LESSON PLAN
A well-structured lesson plan not only guides your teaching but also ensures that
students actively engage with the content and achieve the desired learning outcomes
Planning a lesson?
Planning for a lesson is a teacher's detailed description of a lesson which is prepared
before they start teaching. It covers the learning trajectory and course of action for each
lesson taught and acts as a comprehensive daily guide for what students are going to
learn. It also gives insight into how it will be taught.
It's useful to think about how a student's learning can be measured, as this really shows
how useful the lesson was and what needs to be improved and worked upon in future
lessons. The plan itself will vary based on each teacher's individual preference, what
subject is being covered in the lesson as well as the needs of each student in the class.
Why is planning important?
Planning a lesson is a really effective tools to use in the classroom, it makes the best
use of class time and ensures as much lesson time as possible is used to teach new
concepts, build on students' prior knowledge and to promote meaningful discussions. It
gives teachers a detailed outline to follow, so it helps them be even better teachers. It
plays a role in the learning experience of students and how engaged they will be in their
subjects.
Even if it can feel a little overwhelming to pin down specific objectives and outcomes for
every lesson you teach, approaching students with a clear path in mind is so important
to get your entire class on the right track. That isn't to say it's always a bad thing if
lessons follow their own path, sometimes lessons need to be adapted in the moment to
address individual student concerns or ideas. Yet most of the time, you at least need
some context of what your lesson is trying to achieve to ensure it is successful. The
idea of what the lesson will about should be shared with students, so they are aware of
what they should be learning.
What are the 3 types of lesson plan?
There are 3 types of lesson plan you can use, and the one you choose depends on how
prepared you like to be and what specific criteria you are looking for your lesson to
follow.
Detailed lesson plan
A detailed plan covers everything and gets teachers fully prepared for the lesson ahead.
It covers what to teach and all the activities students will complete that lesson.
Semi detailed lesson plan
Semi-detailed plans are less intricate than detailed, but they still focus on what you want
to cover for that subject on that day. They act as a general game plan for what will go
on in the lesson.
Understanding by design (UbD)
Understanding by design is more of a framework. This "backward design" looks at
outcomes first to design curriculum units and is focused on improving student
achievement using it.
Comparing the 3 types of lesson plan
The main difference between the 3 types of lesson plans is that UbD includes
understandings and essential questions for students whereas the other two don't
include this. UbD includes procedures and evaluation as well as particular activities but
only in the learning plan. Detailed plans focus on conversations and questions and
answers between students and the teacher, but semi-detailed plans leave out the
student activity. Detailed and semi-detailed plans have separate sections for subject
matter and assignment, whereas UbD includes materials and other references in the
resources section. For UbD, assignment is usually found in the assessment evidence.
What are the 5 parts of a lesson?
Out of the 3 types of lesson plan, detailed and semi-detailed plans are the ones that can
be broken down into 5 parts. The 5 parts of a lesson plan differ across websites and
even across primary schools as there are many variants, but the most common ways of
dividing lessons are listed below:
1. Objectives
This is possibly the most important out of the 5 parts of a lesson plan, they are the
reason the lesson exists and should drive the activities. It is realistically the first thing a
teacher should do, giving the whole lesson a statement of purpose. Objectives should
answer what students will be capable of doing by the end of the lesson, this is what
teachers should start with. They may include things such as explain, create, define or
use as just a few examples.
Often objectives use SMART criteria, they should be specific, measurable, attainable,
relevant and time-based.
The aims you look at should be specific enough to be achieved in that particular lesson,
even if the lesson works towards a greater overarching aim.
"To develop an appreciation of creative writing"
"To develop an appreciation of creative writing in the short story 'The Looking Glass' by
Anton Chekhov."
In the examples above, the second aim is much more appropriate in one single lesson
as it is something that can be achieved in one lesson.
2. Subject matter
The subject matter includes the specific topic and how that relates back to the National
Curriculum. It should include the sources of information or references - whether that is
websites, textbooks or some other material.
It likely also lists any objects or tools teachers may use to enhance their lessons.
3. Procedure
The procedure makes up the body of the plan, it is an explanation of how the lesson will
progress step-by-step.
For detailed plans, this includes the expected routines, the activities that will go on and
the questions and answers. For semi-detailed, this is more about the procedures or
steps and the methods that teachers will use to get there.
4. Evaluation
Evaluation is where teachers weigh up how well children understand what they've been
in that lesson, this may be as simple as some multiple-choice questions or a formative
test. Teachers will then want to look at the proportion of class who got the answers
right.
5. Assignment
The assignment component of a plan is made up of questions, exercises and set of
practice specified by the teacher including focused specific questions.
What are the parts of Understanding by Design?
Stage 1: Desired Results
1. Establish goals
2. Understandings
3. Essential questions
4. "Students will know"
5. "Students will be able to"
Stage 2: Assessment Evidence
1. Performance tasks
2. Other evidence
Stage 3: Learning Plan
The learning plan composes both the learning activities and WHERETO elements which
include:
Where are we going? What's expected of this lesson?
How will we hook students in?
Equip students for expected performances
Rethink/revise - what are likely or predictable misunderstandings going to be
in this unit?
Evaluation - how will children self-evaluate and reflect on their learning?
Tailor learning to varied needs, interests and learning styles
Organize sequence learning
ANOTHER FORMAT
KEY PARTS OF A LESSON PLAN
1. Learning Objectives (LOs):
o Purpose: Clearly state what students are expected to learn during the
lesson.
o Example: “By the end of this lesson, students will be able to identify and
classify different types of triangles.”
2. The “Hook” or Engaging Introduction:
o Purpose: Capture students’ attention and set the tone for the lesson.
o Example: Use a thought-provoking question, a short video, or a relevant
real-world scenario to pique curiosity.
3. Learning Activities:
o Purpose: Provide opportunities for active learning and reinforce the
objectives.
o Examples:
Direct Instruction: Present new content (e.g., lecture,
demonstration).
Guided Practice: Work through examples together.
Independent Practice: Assign tasks or exercises for students to
apply what they’ve learned.
4. Assessment:
o Purpose: Evaluate student understanding and measure progress.
o Examples:
Formative Assessment: Check for understanding during the
lesson (e.g., quizzes, discussions).
Summative Assessment: Assess overall learning at the end of the
lesson (e.g., tests, projects).
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ACTIVITY
Presenting the lesson plan
1. Present what format you use
2. How did you cull your lesson plan from your module?
3. Present your lesson plan. Tell how you decide what you include in it and why?
