Getting Started Full Guide

CARL in 5(ish) Minutes: The Essential Tour

New to CARL? Start here. This quick tour maps out everything CARL does — from your first lesson to a whole library you can share and remix — with a link to the full how-to at every stop.

5(ish) min skim 8 stops Updated for the current editor

Plan a lesson

This is the heart of CARL. Describe what you want in plain language and CARL turns it into a full, standards-aligned plan — then keeps building for the class and curriculum you set up once.

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The Start planning screen where you describe a lesson.

Type an idea in plain language — CARL builds the plan.

Refine in the editor

Your generated plan is a strong draft, not a locked one. Edit any block, restructure sections, and use Ask CARL to generate or improve content right where you’re working.

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The CARL editor showing a generated lesson plan.

Review and edit the plan, block by block.

Add the extras

Layer in student-facing components (worksheets, activities), teaching resources, drag-in blocks, and media. Every component comes with a facilitator guide automatically.

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The Tools panel with Components and the activity browser.

Browse Components and Teaching Resources from Tools; drag in Blocks from the Blocks panel.

Make it yours

Add your school logo, pick an accent colour, and choose a plan theme. Same lesson, your branding.

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Logo, accent colours, and plan themes in Customize.

Publish, download & share

Set who can see it — private, unlisted, or public — then generate and download PDF or DOCX. Publish publicly to share with other teachers.

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The Publish Settings screen with visibility and downloads.

Set visibility and formats, then Publish & Generate.

Build a library

Browse a growing library of lessons, save the ones you like, and find them anytime under Saved.

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The Explore Library page with lesson cards.

Browse, filter, and save lessons in the Library.

Remix & collaborate

Make any lesson your own with Remix — an editable copy that keeps a link to the original. Contributions and remixes are tracked on the lesson, so good ideas build on each other.

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Remix and contribution options on a lesson.

Remix a lesson to create your own editable version.

Track with Compass

CARL plans the lessons; its companion app Compass tracks your curriculum coverage across the year — so you always know what you’ve taught and what’s still ahead.