Lecture 4: Strategies for effective lesson planning

1. Outline learning objectives

2. Develop the introduction.
3. Plan the specific learning activities
4. Plan to check for understanding
5. Develop a conclusion and a preview.
6. Create a realistic timeline

A lesson plan is the instructor’s road map of what students need to learn and how it will be done
effectively during the class time. Before you plan your lesson, you will first need to identify the
learning objectives for the class meeting. Then, you can design appropriate learning activities
and develop strategies to obtain feedback on student learning. A successful lesson plan addresses
and integrates these three key components: Objectives for student learning Teaching/learning
activities Strategies to check student understanding Specifying concrete objectives for student
learning will help you determine the kinds of teaching and learning activities you will use in
class, while those activities will define how you will check whether the learning objectives have
been accomplished.

Lesson Plan Steps for Preparing a Lesson Plan Below are six steps to guide you when you create
your first lesson plans. Each step is accompanied by a set of questions meant to prompt reflection
and aid you in designing your teaching and learning activities.

Outline learning objectives. The first step is to determine what you want students to learn and
be able to do at the end of class. To help you specify your objectives for student learning, answer
the following questions:

 What is the topic of the lesson?

 What do I want students to learn?
 What do I want them to understand and be able to do at the end of class?
 What do I want them to take away from this particular lesson?

Once you outline the learning objectives for the class meeting, rank them in terms of their
importance. This step will prepare you for managing class time and accomplishing the more
important learning objectives in case you are pressed for time.

Consider the following questions:

 What are the most important concepts, ideas, or skills I want students to be able to grasp
and apply?
  Why are they important?
 If I ran out of time, which ones could not be omitted?
 And conversely, which ones could I skip if pressed for time?

(2) Develop the introduction. Now that you have your learning objectives in order of their
importance, design the specific activities you will use to get students to understand and apply
what they have learned. Because you will have a diverse body of students with different
academic and personal experiences, they may already be familiar with the topic. That is why you
might start with a question or activity to gauge students’ knowledge of the subject or possibly,
their preconceived notions about it.

For example, you can take a simple poll:

 “How many of you have heard of X?

 Raise your hand if you have.”

You can also gather background information from your students prior to class by sending
students an electronic survey or asking them to write comments on index cards. This additional
information can help shape your introduction, learning activities, etc. When you have an idea of
the students’ familiarity with the topic, you will also have a sense of what to focus on. Develop a
creative introduction to the topic to stimulate interest and encourage thinking. You can use a
variety of approaches to engage students (e.g., personal anecdote, historical event, thought-
provoking dilemma, real-world example, short video clip, practical application, probing
question, etc.).

Consider the following questions when planning your introduction:

 How will I check whether students know anything about the topic or have any
preconceived notions about it?
 What are some commonly held ideas (or possibly misconceptions) about this topic that
students might be familiar with or might espouse?
 What will I do to introduce the topic?

(3) Plan the specific learning activities (the main body of the lesson) Prepare several different
ways of explaining the material (real-life examples, analogies, visuals, etc.) to catch the attention
of more students and appeal to different learning styles. As you plan your examples and
activities, estimate how much time you will spend on each. Build in time for extended
explanation or discussion, but also be prepared to move on quickly to different applications or
problems, and to identify strategies that check for understanding.
These questions would help you design the learning activities you will use:

 What will I do to explain the topic?

 What will I do to illustrate the topic differently?
 How can I engage students in the topic?
 What are some relevant real-life examples, analogies, or situations that can help students
understand the topic?
 What will students need to do to help them understand the topic better?

(4) Plan to check for understanding. Now that you have explained the topic and illustrated it
with different examples, you need to check for student understanding

– how will you know that students are learning? Think about specific questions you can ask
students to check for understanding, write them down, and then paraphrase them so that you are
prepared to ask the questions in different ways. Try to predict the answers your questions will
generate. Decide on whether you want students to respond orally or in writing.

 What questions will I ask students to check for understanding?

 What will I have students do to demonstrate that they are following?
 Going back to my list of learning objectives, what activity can I have students do to
check whether each of those has been accomplished?

An important strategy that will also help you with time management is to anticipate students’
questions. When planning your lesson, decide what kinds of questions will be productive for
discussion and what questions might sidetrack the class. Think about and decide on the balance
between covering content (accomplishing your learning objectives) and ensuring that students
understand.

(5) Develop a conclusion and a preview. Go over the material covered in class by summarizing
the main points of the lesson. You can do this in several ways: you can state the main points
yourself (“Today we talked about…”), you can ask a student to help you summarize them, or
you can even ask all students to write down on a piece of paper what they think were the main
points of the lesson. You can review the students’ answers to gauge their understanding of the
topic and then explain anything unclear the following class. Conclude the lesson not only by
summarizing the main points but also by previewing the next lesson. How does the topic relate to
the one that’s coming? This preview will spur students’ interest and help them connect the
different ideas within a larger context.
(6) Create a realistic timeline. A realistic timeline will reflect your flexibility and readiness to
adapt to the specific classroom environment. Here are some strategies for creating a realistic
timeline:

 Estimate how much time each of the activities will take, then plan some extra time for
each
 When you prepare your lesson plan, next to each activity indicate how much time you
expect it will take
 Plan a few minutes at the end of class to answer any remaining questions and to sum up
key points
 Plan an extra activity or discussion question in case you have time left
 Be flexible – be ready to adjust your lesson plan to students’ needs and focus on what
seems to be more productive rather than sticking to your original plan

Presenting the Lesson Plan. Letting your students know what they will be learning and
doing in class will help keep them more engaged and on track. You can share your lesson
plan by writing a brief agenda on the board or telling students explicitly what they will be
learning and doing in class. You can outline on the board or on a handout the learning
objectives for the class. Providing a meaningful organization of the class time can help
students not only remember better, but also follow your presentation and understand the
rationale behind in-class activities. Having a clearly visible agenda (e.g., on the board) will
also help you and students stay on track.

Reflecting on Your Lesson Plan. A lesson plan may not work as well as you had expected
due to some extraneous circumstances. You should not get discouraged – it happens to even
the most experienced teachers! Take a few minutes after each class to reflect on what worked
well and why, and what you could have done differently. Identifying successful and less
successful organization of class time and activities would make it easier to adjust to the
contingencies of the classroom.

Conclusion. To be effective, the lesson plan does not have to be an exhaustive document that
describes each and every possible classroom scenario. Nor does it have to anticipate each and
every student’s response or question. Instead, it should provide you with a general outline of
your teaching goals, learning objectives, and means to accomplish them. It is a reminder of
what you want to do and how you want to do it. A productive lesson is not one in which
everything goes exactly as planned, but one in which both students and instructors learn from
each other.
Topic: Jalal-Abad: History and Modern Times

1. Learning Objectives:

 Introduce students to the history and culture of Jalal-Abad.

 Explore its economic and geographical significance for Kyrgyzstan.
 Develop oral skills through discussions on the city's role in the country’s history.
 Teach students to work with geographical and historical information.

2. Introduction:

 Lesson opener: Engage students with a question: "How long have you been living in
Jalal-abad?". ‘Do you prefer to stay or leave Jalal-Abad?”
 Brief introduction: Jalal-Abad is one of the oldest cities in Kyrgyzstan, known for its
mineral springs and historical significance.
 To spark interest: show a photo of the city or a short video highlighting its landmarks.

3. Learning Activities:

 Historical context: A discussion on the city's origins, its development during the Soviet
era, and its current state.
 Economic significance: Explore Jalal-Abad’s role as an industrial center and its famous
mineral springs.
 Geography: Work with a map of the region. Students locate the city and discuss its
natural resources.
 Group work: Divide students into groups to prepare short presentations on the following
topics: history, economy, culture, and natural resources of Jalal-Abad.

4. Checking for Understanding:

 Questions for students: "Why is Jalal-Abad important for Kyrgyzstan’s economy?"

"What natural features make it unique?"
 Written task: Write a short essay on a major landmark of Jalal-Abad.
 Oral discussion on the cultural and natural attractions that make the city appealing to
tourists.

5. Conclusion and Preview of Next Lesson:

 Summarize the lesson by discussing key points — history, geographical location, and
economic importance of the city.
 Preview of the next lesson: discuss the role of other major cities in Kyrgyzstan and their
importance to the country.

6. Creating a Realistic Timeline:

 Introduction (5 minutes).
 Lecture on the city’s history and economy (10 minutes).
 Group work and geography activity (15 minutes).
 Discussion and check for understanding (10 minutes).
 Conclusion (5 minutes).