Lesson Plan Checklist
Developing a lesson plan or set of lessons may seem to many to be simpler than it is. To create a lesson that follows the principles of learning and understanding requires working and thinking on many different levels at once, and deceptively simple product is the result of sometimes hours of work. The following criteria will provide a framework for creating a balanced and complete lesson plan. As a GK-12 fellow, you will be expected to:
Draw out preconceptions of students to either reinforce or abolish them
Many teachers tend to forget the very important fact that students come into a classroom, and into a particular subject with prior knowledge and ideas. Even if a child has never been formally introduced to a topic, he or she will produce a theory to explain their observations. As an example, when told the earth is round, some children envision it as a pancake shape, because this allows them to continue in their preconceived idea that the earth is flat. Teachers who attempt to identify preconceptions before teaching a new subject can reinforce correct ideas, and pay close attention to specifically disproving incorrect ideas. When this is not done, children who harbor incorrect preconceptions may form a misunderstanding of the new material being taught, as in the pancake example.
Place information in the relevant conceptual framework of curriculum and existing knowledge
It has been shown that children can learn more efficiently when the concepts they are expected to master are connected in a meaningful way. This way, the students’ thinking can be more fluid and they are able to make connections more easily between different concepts they have learned. Also, unless learning is aligned with outside goals (from the school, the community, etc.) what students learn may not be valued by others. Using existing knowledge means utilizing lessons the students have previously been taught in school. If they are already aware of a concept or method, reintroducing it in the same way will be more effective than treating it as new material. Incorporating your materials into the school's curriculum and the state teaching standards can also help further student understanding.
To help with this goal, you may want to be familiar with the Montana Content and Performance Standards.Emphasize depth of learning rather than breadth
Traditional curriculum has stressed that children be educated on a wide variety of topics in each subject. The problem with this is, in the limited time available in most curriculums, children are often introduced to topics but there is no time for them to really understand them. New learning theory suggests that teaching for depth is more effective. In this way, children can take full advantage of the examples that are presented to them, and grow to really understand concepts rather than just glancing over them.
Stress understanding rather than memorization of knowledge
Along the same lines as emphasizing depth rather than breadth of learning, current learning theory is that memorization of facts and data is usually an ineffective method of teaching. When children memorize facts to pass a test, they often forget everything again as soon as the test is over. Instead, emphasizing understanding of underlying concepts and the reasons facts exist as they do is much more lasting and will create more opportunities for transfer. More information on teaching for understanding can be found on the Teaching for Understanding page.
Provide opportunities for development of metacognitive skills
Children learn most effectively when they are aware of how they are learning. To a certain extent, everyone has some metacognitive skills that allow this self-awareness. However, it can be cultivated in a student by a skillful teacher. Opportunities for self-assessment and explaining thought processes are some ways to develop these skills, as well as any kind of “active learning
Provide flexibility so that lessons can be reconfigured to meet specific goals
This suggestion is more for the convenience of the teacher than anything else. Lesson plans are time consuming to develop. Therefore, any time a lesson can be reused it saves a substantial amount of work. Also, since schedules in a classroom are often unpredictable, a lesson may need to be altered to fit into an allotted time or introduce an important topic quickly. It is useful to keep possible alterations in mind while creating a lesson plan.
Place lesson in appropriate nested learning environments
There are four types of learning environments recognized by current learning theory: learner-centered, knowledge-centered, assessment-centered, and community-centered. In fact, these are all different aspects of the environment that should be cultivated in a classroom. By keeping in mind that all of these features should be included in any lesson, your students will receive a more complete learning experience. More information on learning environments is available on the Vocabulary page.
Create opportunities for transfer of knowledge to other situations
One of the most difficult problems for teachers is finding ways to help students make connections between a concept and its applications in other situations. Often, children will learn and understand an idea, but be unable to apply it or even to realize that it could be applied in other situations other than the specific case in which it was learned. A lesson that helps children transfer knowledge will provide varied examples and connections to the outside world. More information on learning transfer can be found on the Vocabulary page.
Include both formative and summative assessments that are in line with teaching practices
Both during and after a lesson is taught and a set of concepts are learned, students’ understanding must be assessed. One of the most important details to remember about assessments is that to be effective, they must assess what the children were asked to learn in the lesson. This seems obvious, but often teachers create assessments that test only memorization when they teach for understanding, or test for understanding when the students have been memorizing facts. In depth information on assessments can be found on the Assessment Checklist.