kinds of skills depending on how you want to extend its functionality. Broadly, Claude skills fall into two categories:

1. Anthropic skills
2. Custom skills

Anthropic skills

These are the built-in skills developed by Anthropic. They come pre-integrated into Claude and cover essential capabilities like text summarization, writing assistance, analysis, and data interpretation. Anthropic manages their configuration, updates, and performance tuning, so you don’t have to handle any setup.

These are ideal when we need reliable, out-of-the-box functions that work seamlessly within Claude’s interface.

Custom skills

Custom Skills are user-created extensions, just like the lesson plan generator we just built. They let us encode our own workflows, templates, or logic into Claude. We control the instructions, metadata, and examples that guide the model’s responses.

These are perfect for educators, developers, or teams who want to automate specific processes, standardize formats, or create reusable frameworks tailored to their domain.

Now that you know the two types, let’s look at why the Claude skills feature is such a powerful addition to any workflow.

Benefits of using Claude skills

Claude skills redefine how you interact with AI by making it repeatable, consistent, and purpose-driven. Once you design a skill, you don’t need to re-explain your process every time. Here’s what makes them so powerful:

• Automation of repetitive tasks: Turn complex workflows like lesson planning, content formatting, etc. into single-command actions.

• Consistency and standardization: Every time the skill runs, it follows the same structure and tone, ensuring high-quality, predictable outputs.

• Reusability across projects: Once built, a skill can be applied to multiple topics or contexts without starting from scratch.

• Scalability for teams: Teams can share and use the same skills, maintaining uniform standards for documents, training materials, or project templates.

• Customization and control: We decide the format, tone, and level of detail that makes the skill truly reflect your workflow or organization’s needs.

In short, Claude skills let us build once and benefit endlessly, bridging automation and personalization in one elegant feature.

Conclusion

Claude Skills are task-specific capabilities that let you customize how Claude performs certain actions or retrieves information. They help streamline workflows by automating tasks, improving accuracy, and allowing deeper integration with your tools. There are two main types of Claude Skills: built-in skills developed by Anthropic and custom skills created by users for personalized use cases.

To explore how AI prompting can enhance your work, check out Codecademy’s Learn Prompt Engineering course.

Frequently asked questions

1. What is a Claude skill?

A Claude skill is a feature that lets you extend Claude’s capabilities by teaching it how to perform specific tasks or connect with custom tools. It helps automate actions, process data, or provide specialized responses tailored to your needs.

2. Is Claude better than ChatGPT?

Both Claude and ChatGPT are advanced AI models with different strengths. Claude focuses on safety, long-context reasoning, and structured outputs, while ChatGPT is known for its versatility, creativity, and coding support. The better option depends on your use case.

3. What is the Claude Code feature?

Claude Code allows you to run, debug, and modify code directly within Claude’s interface. It supports multiple programming languages and is designed to help developers quickly prototype and test their code ideas.

4. What is Claude best used for?

Claude excels at writing, editing, summarizing, analyzing data, coding assistance, and building AI-driven workflows. It’s particularly useful for professionals who want reliable, context-aware support for technical or creative tasks.

5. Can Claude create PowerPoints?

Yes, Claude can help you create PowerPoint presentations by generating slide outlines, content, and summaries. While it doesn’t directly produce .pptx files, it can provide ready-to-use text that you can easily import into presentation tools.