An essential road map
To write a lesson plan is to create a road map. You’re leading your students on a journey. And as the leader, you’re responsible for knowing where the students are, where you’re taking them, and how you’ll get them there. You’re also responsible for monitoring the students’ learning throughout the journey and evaluating each of their strengths and weaknesses. This helps you figure out how to best utilize and adapt to those differences throughout the course of the lesson.
Basic elements of every lesson plan
Although the specific names and categories included in various lesson plan formats may differ slightly, they all contain four essential elements.
several old maps laying on a surface
Photo credit: Andrew Neel
1. Objective
The objective is by far the most important element. It states what you want the students to learn, to what degree you want them to learn it, and how you’ll know if they’ve actually learned it. One site uses an ABCD model to describe the typical parts of an objective:
Audience (who the learners are)
Behavior (an observable and measurable skill the students will demonstrate)
Condition (equipment used to demonstrate the skill)
Degree (how well the students must be able to perform the designated skill)
Person holding a hello sign with a smiley face
Photo credit: Vladislav Klapin
2. Introduction
How will you begin the lesson? How will you capture the students’ interest right off the bat and draw them in? The best introductions are the most engaging ones. Another element often included in an introduction is a review. Before moving on to new material, you want to verify that the students remember and have a context for previously covered material.
person with red sneakers going up the stairs
Photo credit: Lindsay Henwood
3. Activity
What are the steps or procedures you’ll use to teach the lesson? Will there be a discussion? Small group activities? Individual work time? You should settle for something inclusive that most or all of your students will be able to complete.
person holding a map
Photo credit: N.
4. Assessment
How will you know if your students have arrived at the destination? The easy part about writing the assessment section of a lesson plan is that you should have already stated, in the objective, how you will assess your students. Your assessment may not always take place at the end of the lesson. Instead, your lesson assessment may have already taken place throughout the activity portion.
Besides these four elements, lesson plans may include other sections such as a place to list the materials you will use, amplification or reinforcement activities, and any assigned homework. You can also find formats for daily one-subject lesson plans, unit plans, multi-subject plans, and weekly plans. For this article, we’ll limit the examples to daily one-subject lesson plans.