Lesson Planning 101:

Mapping Activities for a Clear Path to Learning

Katie Bain
Online Projects Coordinator
English Language Programs
 Objectives
• Participants will learn to create a “road
map” of classroom activities, starting with
the final destination, or learning objective,
in mind.

• Participants will get tools and techniques

for getting students to be focused and
motivated!
Have your students ever looked like
this?

*All images for the presentation retrieved from www.pixabay.com.

Or have you ever felt like this as a
teacher?
Then you may be suffering from a lack
of good lesson planning!
Agree or Disagree…
 Agree/Disagree

I write a lesson plan for

my class every single day.
 Agree/Disagree

“Our students suffer when

we fail to appropriately plan
for them.”
(Dabbs, 2012, para. 6)
 Agree/Disagree

Nothing ever goes

according to my plan, so I
don’t write lesson plans.
 Agree/Disagree

Lesson planning is less

important than my other
responsibilities, like
grading.
 Agree/Disagree

I know how to write an

organized and effective
lesson plan!
 Brainstorm
What is the purpose
of a lesson plan?
 Workshop Outline
1. Background:
– What do you need to know/consider when creating a lesson
plan?
2. Components:
– What are the essential parts of a lesson plan?
3. Objectives:
– Writing clear objectives for you and your students.
4. Assessment:
– How do you assess your students on the lesson objective?
5. Reflection:
– How do you know if your lesson was good?
– How do you make plans to improve your teaching?
 Background

Know your Students! Know your Content!

Know your Resources!

(Suo, Yan 2013)
Know Your Students
• Ability levels
• Backgrounds
• Interests
• Culture and subculture
• Education level
• Typical education style
• Extra-curricular or
home responsibilities

(Suo, Yan 2013)

Know Your Content
• Curriculum
• Textbook
• Grammar
• Vocabulary
• Subject Material
• Writing Conventions
• Reading Strategies

(Suo, Yan 2013)

Recognize the Forest and the Trees

The Broad Perspective The Narrow Perspective

 “Forest” Level Resources
• TESOL Pre-K-Grade 12 Standards:
http://www.tesol.org/advance-the-field/standards/prek-12-english-language-proficiency-standards

• TESOL Standards for Many Levels

http://www.tesol.org/advance-the-field/standards

• Textbook Resources
• Colleagues
Know Your Materials/Resources

(Suo, Yan 2013)

 Components of a Lesson Plan
• General Information
• Objective(s)
• Materials/Resources
• Procedure
• Assessment
 General Information

• Date
• Class
• Student Level
• Unit Title
• Lesson Title
• Duration of Class
 Objective*
• Determine what you
want the students to be
able to know and do by
the end of the lesson.
• Make it measurable and
specific.
• Don’t keep it a secret!
• *More on this later!
 Materials
• Make sure you anticipate what materials you
and your students will need.
• Make sure to organize and prepare all of those
materials before class.
 Procedure
• Write the steps that you
and your students will
follow, keeping your
objective in mind all
along the way.
• Write down the timing
you anticipate for each
activity.
Assessment*
• How will you know
that students have
achieved the
objective?

*We’ll come back to this topic a little later!

What is the most important part of
a lesson plan?
a. General Information
b. Objective(s)
c. Materials/Resources
d. Procedure
e. Assessment
 Katie’s Opinion:
• B: Objective

AND

• E: Assessment
Objectives
Why should we write objectives?
To create an end point or destination for
learning!
 Objectives
Who are objectives for?
a. Administrators/ &
Supervisors?
b. You (the teacher)
c. The students
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
 Which goal is clearer?
Number 1 Number 2
A: What will your life be A: What will your life be
like in five years? like in five years?

B: I will be rich! B: I will have

worked at this
company for five
years and will have
bought a car.
 Which goal is more
measurable?
Number 1 Number 2
A: What are your fitness A: What are your fitness
goals? goals?

B: I will lose 10 kilos in B: I will lose a lot of

four months by exercising weight and have great
every day and eating muscles!
healthy foods.
 Which goal is more
attainable?
Number 1 Number 2
A: What is your running A: What is your running
plan as a brand new plan as a brand new
runner? runner?

B: I am going to run a B: I am going to train

marathon next week! to run 5 kilometers
within 3 months.
Keep Those Questions in Mind When
Writing Objectives
How do we know if an objective is
effective?

 Is it clear?
 Is it measurable?
 Is it attainable?
 Example Objective #1
Students will be able to use the present perfect tense
by playing a game called
“two truths and a lie.”
(writing and saying 3 sentences in the present perfect tense).

 Is it clear?
 Is it measurable?
 Is it attainable?
 Example Objective #2

Students will practice new vocabulary

about the classroom.

 Is it clear?
 Is it measurable?
 Is it attainable?
 Example Objective #3

Students will write paragraphs about

what they did on their summer vacation.

 Is it clear?
 Is it measurable?
 Is it attainable?
 Example Objective #4
Students will show understanding of
past tense verbs by writing and saying
three past tense verbs in a dialogue.

 Is it clear?
 Is it measurable?
 Is it attainable?
 Example Objective #5
Students will demonstrate effective
writing skills by writing a
compare/contrast essay with an
introduction, body, and conclusion.

 Is it clear?
 Is it measurable?
 Is it attainable?
 Now It’s Your Turn!

Choose a topic on the

next slide and write an
objective.
 Objective Topics

• Classroom Vocabulary
• Cultural Celebrations
• Grammar – Past Tense
• Grammar - /BE/ verb
• Writing an essay
• Reading comprehension
• Animals
• Food
• Holidays
On your marks, get set, WRITE!
 Assessment!
• “Assessment
happens
throughout the
lesson and at
the end.”
(Dabbs, 2012, para. 15)
 Have you used any of these
assessments at the end of a lesson?
a. Exit slips
b. Verbal response to an ending question
c. Classroom reflection (Today, I learned…)
d. Pop quiz at the end of a lesson
e. Student writing (paragraph)
f. Class survey
g. Many of the above
h. None of the above
 The Exit Slip
• Basically, an exit slip is a piece
of paper where a student
writes an answer to a question
or prompt from the teacher.
The prompt is related to the
lesson objective.
(Marzano, 2012)
 Many Ways to Use an Exit Slip
Sample Prompts:
1. Write one new word you
learned today and draw a
picture of it.
2. Do you agree or disagree
with this statement?
3. What was one difference
between the two articles
we read in class?
 Rubrics
• Build rubrics for
classroom tasks that test
whether a student has
mastered the objective.
 Generic Classwork Rubric
Classwork Rubric
3 points
Prompt Engagement
– Begins activities directly upon instruction and remains on-task for the duration of the activity,
completing assignments in a timely manner

Completion of Activities
– Completes activities efficiently and conscientiously

Active Effort
– Engages in tasks enthusiastically and works hard during the activity

Accuracy/Cohesion
– Language use for assignment was clear and correct according to student level, demonstrating an
effort toward improvement in language acquisition. Errors were did not hinder meaning or
readability.

Class Contribution and Collaboration

– Involved consistently in class discussion and listens well to other class members. Asks relevant
questions. Engages but gives others opportunity to do so as well.
 More Complex Rubric
Criteria Points Received

Exceeds Meets Does not meet

Expectations Expectations Expectations
3 2 0-1
Topic Sentence Clear topic sentence
that identifies the
main point
Supporting Relevant and
Details accurate supporting
details

Clarity/ Entire summary is clear,

concise, and logically
Cohesiveness
ordered
Grammar/ Any minor errors do
Mechanics not hinder meaning.
Total Points

Comments
 Guidelines for Using Rubrics
1. Keep the exact objective(s) in mind that you
are assessing.
2. Be as specific or general as you need to be.
3. Share the rubric with students before they
begin working on the task.
4. Evaluate students according to the rubric.
5. Refer to the rubric when students have
questions about their scores.
Do you have other ways to assess?
 Ordering Activities

Filling In the Missing Pieces

 Terms for Sequencing
a Lesson Plan
• Scaffolding
• Gradual Release of
Responsibility
• Guiding the student
from “Dependence”
to “Independence”
Ways of Ordering a Lesson

1. Gagne’s Nine Events

2. Hunter’s 7 Steps
3. 5E Instructional Model
4. I Do, We Do, You Do
Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction
1. Gaining attention
2. Informing learners of the objective
3. Stimulating recall of prior learning
4. Presenting the content
5. Providing learning guidance
6. Eliciting performance (student practice)
7. Providing feedback
8. Assessing performance
9. Enhancing retention and transfer
Gagne’s 9 Events of Instruction. (n.d.). Retrieved January 7, 2015, from http://citt.ufl.edu/tools/gagnes-9-events-of-instruction/
 Madeline Hunter’s 7-Step Lesson
1. Anticipatory Set
2. Objective/Purpose
3. Instructional Input
4. Modeling
5. Checking for Understanding
6. Guided Practice
7. Independent Practice
Lesson Plan Model: Madeline Hunter's Seven Step Lesson Plan. (n.d.). Retrieved January 7, 2015, from http://yasuo.mysite.syr.edu/Document/Lesson
Plan/4.Lesson Plan Model - Madeline Hunter's Seven Step Lesson Plan.pdf
 5E Instructional Model
1. Contains an objective.

2. Begins by piquing student

interest.

3. Explanations are first given

by the students then
clarified by the teacher.

4. Students will develop their

skills in further activities.

5. Students show how they

mastered the objective. BSCS 5E Instructional Model. (n.d.). Retrieved January 7, 2015, from
http://bscs.org/bscs-5e-instructional-model
I Do, We Do, You Do
• Teacher models the skill
• Students work in pairs or
groups on the skill with
teacher feedback
• Students complete the
activity on their own
(rubric is used to assess).

Gradual Release of Responsibility: I Do, We Do, You Do. (n.d.). Retrieved January 7, 2015, from
http://www.sjboces.org/doc/Gifted/GradualReleaseResponsibilityJan08.pdf
 Let’s Try Logical Ordering!
Objective:

Students will be able to write a

logically ordered paragraph
about a recently celebrated
holiday. (Topic Sentence,
Supporting Sentences,
Concluding Sentences)
 Lesson Order
• Warm-up:
Students brainstorm what they did during a recent holiday
or celebration.
1. Teacher presents a good paragraph and points
out how it is organized.
2. Students work in groups to order sentence
strips correctly as a logical paragraph.
3. Students use brainstormed ideas to write a
paragraph of their own.
 Now You Try!
• Objective:
– Students will be able to use five simple past tense verbs
in short presentations to describe their weekends.
 Put These In Order
Warm-up: Students will draw a picture of something they
did over the weekend.

A. Students work in pairs to change present tense

verbs to past tense verbs within a paragraph.
B. Students write and then present their
paragraphs.
C. Teacher shows an example of her own picture
and explains her weekend, emphasizing past
tense verbs.
D. Students work in pairs to brainstorm a list of
activities that they did over the weekend using
past tense verbs.
 Correctly Ordered
1. C - Teacher shows an example of her own
picture and explains her weekend, emphasizing
past tense verbs.
2. D - Students work in pairs to change present
tense verbs to past tense verbs within a
paragraph.
3. A - Students work in pairs to brainstorm a list
of activities that they did over the weekend
using past tense verbs.
4. B - Students write and then present their
paragraphs.
Logical Ordering is Important!
 Reflecting on Your Lesson

How do you
know that your
lesson was
good?
 Reflection
• Journaling
• Discussing with
colleagues
• Asking your
students
• Analyzing
assessments
 Reflection Questions
1. What went well?
2. What did not go well?
3. How did my students respond?
4. How did my students do on the
assessment?
5. What would I have done differently?
6. What will I do tomorrow?
7. How can I improve?
 What do you do to
reflect on your lessons?
Other Lesson Planning Considerations
1. Warm-up / Motivation
2. Transitions
3. Keeping ‘em active
4. Logical Sequencing
5. Teacher talk / Student talk
 Your Exit Slip!
What are the most important components of a
lesson plan and why?

How will your lesson planning change or be

affected by what we discussed today?
THANK YOU!
 Sources
• All images retrieved from www.pixabay.com.
• Alber, R. (2012, November 12). A Favorite Formative Assessment: The Exit Slip. Retrieved
January 5, 2015, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/formative-assessment-exit-slip-rebecca-
alber
• BSCS 5E Instructional Model. (n.d.). Retrieved January 7, 2015, from http://bscs.org/bscs-5e-
instructional-model
• Dabbs, L. (2012, January 24). New Teacher Academy: Lesson Planning. Retrieved December
15, 2014, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/new-teacher-lesson-planning-lisa-dabbs
• Gagne’s 9 Events of Instruction. (n.d.). Retrieved January 7, 2015, from
http://citt.ufl.edu/tools/gagnes-9-events-of-instruction/
• Gradual Release of Responsibility: I Do, We Do, You Do. (n.d.). Retrieved January 7, 2015, from
http://www.sjboces.org/doc/Gifted/GradualReleaseResponsibilityJan08.pdf
• Jenkins, R., & Joh, S. (2011, January 1). The Essentials of Good Lesson Planning. Retrieved
December 15, 2014, from
https://eslteacherdotnet.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/lp_essentials.pdf
• Jenkins, R., & Johnson, S. (n.d.). Implementing Solid Lesson Plans. Retrieved December 15,
2014, from https://eslteacherdotnet.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/implementing-solid-
lessons.pdf
 Sources
• Jensen, L. (n.d.). Planning Lessons. Retrieved December 15, 2014, from
http://www.princeton.edu/~pia/TEFL.pdf
• Lesson Plan Model: Madeline Hunter's Seven Step Lesson Plan. (n.d.). Retrieved
January 7, 2015, from http://yasuo.mysite.syr.edu/Document/Lesson Plan/4.Lesson
Plan Model - Madeline Hunter's Seven Step Lesson Plan.pdf
• Lesson Planning. (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2014, from
http://www.cal.org/caela/tools/program_development/elltoolkit/Part2-
29LessonPlanning.pdf
• Marzano, R. (2012, October). Membership. Retrieved January 5, 2015, from
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/oct12/vol70/num02/The-Many-Uses-of-
Exit-Slips.aspx
• Mikova, S. (n.d.). Strategies for Effective Lesson Planning. Retrieved December 15,
2014, from http://www.crlt.umich.edu/gsis/p2_5
• Ross, J. (2007). Designing Lessons for EFL Listening Comprehension Classes. English
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http://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/07-45-3-f.pdf
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