LESSON PLAN BASICS
BY
by Dr. Brian Murfin
- First
consult the "THREE C'S" i.e., CULTURE , CURRICULUM ,
and CONCEPTS .
Learn about your students' culture, hobbies, and
lifestyles. This
information will give you possible ways of making
your science lessons
more relevant and interesting. Consult the syllabus,
for example, the
Regents Living Environment syllabus. This will give
you an idea of the
breadth of the discipline you are supposed to cover.
You should also
check the National Science Education Standards, the
NYC and State
Curriculum Frameworks and Standards, and commonly
used textbooks. Most
importantly, consult with experienced teachers and
look at past
examinations to get an idea of the depth you are
expected to cover on
specific topics.
- Include a science
background section which contains general
information on the topic for
the teacher's use. With regard to the depth of this
science background
material, assume that your lesson or unit plan might
be used by a
substitute teacher who did not have any prior
knowledge or experience
in this area of science.
- Write down
the topic, grade level, and date. Keep all your
lesson plans in a
binder. Next year when you are teaching the same
topic you will be able
to check if you are behind or ahead of schedule.
- Once
you have chosen a topic, write out instructional
objectives which
specify what the students should be able to do or
what they should know
after they complete the lesson.
- After
you think of the activity or activities you would
like to you will need
to specify the materials you will need. List the
quantities of all
materials and where they can be obtained. Remember,
a substitute
teacher should be able to come in and teach your
lesson using your
lesson plan. Also specify any books, software, etc.
that might be
necessary.
- Now you should write out a step by
step
procedure which includes approximate times for each
step.
- Your
very first act during the lesson should be to gain
the students'
attention and to motivate them to learn . This is
where prior knowledge
of the students' cultures, lifestyles, etc. can
help. Another way to
motivate students is to provide information on
prospective careers
related to the day's topic. Discrepant events are
also a very powerful
tool. Finally, the best learning takes place when
play is blended with
work . The students can and should have fun while
they are learning
science.
- After you have gained the
student's attention you need to ascertain the
concepts the students
hold on the topic in question. This can be done
through discussion,
careful questioning, surveys, concept maps, etc. A
very effective
technique for beginning a lesson is to use an
advance organizer . An
advance organizer provides the students with
ideational scaffolding,
i.e., a cognitive structure, within which new
concepts can be
integrated and incorporated through a process of
assimilation. An
example of an advance organizer would be an overview
of the topic, with
broad overarching principles described.
- Now
the procedure for the activity can be described. Any
hand-outs, books,
materials, etc. should be included with the lesson
plan.
- Questioning is a very important
part of
science. Include discussion questions and possible
answers in your
lesson plan.
- Finally,
you should have closure for the lesson. Tie up loose
ends, summarize,
ask stimulating open-ended questions, have students
attempt to apply
the concepts they've learned to new, novel
situations and problems.
- Always
overplan! Make sure to have contingency plans for
finishing early or
running out of time. Have some short, quick
activities that students
could do if they finish early. Be prepared to end
the lesson before you
have finished the activity.
- Evaluate the lesson . What went
well, and
what could be improved next time?
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