Lesson planning...who needs it, or needs to know how to do it? Well, surprise, surprise, maybe you do!

Lesson planning is a special skill that is learned in much the same way as other skills . It is one
thing to surf the Net to retrieve lesson plans from other sites and adapt them to your needs. It is quite
another thing to have the skill to develop your own lesson plans. When you are able to create your own
lesson plans, it means you have taken a giant step toward "owning" the content you teach and the
methods you use, and that is a good thing. Acquiring this skill is far more valuable than being able to use
lesson plans developed by others. It takes thinking and practice to hone this skill, and it won't happen
overnight, but it is a skill that will help to define you as a teacher. Knowing "how to" is far more important
than knowing "about" when it comes to lesson plans, and is one of the important markers along the way
to becoming a professional teacher. It is also in keeping with a central theme of this site that you should
learn to plan lessons in more than one way. The corollary is, of course, that there is no one "best way" to
plan lessons. Regardless of the form or template, there are fundamental components of all lesson plans
that you should learn to write, revise, and improve. The old adage, "Practice doesn't make perfect; perfect
practice makes perfect" is at the core of learning this skill. Trust me on this.

This is among the most popular pages on the ADPRIMA web site, and for good reason. Good lesson
plans do not ensure students will learn what is intended, but they certainly contribute to it. Think of a
lesson plan as a way of communicating, and without doubt, effective communication skills are
fundamental to all teaching. Lesson plans also help new or inexperienced teachers organize content,
materials, and methods. When you are learning the craft of teaching, organizing your subject-matter
content via lesson plans is fundamental. Like most skills, you'll get better at it the more you do it and think
of ways of improving your planning and teaching based on feedback from your students, their parents,
and other teachers. Developing your own lesson plans also helps you "own" the subject matter content
you are teaching, and that is central to everything good teachers do.

It's simple; effective lesson plans communicate, ineffective ones don't. Teachers create lesson plans to
communicate their instructional activities regarding specific subject-matter. Almost all lesson plans
developed by teachers contain student learning objectives, instructional procedures, the required
materials, and some written description of how the students will be evaluated. Many experienced teachers
often reduce lesson plans to a mental map or short outline. New teachers, however, usually find detailed
lesson plans to be indispensable. Learn to write good lesson plans - it is a skill that will serve you
well as a teacher. If you're really serious, become proficient in writing effective learning
objectives. All lesson plans begin, or should begin with an objective. Toward that end, I have
developed a self-instructional, interactive program that teaches this important skill within the
context of lesson planning. Go to this link to find out more: http://www.adprima.com/wlo5.htm It is
inexpensive and effective!

For those of you visiting the ADPRIMA web site in search of lesson plans, you will find some links
here that point to some of the best anywhere on the Internet.

ADPRIMA Help on Learning to Write Lesson Plans

Mistakes in writing lesson plans and how to avoid them Do it! Nip your problems in the bud!
Lesson Plans the Easy Way! A different take on writing lesson plans.
How to Write Behavioral Objectives This is about how to express instructional intent in behavioral
form.
Rationale for Behavioral Objectives. A little background on behavioral objectives can deepen your
understanding.
Measurement, Assessment, Evaluation A brief explanation of these three terms that might be
helpful.
Verbs for Behavioral Objectives Using the correct verb makes a big difference.
Lesson Planning: Teaching Questions A set of questions that will help you provide a more
effective and meaningful learning experience for your students.
How to Write an Assessment Based on an Objective Some thoughts about this often difficult,
confusing, yet integral part of lesson planning.
Examples of Behavioral Verbs See how the verbs are used in Language Arts, Mathematics,
Science, and Social Studies.
Student Lesson Plans A nascent collection of student-written lesson plans submitted to the
ADPRIMA site. Social Studies, Science, Mathematics.
Madeline Hunter - links to lesson planning. Her classic model has stood the test of time. Check
out these links to add to your store of information.
http://faculty.leeu.edu/~bestes/resources/whitepaper.htm
http://www.humboldt.edu/~tha1/hunter-eei.html
http://jonathan.mueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/205/madelinehunter.htm
http://www.adultedlessons.org/login.cfm?fuseaction=aboutlp

http://www.adprima.com/lesson.htm

THE LESSON PLAN

1. Preliminary Information

The development of a lesson plan begins somewhere, and a good place to start is with a list or
description of general information about the plan. This information sets the boundaries or limits of the
plan. Here is a good list of these information items: (a) the grade level of the students for whom the plan
is intended; (b) the specific subject matter (mathematics, reading, language arts, science, social studies,
etc.); (c) if appropriate, the name of the unit of which the lesson is a part; and (d) the name of the teacher.

2. The Parts

Each part of a lesson plan should fulfill some purpose in communicating the specific content, the
objective, the learning prerequisites, what will happen, the sequence of student and teacher activities, the
materials required, and the actual assessment procedures. Taken together, these parts constitute an end
(the objective), the means (what will happen and the student and teacher activities), and an input
(information about students and necessary resources). At the conclusion of a lesson, the assessment tells
the teacher how well students actually attained the objective.

In a diagram, the process looks something like this:

Input ======>process=====>output

Let's look at each part separately.

Input: This part refers to the physical materials, other resources, and information that will be required by
the process. What are these inputs? First of all, if you have thought about what the lesson is supposed to
accomplish, the inputs are much easier to describe. In general categories, inputs consist of:

1. Information about the students for whom the lesson is intended. This information includes, but is not
limited to the age and grade level of the students, and what they already know about what you want them
to learn.

2. Information about the amount of time you estimate it will take to implement the lesson.

3. Descriptions of the materials that will be required by the lesson, and at some point, the actual
possession of the materials.
4. Information about how you will acquire the physical materials required.

5. Information about how to obtain any special permissions and schedules required. For example if your
lesson plan will require a field trip, you must know how to organize it. If your lesson will require a guest
speaker (fire chief, lawyer, police officer, etc.) you must know how to make arrangements for having that
person be at the right place at the right time.

Process

This is the actual plan. If you have done the preliminary work (thinking, describing the inputs), creating the
plan is relatively easy. There are a number of questions you must answer in the creating the plan:

1. What are the inputs? This means you have the information (content description, student
characteristics, list of materials, prerequisites, time estimates, etc.) necessary to begin the plan.
2. What is the output?This means a description of what the students are supposed to learn.
3. What do I do? This means a description of the instructional activities you will use.
4. What do the students do? This means a description of what the students will do during the lesson.
5. How will the learning be measured? This means a description of the assessment procedure at the
end of the lesson. For a short discourse on how to write an assessment, click here.

As an example, below is a template that I have used successfully to teach students to write lesson plans:

Lesson Plan Format:

Teacher_______________________________________ Subject_________________________
Grade Level_________________
Date___________________________

I. Content: This is a statement that relates to the subject-matter content. The content may be a concept
or a skill. Phrase this as follows: I want my students to: (be able to [name the skill]) OR (I want my
students to understand [a description of the concept]). Often times, this content is predetermined or
strongly suggested by the specific curriculum you are implementing through your teaching.

II. Prerequisites: Indicate what the student must already know or be able to do in order to be successful
with this lesson. (You would want to list one or two specific behaviors necessary to begin this lesson).
Some research indicates that up to 70% of what a student learns is dependent on his or her possessing
the appropriate prerequisites.

III. Instructional Objective: Indicate what is to be learned - this must be a complete objective. Write
this objective in terms of what an individual student will do, not what a group will do. Limit your objective
to one behavioral verb. The verb you choose must come from the list of defined behavioral verbs on my
web site. Make sure your objective relates to the content statement above.

IV. Instructional Procedures: Description of what you will do in teaching the lesson, and, as appropriate,
includes a description of how you will introduce the lesson to the students, what actual instructional
techniques you will use, and how you will bring closure to the lesson. Include what specific things
students will actually do during the lesson. In most cases, you will provide some sort of summary for the
students.
V. Materials and Equipment: List all materials and equipment to be used by both the teacher and learner
and how they will be used..

VI. Assessment/Evaluation: Describe how you will determine the extent to which students have attained
the instructional objective. Be sure this part is directly connected to the behavior called for in the
instructional objective.

VII. Follow-up Activities: Indicate how other activities/materials will be used to reinforce and extend this
lesson. Include homework, assignments, and projects.

VIII. Self-Assessment (to be completed after the lesson is presented): Address the major components of
the lesson plan, focusing on both the strengths, and areas of needed improvement. Determine here how
you plan to collect information that will be useful for planning future lessons. A good idea is to analyze the
difference between what you wanted (the objective) and what was attained (the results of the
assessment).

Of course, there is an immense difference between being able to plan and actually being able to carry out
the plan. However, if you have thought carefully about where you are going before you begin writing
your plan, the chances of your success, as well as the success of your students, are much greater.

To see a somewhat different, yet effective approach to lesson planning, click here for Lesson
Plans the Easy Way!
To see examples of verbs used in behavioral objectives, click here.
To see some lesson plans developed by education students using the template above, click here.

The Madeline Hunter Lesson Design Model

Madeline Hunter's eight steps have stood the test of time. Below is a brief description of each.
Understanding these components will add to your understanding of how to plan a lesson, and is useful for
the model presented above.

1. Anticipatory Set (focus) - A short activity or prompt that focuses the students' attention before the
actual lesson begins. Used when students enter the room or in a transition. A hand-out given to students
at the door, review question written on the board, "two problems" on the overhead are examples of the
anticipatory set.

2. Purpose (objective) - The purpose of today's lesson, why the students need to learn it, what they will
be able to "do", and how they will show learning as a result are made clear by the teacher.

3. Input - The vocabulary, skills, and concepts the teacher will impart to the students - the "stuff" the kids
need to know in order to be successful.

4. Modeling (show) - The teacher shows in graphic form or demonstrates what the finished product looks
like - a picture worth a thousand words.

5. Guided Practice (follow me) - The teacher leads the students through the steps necessary to perform
the skill using the trimodal approach - hear/see/do.

6. Checking For Understanding (CFU) - The teacher uses a variety of questioning strategies to
determine "Got it yet?" and to pace the lesson - move forward?/back up?
7. Independent Practice - The teacher releases students to practice on their own based on #3-#6.

8. Closure - A review or wrap-up of the lesson - "Tell me/show me what you have learned today".

Please feel free to comment on the ideas expressed on this page. The ADPRIMA web site is intended to
give you both information and to stimulate your thinking about teaching and learning. In short, your growth
as a student or teacher depends on your willingness to learn and think. To that end, I hope this
information is useful to you.

"Anything not understood in more than one way is not understood at all."

Okay, now for something to read that might give you a chill or two.... click here for my novel, What Waits
Within

Online Education for Teachers - Advance Your Career

I would like to thank all of you who order my program on lesson planning: from writing objectives
to selecting programs, as well as books, music, electronics, DVDs, software, and household items
from AMAZON.COM through ADPRIMA. By doing so, you help support the operation and
maintenance of this site.

http://www.adprima.com/mistakes2.htm

Write a Lesson Plan Guide

How to Develop a Lesson Plan

We have received several questions regarding how to write a good lesson plan. We went
ahead and asked our experts, did some research, and have included some tips and
guidelines below.
 
 

To begin, ask yourself three basic questions:

Where are your students going?

How are they going to get there?

How will you know when they've arrived?

Then begin to think about each of the following categories which form the organization of
the plan. While planning, use the questions below to guide you during each stage.
Goals

Goals determine purpose, aim, and rationale for what you and your students will engage in
during class time.  Use this section to express the intermediate lesson goals that draw upon
previous plans and activities and set the stage by preparing students for future activities and
further knowledge acquisition.  The goals are typically written as broad educational or unit
goals adhering to State or National curriculum standards.

What are the broader objectives, aims, or goals of the unit plan/curriculum?
What are your goals for this unit?
What do you expect students to be able to do by the end of this unit?

Objectives

This section focuses on what your students will do to acquire further knowledge and skills.
The objectives for the daily lesson plan are drawn from the broader aims of the unit plan but
are achieved over a well defined time period.

What will students be able to do during this lesson?

Under what conditions will students' performance be accomplished?
What is the degree or criterion on the basis of which satisfactory attainment of the
objectives will be judged?
How will students demonstrate that they have learned and understood the objectives of the
lesson?

Prerequisites

Prerequisites can be useful when considering the readiness state of your students. 
Prerequisites allow you, and other teachers replicating your lesson plan, to factor in
necessary prep activities to make sure that students can meet the lesson objectives.

What must students already be able to do before this lesson?

What concepts have to be mastered in advance to accomplish the lesson objectives?

Materials

This section has two functions: it helps other teachers quickly determine a) how much
preparation time, resources, and management will be involved in carrying out this plan and
b) what materials, books, equipment, and resources they will need to have ready.  A
complete list of materials, including full citations of textbooks or story books used,
worksheets, and any other special considerations are most useful.

What materials will be needed?

What textbooks or story books are needed? (please include full bibliographic citations)
What needs to be prepared in advance? (typical for science classes and cooking or baking
activities)

Lesson Description
This section provides an opportunity for the author of the lesson to share some thoughts,
experience, and advice with other teachers. It also provides a general overview of the
lesson in terms of topic focus, activities, and purpose.

What is unique about this lesson?

How did your students like it?
What level of learning is covered by this lesson plan? (Think of Bloom's Taxonomy:
knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, or evaluation.)

Lesson Procedure

This section provides a detailed, step-by-step description of how to replicate the lesson and
achieve lesson plan objectives.  This is usually intended for the teacher and provides
suggestions on how to proceed with implementation of the lesson plan.  It also focuses on
what the teacher should have students do during the lesson.  This section is basically
divided into several components: an introduction, a main activity, and closure.  There are
several elaborations on this. We have linked to some sample lesson plans to guide you
through this stage of planning.

 Introduction

How will you introduce the ideas and objectives of this lesson?
How will you get students' attention and motivate them in order to hold their attention?
How can you tie lesson objectives with student interests and past classroom activities?
What will be expected of students?

 Main Activity

What is the focus of the lesson?

How would you describe the flow of the lesson to another teacher who will replicate it?
What does the teacher do to facilitate learning and manage the various activities?
What are some good and bad examples to illustrate what you are presenting to students?
How can this material be presented to ensure each student will benefit from the learning
experience?
 

Rule of Thumb # 1:

Take into consideration what students are learning (a

new skill, a rule or formula, a concept/fact/idea, an
attitude, or a value).

Choose one of the following techniques to plan the

lesson content based on what your objectives are:

Demonstration ==> list in detail and sequence of the

steps to be performed
 Explanation      ==> outline the information to be
explained
Discussion       ==> list of key questions to guide the
discussion
 

 Closure/Conclusion

What will you use to draw the ideas together for students at the end?
How will you provide feedback to students to correct their misunderstandings and reinforce
their learning?

 Follow up Lessons/Activities

What activities might you suggest for enrichment and remediation?

What lessons might follow as a result of this lesson?

Assessment/Evaluation

This section focuses on ensuring that your students have arrived at their intended
destination.  You will need to gather some evidence that they did.  This usually is done by
gathering students' work and assessing this work using some kind of grading rubric that is
based on lesson objectives. You could also replicate some of the activities practiced as part
of the lesson, without providing the same level of guidance as during the lesson.  You could
always quiz students on various concepts and problems as well.

How will you evaluate the objectives that were identified?

Have students practiced what you are asking them to do for evaluation?
 

Rule of Thumb # 2:

Be sure to provide students with the opportunity to

practice what you will be assessing them on.  You should
never introduce new material during this activity.  Also,
avoid asking higher level thinking questions if students
have not yet engaged in such practice during the lesson. 
For example,  if you expect students to apply knowledge
and skills, they should first be provided with the
opportunity to practice application.

Sample Lesson Plans from the Educator's Reference Desk Collection

 
 Subject  Sample Lesson Plan from the Educator's Reference Desk Collection
Arts A Line is a Dot That Went For a Walk
Computer Science SimCity and PowerPoint
Foreign Language Minimal Pairs Bingo!
Health SunSmart
Teaching Internet Library Instruction Sessions in the Electronic
Information Literacy Classroom: The Adult Learner, the Internet, and Training Skills &
Teaching Styles
Interdisciplinary Who am I?
Language Arts The Sounds of "EA"
Mathematics Find a Pattern with "One Grain of Rice"
Philosophy Plato's Allegory of the Cave
Physical Education Basketball Golf
Science The Notion of Motion
Social Studies Crisis in the Balkans
Vocational Education Theme Meal

Please note that there are many other exemplary lesson plans that could not be included
here due to space limitations.  However, you may access them at the Educator's Reference
Desk home page.
 
 

General Rule of Thumb:

Your plan should be detailed and complete enough so that another teacher
knowledgeable in your subject matter could deliver the lesson without
needing to contact you for further clarifications.  Please do not forget to edit
and spell check your work before submission to the Educator's Reference
Desk Collection.

Resources for Lesson Plan Ideas

The GatewaySM Collections List

http://www.thegateway.org/collections.html

PBS TeacherSource
A large collection of lesson plans, teacher guides, and online student activities correlated to 90 sets of state and
national curriculum standards.
http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/

Discovery Channel School

http://school.discovery.com/

Best of Education World® 2002

http://www.education-world.com/best_of/2002/
Education World® - Lesson Planning Center
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/

Education World® - National Standards

http://www.education-world.com/standards/national/index.shtml