Create a lesson
In this article
Lessons are the core of your teaching workflow in EMStudio. Learn how to create one, add content, and assign it to the classes you teach.
The Lessons page
Click Lessons in the sidebar. The page uses the three-panel layout:
- Left panel — your classes. Select one to filter everything else.
- Middle panel — units for the selected class. Units are folders that organize your lessons.
- Right panel — lessons inside the selected unit.
Below each panel, you'll see summary stats — total units, lesson counts, and progress.
Create a unit
Before creating a lesson, you need a unit to put it in. Units keep your lessons organized — think of them as chapters or topic folders. Learn more about organizing with units →
- Select a class from the left panel.
- Click
+next to the Units header in the middle panel. - Give your unit a name (e.g., "Unit 1 — Introduction").
Create a lesson
Once you have a unit, you can create lessons inside it.
- Select a unit in the middle panel.
- Click
+ New Lessonin the right panel. - Give it a title.
The lesson is automatically assigned to the class and unit you have selected. Click into a lesson to open the lesson editor and start writing content.
You can also create a lesson directly from the planner by clicking on a class slot, or from within a class page.
Lessons are reusable
Lessons live in their own library — they're not tied to a single date, class, or semester. This means you can:
- Reuse a lesson next semester or next year without recreating it.
- Assign a lesson to multiple classes — perfect if you teach the same content to different sections.
- Move a lesson to a different unit or class by dragging it in the Lessons page.
Editing a lesson that's shared across multiple classes updates it everywhere.
Link a lesson to your schedule
Once you've created a lesson, you can link it to a specific day on your planner. There are two ways:
Option 1 — From the Lessons page:
- Click the calendar view icon in the top right of the Lessons panel.
- A calendar appears showing your class slots.
- Drag a lesson onto a slot.
Option 2 — From the Planner:
- Open
Plannerfrom the sidebar. - Click on a class slot.
- Select a lesson to link.
The Lessons page calendar view is great for scheduling multiple lessons at once. The Planner is better for seeing your full week or month and filling in gaps. For more scheduling strategies, see Link lessons to the planner →
New to lesson planning? Start with Plan your first lesson → for a step-by-step walkthrough.
Still have questions?
Chat with us— we're happy to help.