LESSON PLAN
COMPONENTS OF A LESSON PLAN
While there are many formats for a lesson plan, most lesson plans contain some or all of these elements, typically in this order:
• Title of the lesson
• List of required materials
• List of objectives, which may be behavioral objectives (what the student can do at lesson completion) or knowledge objectives (what the student knows at lesson completion)
• The set (or lead-in, or bridge-in) that focuses students on the lesson's skills or concepts—these include showing pictures or models, asking leading questions, or reviewing previous lessons
• An instructional component that describes the sequence of events that make up the lesson, including the teacher's instructional input and guided practice the students use to try new skills or work with new ideas
• Independent practice that allows students to extend skills or knowledge on their own
• A summary, where the teacher wraps up the discussion and answers questions
• An evaluation component, a test for mastery of the instructed skills or concepts—such as a set of questions to answer or a set of instructions to follow
• A risk assessment where the lesson's risks and the steps taken to minimize them are documented.
• Analysis component the teacher uses to reflect on the lesson itself —such as what worked, what needs improving
• A continuity component reviews and reflects on content from the previous lesson
A well-developed lesson plan
Secondary English program lesson plans, for example, usually center around four topics. They are literary theme, elements of language and composition, literary history, and literary genre. A broad, thematic lesson plan is preferable, because it allows a teacher to create various research, writing, speaking, and reading assignments. It helps an instructor teach different literature genres and incorporate videotapes, films, and television programs. Also, it facilitates teaching literature and English together.[3] Similarly, history lesson plans focus on content (historical accuracy and background information), analytic thinking, scaffolding, and the practicality of lesson structure and meeting of educational goals.[4] School requirements and a teacher's personal tastes, in that order, determine the exact requirements for a lesson plan.
Unit plans follow much the same format as a lesson plan, but cover an entire unit of work, which may span several days or weeks. Modern constructivist teaching styles may not require individual lesson plans. The unit plan may include specific objectives and timelines, but lesson plans can be more fluid as they adapt to student needs and learning styles.
Setting objectives
Selecting lesson plan material
A lesson plan must correlate with the text book the class uses. The school usually selects the text books or provides teachers with a limited text book choice for a particular unit.
The teacher must take great care and select the most appropriate book for the students.
Types of Assignments
The instructor must decide whether class assignments are whole-class, small groups, workshops, independent work, peer learning, or contractual:
• Whole-class—the teacher lectures to the class as a whole and has the class collectively participate in classroom discussions.
• Small groups—students work on assignments in groups of three or four.
• Workshops—students perform various tasks simultaneously. Workshop activities must be tailored to the lesson plan.
• Independent work—students complete assignments individually.
• Peer learning—students work together, face to face, so they can learn from one another.
• Contractual work—teacher and student establish an agreement that the student must perform a certain amount of work by a deadline.
These assignment categories (e.g. peer learning, independent, small groups) can also be used to guide the instructor’s choice of assessment measures that can provide information about student and class comprehension of the material.
As discussed by Biggs (1999), there are additional questions an instructor can consider when choosing which type of assignment would provide the most benefit to students. These include:
• What level of learning do the students need to attain before choosing assignments with varying difficulty levels?
• What is the amount of time the instructor wants the students to use to complete the assignment?
• How much time and effort does the instructor have to provide student grading and feedback?
• What is the purpose of the assignment? (e.g. to track student learning; to provide students with time to practice concepts; to practice incidental skills such as group process or independent research)
• How does the assignment fit with the rest of the lesson plan? Does the assignment test content knowledge or does it require application in a new context?[6]
Instructional Objectives - Characteristics of a Well-Written Objective, Characteristics of a Useful Objective,
Most people would agree that the goal of education is learning. Most would also agree that education is likely to be more effective if educators are clear about what it is that they want the learners to learn.
Finally, most would agree that if teachers have a clear idea about what learners are expected to learn, they can more easily and more accurately determine how well students have learned.
Enter instructional objectives. Because instructional objectives specify exactly what is supposed to be learned, they are helpful to the teacher as well as the learner throughout the learning process and are invaluable in the evaluation process.
Instructional objectives (also known as behavioral objectives or learning objectives) are basically statements which clearly describe an anticipated learning outcome. When objectives were first coming into their own in education, they almost always began with the phrase: "Upon completion of this lesson, the student should be able to…." This phrase focused on the outcome of learning rather than on the learning process.
In fact, one of the criteria for a well-written objective is that it describe the outcome of learning, that is, what the learners can do after learning has occurred that they might not have been able to do before the teaching and learning process began.
Characteristics of a Well-Written Objective
A well-written objective should meet the following criteria: (1) describe a learning outcome, (2) be student oriented, (3) be observable (or describe an observable product).
A well-written objective should describe a learning outcome (e.g., to correctly spell the spelling words on page seventeen). It should not describe a learning activity (e.g., to practice the words on page seventeen by writing each one ten times). Learning activities are important in planning and guiding instruction but they are not to be confused with instructional objectives.
If an instructional objective is not observable (or does not describe an observable product), it leads to unclear expectations and it will be difficult to determine whether or not it had been reached. The key to writing observable objectives is to use verbs that are observable and lead to a well defined product of the action implied by that verb. Verbs such as "to know," "to understand," "to enjoy," "to appreciate," "to realize," and "to value" are vague and not observable. Verbs such as "to identify," "to list," "to select," "to compute," "to predict," and "to analyze" are explicit and describe observable actions or actions that lead to observable products.
There are many skills that cannot be directly observed. The thinking processes of a student as she tries to solve a math problem cannot be easily observed. However, one can look at the answers she comes up with and determine if they are correct. It is also possible to look at the steps a student takes to arrive at an answer if they are written down (thus displaying his thinking process). There are many end products that also can be observed (e.g., an oil painting, a prose paragraph, a 3-dimensional map, or an outline.)
Characteristics of a Useful Objective
(1) be sequentially appropriate;
(2) be attainable within a reasonable amount of time;
(3) be developmentally appropriate.
For an objective to be sequentially appropriate it must occur in an appropriate place in the instructional sequence. All prerequisite objectives must already have been attained. Nothing thwarts the learning process more than having learners trying to accomplish an objective before they have learned the necessary prerequisites.
This is why continuous assessment of student progress is so important.
A useful objective is attainable within a reasonable time. If an instructional objective takes students an inordinately long time to accomplish, it is either sequentially inappropriate or it is too broad, relying on the accomplishment of several outcomes or skills rather than a single outcome or skill. An objective should set expectations for a single learning outcome and not a cluster of them.
Developmentally appropriate objectives set expectations for students that are well within their level of intellectual, social, language, or moral development. Teachers, parents, and others who are working with preschool or elementary school children should be especially aware of the developmental stages of the children they are working with.
No author or researcher has more clearly defined the stages of intellectual development than Jean Piaget. Familiarity with his work as well as with the work of other child development specialists (e.g., Lev Vygotsky's language development, Lawrence Kohlberg's moral development and Erik Erikson's social development) should produce better instructional objectives.
Elements of a Lesson Plan
Everyone has their own lesson plan format that they use or feel comfortable with, and that’s great! It is important to ensure that all lesson plans include five elements to ensure a successful learning experience. These five are linking prior knowledge, engaging and educating, active learning, reflecting, and extending learning.
These elements include?
Linking prior knowledge: This should be the first part of your lesson. This is where teachers can activate prior knowledge and make connections with students’ previous learned material. Examples of activities include KWL (know, want to know, learned) charts, graphic organizer, short video clip, a brief discussion, etc.
Any activity that will help your students remember something they already learned or know will help ease the learning environment and help them feel comfortable learning something new.
Engaging and educating: This is the part of the lesson where the teacher introduces new information. Modeling, direct instruction, and concrete examples are essential. The teacher can do a whole group lesson in this section and engage all learners.
Reflecting: This is a key element in the lesson as students have the opportunity to think about what they have learned and either write or share orally what they have learned. Examples of reflecting activities include a quick write, think-pair-share, or a brief conversation with a partner.
Extending learning: It is always important to take the learning outside of the classroom. This part of the lesson provides students with the opportunity to see how their learning applies to the real world. This is also where teachers can link new knowledge with future learning.
Examples include having students practice their new learning with someone at home or writing about how their learning can apply to other situations.
Lesson planning is key to a successful learning experience for all students. When these five elements are included in a lesson, the lesson flows and students are able to make connections to previous knowledge and future learning. If you already use a lesson plan format, these five elements may already be imbedded. If not, just add them to your lesson.
They are sure to make your lessons more engaging
Strategies for Effective Lesson Planning
A lesson plan is the instructor’s road map of what students need to learn and how it will be done effectively during the class time. Before you plan your lesson, you will first need to identify the learning objectives for the class meeting. Then, you can design appropriate learning activities and develop strategies to obtain feedback on student learning.
A successful lesson plan addresses and integrates these three key components:
Ø Objectives for student learning
Ø Teaching/learning activities
Ø Strategies to check student understanding
Specifying concrete objectives for student learning will help you determine the kinds of teaching and learning activities you will use in class, while those activities will define how you will check whether the learning objectives have been accomplished.
Steps for Preparing a Lesson Plan
Below are six steps to guide you when you create your first lesson plans.
Each step is accompanied by a set of questions meant to prompt reflection and aid you in designing your teaching and learning activities.
(1) Outline learning objectives
The first step is to determine what you want students to learn and be able to do at the end of class.
To help you specify your objectives for student learning, answer the following questions:
· What is the topic of the lesson?
· What do I want students to learn?
· What do I want them to understand and be able to do at the end of class?
· What do I want them to take away from this particular lesson?
Once you outline the learning objectives for the class meeting, rank them in terms of their importance.
This step will prepare you for managing class time and accomplishing the more important learning objectives in case you are pressed for time.
Consider the following questions:
· What are the most important concepts, ideas, or skills I want students to be able to grasp and apply?
· Why are they important?
· If I ran out of time, which ones could not be omitted?
· And conversely, which ones could I skip if pressed for time?
(2) Develop the introduction
Now that you have your learning objectives in order of their importance, design the specific activities you will use to get students to understand and apply what they have learned. Because you will have a diverse body of students with different academic and personal experiences, they may already be familiar with the topic. That is why you might start with a question or activity to gauge students’ knowledge of the subject or possibly, their preconceived notions about it. For example, you can take a simple poll: “How many of you have heard of X? Raise your hand if you have.” You can also gather background information from your students prior to class by sending students an electronic survey or asking them to write comments on index cards. This additional information can help shape your introduction, learning activities, etc. When you have an idea of the students’ familiarity with the topic, you will also have a sense of what to focus on.
Develop a creative introduction to the topic to stimulate interest and encourage thinking. You can use a variety of approaches to engage students (e.g., personal anecdote, historical event, thought-provoking dilemma, real-world example, short video clip, practical application, probing question, etc.).
Consider the following questions when planning your introduction:
· How will I check whether students know anything about the topic or have any preconceived notions about it?
· What are some commonly held ideas (or possibly misconceptions) about this topic that students might be familiar with or might espouse?
· What will I do to introduce the topic?
(3) Plan the specific learning activities (the main body of the lesson)
Prepare several different ways of explaining the material (real-life examples, analogies, visuals, etc.) to catch the attention of more students and appeal to different learning styles. As you plan your examples and activities, estimate how much time you will spend on each. Build in time for extended explanation or discussion, but also be prepared to move on quickly to different applications or problems, and to identify strategies that check for understanding. These questions would help you design the learning activities you will use:
· What will I do to explain the topic?
· What will I do to illustrate the topic in a different way?
· How can I engage students in the topic?
· What are some relevant real-life examples, analogies, or situations that can help students understand the topic?
· What will students need to do to help them understand the topic better?
(4) Plan to check for understanding
Now that you have explained the topic and illustrated it with different examples, you need to check for student understanding – how will you know that students are learning? Think about specific questions you can ask students in order to check for understanding, write them down, and then paraphrase them so that you are prepared to ask the questions in different ways. Try to predict the answers your questions will generate. Decide on whether you want students to respond orally or in writing.
You can look at Strategies to Extend Student Thinking, What questions will I ask students to check for understanding?
· What will I have students do to demonstrate that they are following?
· Going back to my list of learning objectives, what activity can I have students do to check whether each of those has been accomplished?
An important strategy that will also help you with time management is to anticipate students’ questions. When planning your lesson, decide what kinds of questions will be productive for discussion and what questions might sidetrack the class.
Think about and decide on the balance between covering content (accomplishing your learning objectives) and ensuring that students understand.
(5) Develop a conclusion and a preview
Go over the material covered in class by summarizing the main points of the lesson. You can do this in a number of ways: you can state the main points yourself (“Today we talked about…”), you can ask a student to help you summarize them, or you can even ask all students to write down on a piece of paper what they think were the main points of the lesson. You can review the students’ answers to gauge their understanding of the topic and then explain anything unclear the following class. Conclude the lesson not only by summarizing the main points, but also by previewing the next lesson. How does the topic relate to the one that’s coming? This preview will spur students’ interest and help them connect the different ideas within a larger context.
(6) Create a realistic timeline
GSIs know how easy it is to run out of time and not cover all of the many points they had planned to cover. A list of ten learning objectives is not realistic, so narrow down your list to the two or three key concepts, ideas, or skills you want students to learn. Instructors also agree that they often need to adjust their lesson plan during class depending on what the students need. Your list of prioritized learning objectives will help you make decisions on the spot and adjust your lesson plan as needed. Having additional examples or alternative activities will also allow you to be flexible.
A realistic timeline will reflect your flexibility and readiness to adapt to the specific classroom environment.
Here are some strategies for creating a realistic timeline:
· Estimate how much time each of the activities will take, then plan some extra time for each
· When you prepare your lesson plan, next to each activity indicate how much time you expect it will take
· Plan a few minutes at the end of class to answer any remaining questions and to sum up key points
· Plan an extra activity or discussion question in case you have time left
· Be flexible – be ready to adjust your lesson plan to students’ needs and focus on what seems to be more productive rather than sticking to your original plan
Presenting the Lesson Plan
Letting your students know what they will be learning and doing in class will help keep them more engaged and on track.
You can share your lesson plan by writing a brief agenda on the board or telling students explicitly what they will be learning and doing in class. You can outline on the board or on a handout the learning objectives for the class. Providing a meaningful organization of the class time can help students not only remember better, but also follow your presentation and understand the rationale behind in-class activities.
Having a clearly visible agenda (e.g., on the board) will also help you and students stay on track.
Reflecting on Your Lesson Plan
A lesson plan may not work as well as you had expected due to a number of extraneous circumstances. You should not get discouraged – it happens to even the most experienced teachers! Take a few minutes after each class to reflect on what worked well and why, and what you could have done differently. Identifying successful and less successful organization of class time and activities would make it easier to adjust to the contingencies of the classroom. For additional feedback on planning and managing class time, you can use the following resources: student feedback, peer observation, viewing a videotape of your teaching, and consultation with a staff member at
Conclusion
To be effective, the lesson plan does not have to be an exhaustive document that describes each and every possible classroom scenario.
Nor does it have to anticipate each and every student’s response or question. Instead, it should provide you with a general outline of your teaching goals, learning objectives, and means to accomplish them. It is a reminder of what you want to do and how you want to do it. A productive lesson is not one in which everything goes exactly as planned, but one in which both students and instructor learn from each other.
A LESSON PLAN ON MATHEMATICS
CLASS: JS1
AGE: 12 YEARS
TOPIC: Measurement
DURATION: 35 MINUTES
DATE: 13/01/2016
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES
It is expected that at the end of the lesson, the pupils should be able to;
· Calculate average speed, time and distance
· Solve word problems on average speed.
ENTRY BEHAVIOUR
It is assumed:
· that the pupils have studied conversion of measuring parameters (metre, Decimetre, Kilometre etc
· That the pupils are aware that it takes time to reach a particular distance.
· they are aware that the faster the speed the closer the time to reach the distance.
ENTRY BEHAVIOUR TEST
· What parameter do we use in measuring distance?
· Recite the conversion table for measuring distance.
· How many minutes does it takes you from your houses to school?
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL
Course Text book, Course work book, Conversion chart, White board.
INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES
Explanation, repetition, demonstration, illustrations, questioning
| STEP/CONTENT DEVELOPMENT | TEACHER ACTIVITY | PUPILS ACTIVITY | INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY |
| STEP 1, Set Induction/ Introduction | 1. The teacher stimulates the pupil by asking them to recite the conversion table for measuring distance (Metre), 2. The teacher introduces the day’s lesson as Average speed. 3. The teacher asks the pupils to define average speed. 4. The Teacher defines average speed as the total distance covered divided by the total time take. | 1. The Pupils make attempts to recite the meter conversion table. 2. The pupils listen attentively 3. Pupils make attempts to define average speed 4. Pupils listen and take down the definition. | 1. Explanation 2. Questioning 3. Repetition |
| STEP 2 Units of Measurement; Distance and Time | 1. The teacher asks the pupils the unit of measuring distance 2. The teacher clarifies the pupil’s response that distance is measured in Metres (centimetres, meters or kilometres. 3. The Teacher asks the pupils the unit of measuring time. 4. The teacher clarifies the pupil’s response that time is measured in seconds, minutes or hours. | 1. Pupils attempt to list the unit of measuring distance. 2. Pupils listen attentively and put down notes 3. Pupils attempt to list the unit of measuring distance. 4. Pupils listen attentively and put down notes | 1. Explanation 2. Demonstration 3. Questioning |
| STEP 3 Calculating Average Speed | 1. The teacher gives example; Bola walks 20km in 5hours. Calculate the average speed. 2. The teacher provides the solution; Distance covered is 20km, Time spent is 5hours, therefore, Bola’s average speed is distance covered divide by time taken, which is 20km/5hours = 4km/hr. 3. Teacher provides another example; A pupil left home at 7.25am and arrived school at 8.15am. If the distance from home to school is 2.5km, Find the average speed in km/hr. 4. Teacher solves the example as follows; Distance travelled is 2.5km, Time taken is time arrived less time started, 8.15am less 7.25am =50mins. Expressing speed in km/hr, covert to hr and km. 50mins =50/60 = 0.83hr. average speed =2.5km/0.83hrs = 3km/hr. 5. Teacher presents another example; Present speed in metre/sec in the last question. 6. Teacher solves as follows; distance covered is 2.5km, coverting to metre is 2.5km x1000 = 2500m. Time taken is 50min. Convert to sec is 50mins x60 = 3000sec. Average speed = 2500/3000 = 5/6m/s. | 1. Pupils take down note of the example given. 2. Pupils listen attentively as the teacher solves the example while taking down notes and asking questions for clarifications. 3. Pupils take down note of the example given. 4. Pupils listen attentively as the teacher solves the example while taking down notes and asking questions for clarifications. 5. Pupils take down note of the example given. 6. Pupils listen attentively as the teacher solves the example while taking down notes and asking questions for clarifications. | 7. Illustration 8. Explanation 9. Demonstration 10. Questioning |
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
The Teacher asks the Pupils to solve the following illustrations to ascertain the extent to which the instructional objectives have been achieved;
1. A bus driver took 5hrs from Lokoja to Owerri with a distance of 350km, Calculate the average speed.
2. Obi covered a distance of 5000metres in 20minutes. What is the average speed in metre/seconds?
CLOSURE
The Teacher goes round the class marking the pupil’s solution to the question and also making corrections (If any). Teacher also gives take home assignment to the Pupils to be submitted at next lesson.
A LESSON PLAN ON SOCIAL STUDIES
CLASS: JS1
AGE: 12 YEARS
TOPIC: TRANSPORTATION
DURATION: 35 MINUTES
DATE: 13/09/2014
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVE:
It is expected that by the end of the lesson, at least 75% of the student should be able to do the following:
(a) Explain Land transportation
(b) Discuss two forms of land transportation
(c) Mention two problems of land transportation.
INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES
Explanation, illustration, planned repetition, questioning, reinforcement.
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
Textbook, lesson note, chalk board, chalk, Duster, Diagrams.
ENTRY BEHAVIOUR
The students go to different places.
TEXT OF ENTRY BEHAVIOUR
The teacher ask the student the following question to arouse their interest.
(a) How do you come to school?
(b) Ada why are you late to school today?
INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES
Step 1: The teacher arouse the interest of the students by asking them the following question:
(1) Chai, how do you come to school?
(2) Ada why are you late to school today?
After their responses, the teacher now introduces the topic as land transportation and write it on the board. Land transportation is a form of transportation that take place on land only. Land transportation is obviously the most popular and commonly used means of transportation in the entire world.
Step II: The teacher the students what can be the means of land transportation. The teacher will ask other student to give an applause to those that made an attempt. The teacher will ask other student to give an applause to those that made an attempt. The teacher now helps the students by explaining the forms of land transportation thus:
(1) Trekking or foot transportation: It is oldest form of transportation, and basically involves trekking by human beings.
(2) Animal transportation: it involves the use animals such as donkeys, horses, cows camels for carrying goods and people from one place to another.
(3) Road transportation: Motor vehicles such as cars, buses, trucks and lorries are used in this form of transportation. Also bicycles and motorcycles are included in road transportation.
(4) Rail transportation: it involves the use of trains which run on rails, there are passenger trains carry mainly passenger and cargo trains which carry large tons of goods over a long distance.
Step III: The teacher asks the students those problems affecting land transportation. The teacher explains to the student that the problem of land transportation are:
1. Poor conditions of vehicles
2. Reckless drivers
3. Bad roads
4. Attack by armed robbers
5. Touts in motor parts
6. Lack of care for passengers’ interest.
Step Iv: Evaluation: The teacher evaluate the students by asking them the following questions:
(1) Explain land transportation
(2) Discuss two forms of land transportation.
(3) Mention two problems of land transportation
Step v: Summary and conclusion: the teacher highlight more on th key point in the lesson and conclude the lesson; also the teacher build up the note as B.B summary.
A MODEL LESSON PLAN ON BIOLOGY
SUBJECT BIOLOGY
CLASS SS I
DATE 11TH AUGUST, 2015
DURATION 45 MINUTES
TOPIC NUTRITION IN ANIMALS
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES
It is expected that at the end of this lesson, students will be able to do the following:
1) Define nutrition and photosynthesis
2) Mention the modes of nutrition
3) Given at least five classes of food out of seven given
4) Tell the meaning of a balanced diet
ENTRY BEHAVIOUR
It is assumed that the students have:
1) Seen different types of animals in their homes
2) Seen where and what those animals eat
3) Eaten different food before coming to school that day
4) Heard the ward “balanced diet”.
ENTRY BEHAVIOUR TEST
The teacher asks the students the following question to test their knowledge of entry behaviour;
1) What is nutrition / feeding?
2) To mention the ways in which different organisms feed
3) To tell what they understand by balanced diet.
4) To mention the types of food they know and the food substances that are found in those foods.
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
Tuber of yam, beans seeds, drawings.
INSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES
Explanation, Illustration.
INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES
Step 1: Teacher defines nutrition and explains it to the students.
Step 2: Teacher gives the forms of nutrition as autotrophic & heterotrophic.
Step 3: Defines a balanced diet to students and explains to them with examples
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
The teacher asks the students the following questions to ascertain the extent to which instructional objectives have been achieved:
1) Define nutrition
2) Mention the two modes of nutrition
3) Give at least five classes of food out of seven given.
4) Define a balanced died
5) What class of food is contained most in a bean seed?
6) Tell the food substances that carbohydrate is found.