Education: K-12 Teaching Resources

There are many different places to search for lesson plans and information about lesson planning: print and online books available through the OISE / University of Toronto Libraries; licensed education databases and online resources; and numerous openly available databases and websites. Information about some of the many key resources for lesson plans and lesson planning are included on this page.

To find books available at the OISE Library and ebooks available online through the University of Toronto Libraries:

1. Type "lesson planning" in LibrarySearch.
2. Search.
3. On the left hand side of the screen, select OISE/UT Library filter for print materials, or select ONLINE.

Some educators publish lesson plans in journals. These lesson plans are often available through education databases such as ERIC, CBCA Education, and Education Sources which have been licensed by the University of Toronto Libraries.

To find lesson plans in the ERIC database:

1. Type "lesson plans" in the first search box.
2. Select "Subject Heading" in the drop-down menu.
3. Type your keyword(s) on the second line (for example, algebra).

To find lesson plans in CBCA Education and Education Source:

1. Type "lesson plans" OR "lesson planning" in the first search box.
2. Select "Subject" in Education Source.
3. Type your keyword(s) on the second line (for example, algebra).

Cube for Teachers is an interactive and collaborative database for teachers in Ontario and B.C. The database contains lesson plans and activities, and can be searched by grade, subject, strand, and expectation in the Ontario curriculum.  Register for a free account to search for lesson plans and activities and also to join discussion groups with other teachers. 

Remote Teaching: Created in March 2020, this collection is intended to support both remote and in-person teaching. Educators can explore diverse resources across subject areas.

Ophea Health and Physical Education Curriculum Resources and Ophea Health and Physical Education Ontario Safety Guidelines are essential resources for those teaching physical and health education. Resources are licensed and available online to University of Toronto students, staff, and faculty. Log in using your UTORid and password.

TIGed: Global Education Resources is an openly available online database of lesson plans, research and data, videos, and educational games for the K-12 classroom. The TIGed site also includes other resources, such as guides on best practices designed for teachers looking to bring global issues and perspectives into the classroom.

The CBC Digital Archives: Education Materials page includes activities, assignments, projects, webquests, and downloadable assessment pages and rubrics which build on the materials presented in the CBC Digital Archives site. Resources can be downloaded, modified, and reproduced for the classroom.

Bring podcasts into your classrooms with CBC Podcasts in Class, a set of original podcasts and accompanying teaching resources (including custom-made lesson plans, slides, handouts, and videos featuring CBC hosts). These guides were written and vetted by teachers who work across a variety of boards across Canada. All materials related to these guides are available free of charge. 

The Toronto Public Library catalogue provides links to over 40 websites with lesson plans in all subject areas.  To find these in the Toronto Public Library catalogue, search for "curriculum and lesson plans". 

There are many online sites with free high-quality lesson plans.  Here are a few:

• 4edu.ca
• Canada's History
• Econlowdown
• Historica Canada
• Learner.org