How to Develop a Lesson Plan

This guide highlights the key points of creating a simple and basic lesson plan. It is not meant to be the definitive method by which to develop a lesson plan but a general overview that can be adapted to your own curriculum. You’ll find that some steps are essential while others are optional or may not apply to your specific plan at all.

LESSON PLAN TITLE: The lesson plan title should reflect the topic and concept you are going to teach.

CONCEPT / TOPIC TO TEACH: A short synopsis of the overall ideas that you want to convey in the lesson.

STANDARDS ADDRESSED (if applicable): The standards (state, school, ABLE, etc.) upon which your concept/topic is aligned. Include the grade level for which the plan is developed and a timeline estimate.

GENERAL GOAL ( S ): The purpose for the plan, i.e., what you hope to achieve through this lesson.

OBJECTIVES: Clear and specific targets of your lesson plan. Objectives are not activities that will be used in the lesson plan but rather learning outcomes of those activities-what will be achieved by the students at the end of the lesson. Example-if adding 2 + 3 is the goal, the objective would be “that students will know/demonstrate how to add 2 + 3.” More than one objective is acceptable and both broad and narrow objectives may be included. Broad objectives are similar to general goals and incorporate the overall lesson plan, i.e., “to gain familiarity with adding two numbers together.” Specific objectives are more closely aligned with the initial objective, i.e., “the students will demonstrate how to add the numbers 2 and 3 together.”

MATERIALS: Any tools needed by students to participate in the lesson-paper, writing utensils, etc.

ANTICIPATORY SET: The lead-in to the lesson that will engage the students and develop their interest in what it going to be taught. Example-if the lesson involves fractions, the instructor might begin with asking the students how they would divide up a pizza to make sure that their five friends got an equal amount of pizza and conclude by telling them that knowing how to work fractions will help them solve the problem.

PROCEDURES: Step-by-step measures that will be performed to reach the objectives. The list should include relevant actions that the instructor needs to perform.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE (if applicable): Time provided for students to practice the lesson independently after the procedures have been completed.

ASSESSMENT / EVALUATION (if applicable): A review specifically measuring whether or not the objectives were reached that shows a direct correlation between objectives and assessments.

The following components are optional :

ADAPTATIONS (if applicable): The ways in which the lesson plan will be modified to accommodate students with specific learning disabilities.

EXTENSIONS (if applicable): Similar to adaptations but for gifted students.

CONNECTIONS (optional): The ways in which the lesson plan can be integrated with other subjects, i.e., a math lesson relating to an art lesson, etc.

CLOSURE (optional): A reflection of the anticipatory set read aloud to students.

Material adapted from LessonPlansPage.com