Lesson Planning - Parts of a Formal and Informal Lesson Plan

Lesson Planning

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Printable Lesson Plan Forms

Lesson Plans: Blank Standard Lesson Plan Sheet to Print (PDF File): Long Version

Lesson Plans: Blank Standard Lesson Plan Sheet to Print (PDF File): Short Version

Parts of a Formal Lesson Plan

Header

Name of the teacher.
Name of the class, course, or subject.
Grade level.
Topic (textbook pages, lesson number, unit).
Time allotment.

Materials Needed

Do not include standard classroom equipment (e.g., chalkboard).
Include things such as books, colored pencils, PowerPoint presentation, handouts, etc.

Objectives

District, state, and national standards (whatever is applicable at the school).
Long-term objectives (describe the lesson as part of a larger idea, such as a one-day lesson on Louis XIV that contributes to understanding the chapter concept on the growth of absolute monarchy).
Short-term (lesson) objectives: Measurable and specific, phrased in terms of "the student will..."

Procedures

Introduction: Start with a hook (an attention-getter) to introduce the lesson. This should be understandable and relatable, and should activate prior knowledge.
Instruction: How will the goals of the lesson be reached? What will the students do to reach the objectives? Will the students complete a learning task in teams? Will the students take notes from a lecture?
Closing: Students demonstrate that they followed the instructions. This includes anything from sharing teamwork results, to review questions over a lecture or PowerPoint.

Independent Work

This includes follow-up work done in class or as homework.
Any work assigned should be an extension of the in-class lesson. Ideally, it simultaneously reinforces the lesson, builds upon it, and creates background knowledge for the next lesson.

Assessment

Determine whether or not the goals of the lesson have been reached. Types of assessment may vary.
Formal assessments include quizzes, tests, work (such as essays) evaluated according to a rubric, etc.
Informal assessments include looking over students' completed assignments, question-and-answer sessions, etc.

Reflection

This is done after the lesson as a self-reflection exercise.
What parts of this lesson worked well? How might these parts be made even better?
What parts of this lesson did not work? Why? Should these parts be altered, changed, or scrapped?

Parts of an Informal Lesson Plan

The formal lesson plan (above) is the sort of plan that budding teachers submit to colleges of education, or to administrators during the first-year teacher evaluation process. Formal lesson plans can take up a lot of time if they are done on a daily basis. For everyday classroom use, all that you need is an informal lesson plan. These can be written in a lesson planning book and/or on the board.

Objective

Write down what you want the students to do or know.
Example: "Students will examine the ways in which Louis XIV was or was not an absolute monarch."
Briefly note the local/national/state standards being met.

Procedure

Example: "PowerPoint presentation: Students will actively listen, take notes, and participate in classroom discussion."

Homework

Example: "Students will use their PowerPoint notes to write a 50-word paragraph on how Louis XIV was or was not an absolute monarch."

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