K – 12 teachers employ lesson planning to prepare professionally for teaching their students. This guide provides an overview of lesson plan formats. Teachers these days have less flexibility about what to teach as content standards drive curriculum, but there is considerable choice in how to teach. Matching lesson plan formats to the content (what skills/knowledge are being taught and context (who is being taught, when/where they are being taught, why they need to be taught, etc.) is an important component of good teaching.
This guide does not assume a “correct” lesson plan style. While this guide favors the construc- tivist/inquiry teaching and learning, it is nevertheless recognized that there are times when other approaches may be more appropriate given the needs and goals of the situation. There are numerous formats including Learning Cycle, Madeline Hunter, Problem Solving, Direct Instruction, Discovery, some that are content specific and others.
While a professionally prepared lesson plan is always preferred, the fact remains that “winging it” does occur sometimes, hopefully infrequently.
Where most lesson planning formats differ is in the instructional procedures.
The LEARNING CYCLE LESSON PLAN is a teaching strategy and way of writing lesson plans that includes three stages:
Getting students involved or “engaged” in their own learning is critical for motivating self-directed learning. Discovering a “magic” theme or topic that will instantly interest and motivate all students in the classroom is not possible; therefore, the greatest challenge teachers face during the “engagement stage” is to get students seriously interested in and curious about some aspect of the task. An example of “engaging” students might be to give them choices in what they study and how they study it—this can help encourage a sense of ownership and motivate learning. Finally, pre-assessment should occur before or during this stage of the Learning Cycle. Assessment is discussed late in this guide.
What will students collect, manipulate, read, observe, or construct; who could they interview, exchange e-mail with, write to or listen about in order to gather the information they need to answer their questions? Finally, formative assessment occurs here. Why would the teacher want to monitor children’s progress as they are learning?
Ideally, students will do this by teaching other children or adults what they have learned and not simply “share” what was learned. The goal during the Explain and Clarify Stage of the learning cycle is to get students actively involved in explaining and performing the skills and opportunities to clarify their understandings and elaborate upon what was learned. They may also discover things they still need to learn. Teachers should observe, guide, and assess both the processes by which the students learn and the products students create, such as writing a newspaper report or constructing a timeline. Finally, summative evaluation occurs during this final stage of the learning cycle. Why would a teacher want to assess students’ learning at the end of a lesson or unit of instruction?
Teachers who are adept at using the Learning Cycle do not always follow the three stages in a “lock step” fashion. Rather, they allow themselves and their students flexibility of “bouncing back and forth” among the here stages to increase motivation and learning. In addition to the three stages of the Learning cycle, one would need to include the material listed above this explanation of the Learning Cycle.
Additional items to bee included in a well-prepared lesson plan using any format including the Learning Cycle should include the following:
Attached to this Guide is an example of an appropriate lesson plan format showing all of the component parts.
Lesson Title Name: _________________________ Date: _______________ Grade Level: __________Subject: ________________________ BIG Understanding: Answers the question—why are you teaching this lesson? Materials Needed: Resources used: Colorado Model Content Standards: Lesson Objectives: Engagement/Conduct pre-assessment as needed Investigation/Formative assessment as needed to ensure that students are not just “practicing perfectly” but also to teach skills and content in a context that is authentic and meaningful for students. Explain and Clarify/Post/Summative Assessment to see if lesson objectives were achieved - this is a time for students to express what they have learned, and learn still more in the process. Adaptations & Expansions for unique student needs. Lesson Closure: How will you bring it all together for students? Teacher Notes: How and to what extent did this lesson move my students toward meeting the content standards? How should I keep track of what students learned during this lesson? Where do I go from here?