Basic Format for Planning Lessons and Activities

• Title: Lesson titles may be creative or utilitarian, but they should be descriptive enough that you will recall immediately what the content is when you refer to the plan in the future.

• Subject(s): This refers to the academic subjects or disciplines represented in the lesson or activity. For pre-primary or pre-kindergarten years, it is usually preferable to focus on learning domains rather than academic subjects. 

• Domain(s): Domains refer to the aspects of a child’s development and are usually defined as cognitive, social, emotional, and physical. Language and aesthetics are sometimes listed as domains of development on the lesson plan as well. The plan should identify the domains of development that the lesson or activity will enhance. As mentioned previously, it is preferable to think in terms of developmental domains, rather than subjects, when planning for younger children.

• Goals and Objectives: As discussed at the beginning of the planning section, curriculum goals represent the overall purpose of a unit, project, or entire program, while curriculum objectives are more specific and precise and can be identified as actual behaviors that will be accomplished by a portion of the curriculum. Of course, consideration should be given to the ever-changing needs, interests, and abilities of the children you serve, but the curricular goals and objectives of the program give structure and meaning to the day and guide your short- and long-term planning. In addition, when planning a curriculum, it is important to remember that goals and objectives should relate to all domains of children’s learning--intellectual, social, emotional, and physical.

• Materials: Once you have identified the goals and objectives for your lesson or activity, it is important to consider the specifics of what will happen, as well as the materials that you will need. For quick reference, it is recommended that you create a list of every item that you will need and be sure that all the required items are available and accessible for you and your students.

• Time: Time management is one of the more difficult things for new teachers to get a handle on. It is often difficult to determine exactly how much time to allow for a particular lesson or activity, which is why it is always important to have a plan for students who finish earlier than expected. With experience, you will get a better sense of how much time is needed for various activities.

• Procedure: This section of your plan should describe exactly what will happen during your lesson or activity. For planning purposes, it is helpful to divide the lesson into three segments: the opening, the body, and the closing. The opening introduces the students to the learning experience, engages their interest, activates prior knowledge, and gives the teacher a chance to assess their understanding of the topic and make quick adjustments to the lesson if needed. The body of the lesson is when the main content is presented. This section usually requires the majority of the allotted time. In the closing, the teacher has an opportunity to recap and review what was learned, think about what was interesting and important to students, and schedule the next steps for teaching and learning. For each step of the plan, it is up to the teacher to decide how much detail to include. While beginning teachers often find it helpful to include a significant amount of detail so they are sure to consider and cover each component of the lesson, it may be adequate for more experienced teachers to jot down a much simpler plan just to remind them of key teaching points.

• Assessment: Before beginning any lesson or activity, it is important to conduct some sort of assessment to determine where students are in their understanding and interests. Assessments may take many different forms and may range from detailed, formal assessments such as written exams to more informal assessments such as asking students to raise their hand and share what they know about a particular topic. An even more informal assessment method may be the teacher’s observations from the previous lesson. Either way, it is important that assessment guide instruction at each step of the way.

• Evaluation: Teachers need to continually evaluate the effectiveness of their instruction in order for them to plan future experiences knowledgeably. It is very important that the evaluation is always based on the teaching objectives. It is also important to note that it is not always just the students that will be evaluated. First, you must evaluate the lesson itself: Was it too brief or too long? Was it too shallow or too deep in its coverage of the content? Was the content of the lesson too easy for the students, or was it over their heads? Second, you must evaluate yourself: Was the lesson a favorite of yours, but not of interest to the students? Were you sufficiently prepared for the lesson? Did you manage the allotted time well? Did you take time to listen to the children’s input? Third, you must evaluate the students. Notice that the lesson and the teacher are evaluated first, because these two factors determine the children’s responses. The lesson, the teacher, and the students may be evaluated using a range of methods, including informal observation, spot checks of ongoing work, and standardized tests. Krogh and Slentz(2001) identified five methods that work particularly well when evaluating young children:

1. Behavioral observation. This can be formal or informal observation of children to see how they participate in the lesson or activity and to determine if they are able to meet the objectives. Informal observation is a basic component in teaching young children, should be daily and continuous, and can be used for both assessment and evaluation. Formal observation includes systematic recording of data and careful documentation of behaviors, and it is generally used to evaluate a specific child.
2. Journal writing and pictures. These can be used as soon as children are old enough to draw or write. Teachers can evaluate both words and/or pictures to discover what children learned or found interesting or important.
3. Follow-up activities and lessons. These can be used to link learning experiences and can serve as evaluation activities for previous experiences.
4. Oral examinations. These are especially useful with young children. Asking students “What did you learn today?” at the end of a lesson or activity can be a powerful assessment or evaluation method and can provide valuable information and insight to guide future planning and teaching.
5. Demonstrations. These can be particularly useful with very young children who may be just learning to talk. Thus a request such as “Show me the yellow ball” may be an effective method of evaluation. Demonstrations may take many forms, such as dancing, imitation, art projects, etc.

• Simplifications: Another important aspect of planning a lesson or activity is thinking about how the content or task can be simplified for students who may have difficulty attaining your objectives due to disability, language barriers, behavioral concerns, or various other reasons. Regardless of the reason, it is your responsibility as the teacher to make the necessary accommodations and modifications so that the content or task is accessible for all students (this will be discussed in more depth in the next section). In order to do this, it is necessary for you to have a good understanding of the prerequisite skills or knowledge needed to complete the given task or attain new learning. When it becomes apparent that students are struggling, you may need to back up, simplify your plan, and teach some of those prerequisite skills that may be lacking.

• Extensions for Learning: In addition to thinking about how to simplify your lesson plan, it is also important to consider ways to provide extensions for learning for those who are ready for more complexity, abstractness, or challenge in order to extend their thinking, or think more deeply about a particular topic. Teachers often overlook high-achieving students who learn quickly because those who are struggling often demand more teacher time and attention. Providing extensions for learning can be very motivating for students and may also minimize behavior problems that may arise when children finish their work quickly and don’t have a plan for what they should do next. It is also important to note that while a student may be highly capable in one area, he or she may need exceptional help in another area. Never assume that a particular strength or weakness in one area automatically generalizes to every aspect of the child’s development or learning.