Each lesson plan starts with a clearly defined learning objective that is aligned with district and state educational standards. This provides a starting point that drives teacher instruction, differentiation and assessment. Objectives should be specific, measurable, observable and performance-based. It is useful to have the teacher start an objective by saying, "The student should be able to...." For example, a science lesson plan might begin, "The student should be able to describe the process of photosynthesis in plants."
In the next part of the lesson plan, the teacher elaborates on how the content will be taught. When teaching new teachers how to write out their methods of instruction for a lesson, you can have them refer back to the specific learning objective. A combination of modalities can be utilized, depending on the information or skill that is being taught, and should consider the multiple intelligences of the students. Strategies can include lecturing, demonstration, interactive class discussion, group projects, lab activities and having students teach their peers.
An attention getter serves as a creative introduction to catch student attention. Teachers can plan a live demonstration, show a short video, play a song, recite a poem or famous quote, tell a story or ask a question to spark discussion. Once the teacher has students' attention, the specific learning activity that follows will support the learning objective. As the activities are being planned, teachers will estimate how much time they will take.
After the topic has been explained, checking for understanding will see if students have met the learning objective. Formative assessment techniques ensure that the students grasped the purpose of the day's lesson. There are a variety of creative ways to check for understanding and receive instant feedback, including oral language, writing, visuals or solving a problem. A specific homework assignment is written down at the end of the lesson plan which outlines how students will apply new knowledge and skills that they learned by completing a task on their own.