Define your topic. Determine which aspect of elementary lesson plans most interests you and research that. For example, you might choose to write about the elements of a good lesson plan, common mistakes teachers make in lesson plans or how to define elementary learning objectives.
Research your topic. Include reputable sources with multiple perspectives to support your ideas and reference them appropriately. For example, research for a paper on the elements of a good elementary lesson plan is likely to yield different ideas about what should be included. Well-rounded research attempts to organize multiple perspectives into a comprehensive picture of current thinking on an issue.
Outline your paper. Consult with the requirements of your institution. An abstract, an introduction, a research or methodology section, the results of your research and a reference section are usually required.
Summarize your main idea, or thesis, and conclusions for inclusion in your abstract. An abstract allows a reader to quickly determine whether or not your research is relevant to his or her area of interest. For example, if you state clearly that your paper evaluates the best strategies for adapting lesson plans to special needs populations, then your reader knows that it probably will not help him or her research elementary science lesson plans.
Include three to five subtopics. Developed and labeled properly, these will help your reader quickly find the information he or she is looking for. For example, a paper on incorporating different learning styles into lesson plans might include sections on visual learners, kinesthetic learners and auditory learners, while your reader may only be interested in visual learners. Good labels and well developed sections enable your reader to easily find what he or she needs.
Restate your main idea and summarize how your supporting ideas helped you arrive at your conclusion in your final text section. Consider addressing counter perspectives in this section as well. For example, if you feel that lesson plans should include hands-on approaches to science lessons, you might want to acknowledge that some districts cannot provide them.
Cite your sources in a bibliography at the end of your paper. Be sure to use the required referencing style for your institution. The most common styles are APA (American Psychological Association) and MLA (Modern Languages Association).