Lesson Plan Writing GuideElaine W., Writing Center staff Please keep in mind that these are only general guidelines; always defer to your professor's specifications for a given assignment. If you have any questions about the content represented here, please contact the Writing Centers so that we can address them for you. Writing a lesson plan should be one of the key skills education students take away from their college experience. Lesson plan writing is both a creative writing endeavor and an important habit for students of education to possess. While it is true that there are many different formats for lesson plans, which are dictated by a professor, assignment, or school district, most lesson plans share some common elements: Remember to always reference an assignment or district requirement before going ahead and assuming you know the requirements of a lesson plan. Additionally, even though the format of the lesson plan may vary, the method of writing a lesson will almost always be the same. Tools such as Bloom’s Taxonomy will always be helpful for writing lesson plans regardless of requirements. Other useful tools can be found on subject organizational web pages (NCTE) or websites where teachers have posted their unit or lesson plans. Unit/Lesson Plan Pre-WritingBefore you begin to even write your unit/lesson plan, know that there is a large difference between the two. A unit plan spans a longer period of time and contains separate lesson plans (e.g. if you’re planning a unit on The Great Gatsby, there will be discussions for sections of the book versus a review of major themes throughout the novel). Each unit plan should have a theme upon which lesson plans are based. The unit plan concept should be a large idea with multiple answers, so that students may answer the question in their own individual way. Strategies for writing a unit plan central question:
It is a good idea to write a central unit question even if you are not required to write a unit plan. It is helpful to provide a starting and ending point for your lesson plans. Additionally, a central question is a helpful tool to produce more developed and thoughtful lesson plans. Once you have created a central theme, lesson plan writing should occur. If you need to revise your central question once you start creating lesson plans, that is more than acceptable! It shows evolution as a product of deep thought. If you are writing a full unit plan, I suggest making a calendar using the grid function. That way you can have a physical timeline of when your lessons need to occur, and you have a guide of what you have finished or what needs to be written. Getting started writing lesson plans:
State StandardsEach lesson plan should include a list of the state standards that will be addressed during the course of the lesson. Most state standards can be found on the webpage for your state’s education department. These standards will vary between subjects, age groups, and states. Additionally, do not overload your lesson plan with state standards. Choose two or three standards to include and address. The state standards you select should somehow be assessed in your lesson plan, through an assignment, discussion, group work etc. Click here for more information about the Illinois Learning Standards. Goals and ObjectivesThe next part of your lesson plan will most likely focus on these important concepts. Be careful to read your assignment or lesson plan model closely; some professors define these terms differently. Other professors assume that an objective is a goal. If you are unsure about their definitions, ask your professor or cooperating teacher! While an assignment may ask for 3-5 goals and objectives, most lesson plans that will be used for a real classroom situation will have 1-3 objectives and goals. For this guide, objectives and goals will be defined separately. The reason for this is many professors within the School of Education will ask for both. The primary distinction between an object and a goal can be summed up with two questions:
Something to keep in mind is that because objectives and goals are so similar, it’s easy to write one while trying to write the other. Rhetorical choice is central to perfecting your ability to write objectives and goals. If only a few words change, your objective may become a goal. Here is an example of how a goal should read and how an objective should appear:
Another helpful tool for writing goals and objectives is utilizing Bloom’s Taxonomy. Options offered by this guide can aid in the writing of more detailed and guided objectives and goals that truly express your intentions for the lesson. Here is a visual representation of Bloom's Taxonomy by K. Aainsquatsi:
Materials and TechnologyThis part of the lesson plan acts like a checklist. Here is where any materials that will be used during the lesson are listed in bullet-point format. Some possible materials could include worksheets, quizzes, flashcards, prizes, etc. Examples of technology might include a digital projector, PowerPoint slideshow, or laser pointer. This section is also a chance to think of alternatives for materials you might not have access to in some classrooms (e.g. make a note that if a computer is not available a whiteboard could be used as a replacement). Assessment of Student UnderstandingAfter deciding what your students should comprehend from your lesson, the next step is to consider how to evaluate their level of understanding. Assessments are valuable because they show students what concepts they have mastered and what material they still need to focus on learning. Additionally, they are helpful for teachers to recognize what elements of their lesson plans are effective in aiding student learning and what portions of a lesson or unit plan may need revision. Assessments are for the benefit of both students and teachers. There are many different types of assessment. They can be split into two major categories: formal and informal. A formal assessment might include an essay exam, lab report, oral presentation, etc. An informal assessment can usually be classified as classroom discussion participation, in-class journal writing, or even a game. It is important to have a variety of these evaluations throughout a unit. Too many formal assessments might lead to student exhaustion and stress, while too few might leave a teacher without a clear comprehension of what concepts students have mastered. Assessments need to be evenly spread across a unit plan and also provide each student with an opportunity to display their level of comprehension. One source that is important to consider while writing assessments is Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. Not all students learn in the same style and they display their understanding of a topic in many different ways. Analysis of comprehension consistently through the same medium (e.g. multiple choice tests) could leave some students (e.g. auditory learners) at a constant disadvantage. Have as much variety of evaluation as possible over the course of a unit or between lesson plans. A good balance might be providing students with the chance to perform a scene from a play and then analyze it. Or, ask students to create a piece of artwork depicting frustrations of American colonists. Another concept to take into consideration is what assessments best give students a chance to display unique skills. A portfolio is a great option because it allows students to display comprehension and improvement over an extended period of time. Gardner's Multiple Intelligences:
ActivitiesFor each lesson plan, activities are what help students to understand material as well as work to answer the central question for the day and the unit. For each lesson plan, try to center activities around the central question and theme for the day. For example, if you’re introducing the “roaring twenties” as background information for The Great Gatsby, you might use a graphic organizer to explore archetypes of the period. Activities should vary for each lesson; they can incorporate assessments and are essentially a method of time management in the classroom. Beside each of your lesson activities, you should allot time in your lesson. Make sure that each of your activities will fit within the constraints of your lesson times. Allow a range of time for the completion of activities. It most often helps to plan on the side of caution and schedule too much rather than not enough. When writing activities, try to draw upon your own classroom experiences: What did you enjoy doing as a student? What helped you learn the best? Usually, a classroom activity you enjoyed will be beneficial to students. For each day, the most effective method to starting class is an opening activity (also known as ice-breaker, bell-ringer, or attention-getter). These are creative ways to introduce a lesson or a new unit. This activity can be a review, worksheet, game, group work, or writing activity. The most important aspect of this activity is to grab the attention of students and interest them in learning about the lesson topic. When planning these ideas, consider them like a movie preview. How can you interest your audience without telling them too much information? Along with a class opener, try to plan a closing activity. This should be a review of what was covered during class time or a preview of more things to come. Some typical closure activities can be small group related, a quick writing activity, or a whip-around (each student makes an observation individually). Another important aspect to closure activities is an opportunity for students to reflect on the lesson. Again, remember to diversify the activities you plan for a class session. The more learning styles you can accommodate, the more understanding and mastery students will develop over a topic. Some activities to consider might be an essay, skit, song writing, poetry, 4-corners, DVD, gardening, board races, around the world, group presentation, computer research, reading out loud, classroom discussion, etc. Grading RubricsWhile not officially part of lesson planning, grading rubrics are an important element of unit planning. They inform students of expectations as well as standards for anything from an essay to classroom participation. Grading rubrics should not be difficult to understand; rather, they should be straight forward. They should also reflect a teacher’s goals for students over the course of a unit. These goals should be a balance of attainability as well as challenge. Wording for a rubric should be short and easy to remember while vivid as opposed to being vague. Try and imagine wording that you might find helpful to understand requirements for an assignment. There are several types of grading rubrics. Some include grids, while others are “survey form.” A newer grading rubric is called the “grade option” model. Whichever model you decide is most helpful, remember to maintain balance for your own wellbeing and that of your students. For help developing rubrics, check out RubiStar. There you can find formats and even produce a rubric! Reflections/HomeworkAny sections after activities are usually optional or might vary between school districts or professors. Some lesson plan formats may require a description and purpose for a homework assignment. There could be an option to reflect upon the lesson. Some questions to reflect on might be: What was successful about this lesson? What did students seem to benefit the most from? What activities should not be used again? Should this lesson be taught again? In these sections, try to keep your central question for the unit or the lesson in mind. Remember that successful learning occurs through support and connections. You want to ensure students are indeed learning through the ability to tie all concepts and activities back to a central question or concept. |
