Here are 7 essential steps to writing an effective lesson plan. With these considerations in mind, you, the educator, should be able to consistently write good lesson plans and better meet student needs. Structured planning addedother critical aspectsto be a successful teacher.
Although, as James H. Stronge writes in his book, teachers often arrange lessons differentlyQualities of Effective Teachers, "The evidence of effective work is in the classroom." The following steps are proven, regardless of the teacher's personal style or level of experience.
1. Choose and articulate a specific learning objective
As the saying goes, "If you don't know where you're going, every path will lead you there". Educators should describe what their students should be able to do before planning lessons.
Learning objectives should be derived from government learning standards and ongoing exams. A teacher should use this information to plan and create an objective curriculum map.
The learning objective is a statement that describes what a student should be able to do or understand after completing a lesson. It is a key element of a lesson plan as it helps the teacher (a) focus on a specific goal for the lesson and (b) plan activities and assessments that will help students achieve that goal.
For example, a learning objective for a lesson on fraction multiplication could be: “Students will be able to solve fraction multiplication problems using visual models and the standard algorithm with an accuracy of 80%.” This objective is specific, measurable and aligned with curriculum and discipline standards.
In general, a lesson plan should include a clear and specific learning objective consistent with the syllabus and standards of the subject being taught. The learning objective should be formulated in a measurable way so that at the end of the lesson it can be determined whether the students have achieved the objective.
Once the goal is chosen, the teacher must state it clearly. A strong goal begins with the phrase "Students will be able to..." that you can refer toBloom's Taxonomy of Educational Goals. The taxonomy contains a list of verbs to use when writing a learning objective.
2. Decide how to measure student mastery
Student assessment goes well beyond tests and questionnaires. As Grant P. Wiggins and Jay McTighe write in their bookUnderstanding through design, evidence of student learning “may include traditional quizzes and tests, assignments and achievement projects, observations and dialogues, and student self-assessments”.
There are many ways teachers can assess student mastery beyond tests and quizzes. Some options include:
- Notes: Teachers may observe students working independently or in groups to assess their understanding of the material. This can be done informally, simply by observing students as they work, or more formally, by using a checklist or rubric to record specific behaviors or skills.
- Projects and Presentations: Students can demonstrate their understanding of a topic by creating a project or giving a presentation. This can be a research project, a visual representation or a performance.
- Discussions and Debates: Teachers can facilitate discussions or debates between students to assess their understanding of a topic. This can be done in small groups or with the whole class.
- Reflections: Students can write or record a reflection on their learning, explaining what they learned and how they applied it. This can be done through a written or typed reflection, or through an audio or video recording.
- Portfolios: Students can create a portfolio of their work, including projects, articles, and other artifacts that demonstrate their understanding of the material.
- Self-Assessment: Students can assess their own learning by reflecting on their progress and identifying areas where they need improvement. This can be done through questionnaires or self-assessment rubrics or by setting personal learning goals.
It is important for teachers to use a variety of assessment methods to get a complete picture of student learning. This also provides students with multiple opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of the material.
We love each otherget the benefitsto go beyond an exam style to develop and measure skill development. Teachers should plan to know by the end of class whether their students have mastered this skill using tests similar to those described above. The evaluation must be aligned with the objective.
3. Plan the introduction of new material
This is the "yes" segment of the lesson. To begin, teachers select three to five key ideas to articulate during the presentation. If a teacher doesn't have three ideas, it's likely that the chosen goal doesn't deserve a class of its own. On the other hand, if you exceed five key ideas, the goal needs to be broken down into smaller learning objectives.
Before articulating the main points, you can use a hook to pique the student's interest. The hook can be anything from (i) a read aloud, large question that needs to be discussed and repeated at the end of the lesson, to (ii) a simple question that requires students to draw on prior knowledge.
4. Design the guided practice
Guided practice is the "we do" segment of the lesson. Teachers should plan which specific examples the class will work on together and decide which students to use.
It is important to limit personal involvement during this portion of the lesson. Guided practice is an opportunity to uncover possible misunderstandings before working independently.
You should consider how to involve the whole class, not just individual volunteers. By asking two or three comprehension questions at the end of the guided practice section, you can ensure that students are ready to work independently.
5. Plan an independent practice
Independent practice is the "yes" segment of the lesson. During this time, students complete assignments that teachers use to evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching. A teacher must ensure that the assignment students are working on during this time is objective and not just a fun activity.
Even though the students will do the heavy work in this part of the lesson, you should think about the work you will be doing during this time. First, you must determine which students you need to meet with to provide support or enrichment. You should also plan extension activities for students to participate in if they finish early.
6. Plan for the end of the class
As the old saying goes, "Tell 'em what you're going to tell 'em, tell 'em, then tell 'em what you told 'em". Just as professors would not end a research paper without a conclusion, neither should you end a lecture without a conclusion.
Completion should be quick and should take about a minute. During this time, you can ask students to review what they just learned or ask questions to avoid common mistakes. If you started with a great hook question, this is a fantastic time to come back to it.
7. Better lesson plans improve student performance
If you take a higher-level view for a moment, you need to use lesson plans to improve student knowledge and outcomes. Develop a series of lesson plans that progressively advance student learning. You can start with a simple, robust style and modest goals. Expand from there.
Lesson plans describe what should happen during the lesson time of the lesson. An educator should begin by articulating specific learning objectives. To this end, the teacher should then design the sections Introduction to New Material, Guided Practice, Independent Practice, and Lesson Conclusion.
By creating well-directed and complete lesson plans, you, the teacher, can improve your students' understanding and performance. Find more lesson plan ideas heresome of the best sitesto create plans.
FAQs
How to Create a Lesson Plan: 7 Steps | network learning? ›
The basic lesson plan outline given below contains the direct instruction element: 1) objectives, 2) standards, 3) anticipatory set, 4) teaching [input, modeling, and check for understanding], 5) guided practice, 6) closure, and 7) independent practice.
What are the 7 steps of a lesson plan? ›The basic lesson plan outline given below contains the direct instruction element: 1) objectives, 2) standards, 3) anticipatory set, 4) teaching [input, modeling, and check for understanding], 5) guided practice, 6) closure, and 7) independent practice.
What is the 7E model lesson plan? ›The 7E learning cycle model is a model that can guide students to actively acquire new knowledge with 7E (elicit, engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate, and extend). Teaching materials using 7E learning cycle can help students understand the problems and phenomena they encounter in the environment.
What are the 7 elements of teaching? ›These elements are: differentiation, adaptivity, student engagement, direct instruction, practice, formative assessment with immediate feedback and student explanation of learning.
How to write a lesson plan example? ›- An objective for the lesson.
- Time requirements for each aspect of the lesson.
- Specific activities that will be done.
- Materials that will be used.
- How the lesson will be differentiated.
- The method in which you will assess students' progress.
- Standards that the lesson will address.
Planning, Pathways, Projects, Portfolios and Parents, also known as the 5 P's, are the basic tools a student needs to organize, plan for and achieve any career goal.
What is the difference between 5es and 7es lesson plan? ›The 5E learning cycle model requires instruction to include the following discrete elements: engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate. The proposed 7E model expands the engage element into two components—elicit and engage.
What is the format of detailed lesson plan? ›A detailed lesson plan (DLP) is exactly that, a detailed description of the exact steps to teach a specific topic. A DLP includes five parts of thorough explanation on, lesson topic, class objectives, procedure, time management and student practice.
What are the 4 A's of a lesson plan? ›Choose a topic that you want the children in your class to learn and apply the 4-A's of activating prior knowledge, acquiring new knowledge, applying the knowledge, and assessing the knowledge.
What does a good lesson plan look like? ›Your lesson plans don't have to be complicated or lengthy; they should only include information on what you're preparing, how you'll teach it, and what you want your students to achieve as part of the curriculum. Quality lessons tie prior knowledge and understanding and flow easily, connecting ideas and concepts.
What are the 7 principles of teaching and learning? ›
Collectively, these principles employ the forces of activity, cooperation, diversity, expectations, interaction, and responsibility. A working knowledge of the seven principles is beneficial to administrators, teachers, and students alike.
What are the stages of learning process? ›- Stage 1: Concrete Experience (CE) assimilating information.
- Stage 2: Reflective Observation (RO) processing information.
- Stage 3: Abstract Conceptualization (AC) assimilating information.
- Stage 4: Active Experimentation (AE)
The elements of the lesson plan are: assessment, duration, objectives, activities, strategies and learning outcomes (Burgul Adiguzel, 2021).
What is daily lesson plan format? ›What is a Daily Lesson Plan Template? Lesson plans are detailed outlines of instruction that educators create daily. Daily lesson plans are typically used as a step-by-step guide to assist teachers in teaching whatever they are teaching in their classrooms.
How do you write a lesson plan for kids? ›- State your purpose. When you design a lesson, it's important to begin with the end in mind. ...
- Define any necessary terms. In the ECE classroom, you introduce your students to a lot of new words. ...
- Outline the main ideas. ...
- Connect to previous topics. ...
- Ask good questions. ...
- Plan your conclusion.
The 4Cs: Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication and Collaboration in Schools.
What are the 7 es of constructivism? ›Constructivist 7E approach consists of seven stage such as Elicit, Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate and Extend. Many activities related to physical Science subjects about 'Acid, Base and Indicators' were adapted by each and every stage of constructivist 7E approach.
What are the three E's in lesson plan? ›Each time I approached a new unit, I kept the 3 E's in mind – Explore, Explain, & Engage.
What is the best method for teaching? ›There is no “best” method of teaching. However, many researchers today agree that including more student-centered learning approaches in the classroom can improve learning. Using only a teacher-centered approach leaves out many skills and learning opportunities for students.
What is the ABCD method lesson planning? ›The ABCD method of writing objectives is an excellent way to structure instructional objectives. In this method, "A" is for audience, "B" is for behavior, "C" for conditions and "D" is for degree of mastery needed.
What is lesson plan and example? ›
A lesson plan is a document that outlines the content of your lesson step-by-step. It's a list of tasks that your students will undertake, to help guide your teaching. A lesson plan is usually prepared in advance and can either cover a one-off activity, an entire lesson, a unit or course, a day, or a week.
What are the 8 components of a lesson plan? ›- Grade level and subject. One of the first sections of a lesson is the grade level and subject of the lesson you're going to teach. ...
- Type of lesson. This is a brief section that explains the type of lesson you're going to be teaching. ...
- Duration. ...
- Topic. ...
- Objective. ...
- Materials. ...
- Directions. ...
- Assessment.
Plan your lesson for 10-minute chunks. Shorter tasks keep students engaged and give you an easy to follow structure. If you teach a 60-minute lesson, plan for 45-50 minutes only. This accounts for the extra time it takes for students to arrive, unpack, settle down and pack up in an orderly way at the end of the lesson.
What is learning plan template? ›A learning plan template defines a set of competencies which you can assign to a group of users. This is better than creating individual learning plans for many different students and means you only need update the template and the changes will appear for all students.
What is difference between lesson plan and learning plan? ›What is the difference between a learning plan and a lesson plan? A learning plan is a document that is used to plan learning. Whereas, a lesson plan is typically a step by step guide/ outline with small goals and objectives the students will accomplish during a day's work, week's work or even a semester long.
What are the five importance of a lesson plan? ›Helps students and teachers understand the goals of an instructional module. Allows the teacher to translate the curriculum into learning activities. Aligns the instructional materials with the assessment. Aligns the assessment with the learning goal.
What are the 4 basic principles of learning? ›- Constructive education. Learning should be an active process, in which you gain knowledge from your experiences and interactions with your environment. ...
- Learning in a relevant context. ...
- Collaborative learning. ...
- Self-directed education.
The golden rule of teaching is simply that teachers shouId treat their students as they would have their own instructors treat them. They learn best when treated with courtesy and respect and when encouraged to learn in the way that suits them best.
What are the 6 basic principles of learning? ›Principles of learning, also known as laws of learning, are readiness, exercise, effect, primacy, recency, intensity and freedom.
What is the first step of learning? ›The first step of the learning cycle is to prepare in advance for classes, reading, tests, and other learning. The second step is to absorb information and ideas effectively during classes, reading, and other learning experiences.
What are the 6 steps of learning cycle? ›
PTLC comprises six steps—study, select, plan, implement, analyze, and adjust.
What is the 5 step learning cycle? ›The learning cycle used in these lesson plans follows Bybee's (1997) five steps of Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, and Evaluation. As in any cycle, there's really no end to the process. After elaboration ends, the engagement of the next learning cycle begins. Evaluation is not the last step.
How many step should a lesson plan have? ›According to Herbart, there are eight lesson plan phases that are designed to provide "many opportunities for teachers to recognize and correct students' misconceptions while extending understanding for future lessons."
How do you write a weekly lesson plan? ›- Pre-Assessment. Understanding what students already know about a topic will help prepare more effective lesson plans. ...
- Formative Assessment. ...
- Materials and Resources. ...
- Instructional Strategies.
- Student Work/Assignments.
- Introduction. The beginning of the lesson should engage the students' attention and focus on the topic. ...
- Lesson development. Teachers should make students aware of the intended learning outcomes of the lesson. ...
- Assessment activities. ...
- Wrap up:
Learning Outcome Statements can be written using the ABCD (audience, behavior, condition, and degree) method. While the method is often directed at learning objectives, it can also be used to write learning outcomes.
What are the 4 C's in teaching? ›The four C's of 21st Century skills are:
Critical thinking. Creativity. Collaboration. Communication.
A well-structured lesson plan, however, includes the following: goal/objective, teacher input, guided practice, independent practice, assessment and closing. Once the lesson plan is written, the teacher has an outline that ensures every student is taught in a meaningful way.
What are the 3 C's in a lesson plan? ›Teaching the 3 Cs: Creativity, Curiosity, and Courtesy.
How many steps are in lesson plan? ›According to Herbart, there are eight lesson plan phases that are designed to provide "many opportunities for teachers to recognize and correct students' misconceptions while extending understanding for future lessons." These phases are: Introduction, Foundation, Brain Activation, Body of New Information, Clarification ...