Critical Components of Lesson Design Guide

There are a variety of lesson plan formats available as many districts have different

ways to showcase each lesson plan component. In the 1980’s Madeline Hunter

developed a lesson planning method which was widely accepted across the country.

This lesson planning method is called Essential Elements of Instruction (EEI). The

Lesson Design that Rio has developed closely resembles the EEI plan. The Critical

Components of Lesson Design (Rio Salado College) combi nes both the traditional EEI

best practices as well as modern advancements in lesson plan research.

Preparing a Lesson Plan

A beginning teacher will need to put more time and effort into creating detailed lesson

plans than most veteran teachers. Having a detailed lesson plan will help to ensure

that the lesson sequence is well thought-out. This doesn't mean that instruction will

not deviate from the original plan (most likely it will). As a new teacher becomes more

confident and experienced they will not be writing lesson plans for every minute of the

instructional day. Lesson plans will help structure effective instructional strategies until

more experience is gained.

When preparing a lesson plan the teacher needs to devote time and energy when

planning each lesson, whether the lesson is with one instructional period in mind or

creating a lesson that is part of a larger picture (or unit). For a teacher to facilitate

the best possible learning environment, they must carefully select opportunities and

activities which will support mastery of pre-determined measurable objective(s) which

students will apply to real world situations.

Rio Salado’s lesson design includes:

Planning

Assessment

Teacher Facilitated Instruction

Planning

The “Planning” phase highlights logistical informational components which include

name, subject area, lesson date, unit title (if applicable), lesson plan title, grade

level, time required, materials and media, aligned state standards, measurable

objective(s) Criteria for Mastery (quantitative and references the assessment),

remediation, and extensions.

Name

Subject Area

Unit Title (if applicable) is this lesson part of a larger unit of study?

Lesson Plan Title

Grade Level

Time Required

Materials and Media

Aligned State (Student Content) Standards

Measurable Objective(s)

Performance/Behavior

Criteria (Quantitative and references the assessment)

Summary-Provide a brief overview of your activity. Limit yourself to

3-4 sentences.

Differentiation

Remediation

Extensions

All of the components listed above are fairly self- explanatory, with the exception of

Materials and Media, Aligned State Standards, Measurable Objective(s), Remediation

and Extensions.

Materials and Media

Materials: This would include any materials (text, colored paper, visuals,

manipulatives, whiteboards, graphic organizers, etc.). It is important to

have all materials ready to go for the delivery of the lesson.

Media: This would include any technology/media devices (Smartboard,

document camera, iPad, iPod, electronic keyboard, clickers, YouTube video,

etc.). If this lesson plan is used to fulfill technology requirement students

must be actively engaged with the technology tool.

Aligned State (Student Content) Standards

Research your current state standards which are typically found on the state

education department website.

Measurable Objective(s)

Measurable Objective(s) are statements that describe significant and essential

learning that students will achieve and can be performed by the student at the end of

the lesson. In other words measurable objectives identify what the student will know

and be able to do by the end of the lesson.

To assist in remembering these terms think of them as the ABCD of writing

objectives. The ABCD model breaks instructional objectives into four parts:

Audience

The audience describes the intended learners. (i.e. The students…,The 3rd

grade students….,The history students…)

Behavior

The behavior is illustrated by the “measurable” verb which describes what the

audience will learn or be able to do after the lesson. Bloom’s Taxonomy and/or

Webbs’ Depth of Knowledge (see below) are great resources for selecting specific

and measurable verbs. (i.e. use context clues, create, describe, identify,

design)

Condition(s)

The condition describes the circumstances under which the learning will

occur (i.e. without the use of class notes, in a cooperative group). Most

often, “the condition” describes required resources or materials the students

will need access to in order to demonstrate their ability to meet/exceed the

criteria for success (using a metric ruler, given a 2ND grade narrative

passage, using a drawing program on the computer).

Degree

The degree states the expected performance criteria. This includes the

quantitative mastery level that the students will perform on a given task

in order for the measurable objective(s) to be met. (i.e. 100% of the

students achieve at least 8 out of 10 points, 3 out of 4 on a rubric, 9 out of

10 on a given product checklist).

Measurable Objective(s) Exemplars with component indicators

The students (A) will be able to use context clues (B) in a 2nd grade level narrative passage(C) and answer 4/5 questions with 100% accuracy (D).

The 3rd grade students (A) will be able to create(B) 8 out of 10 polygons(D) using a drawing program on the computer(C).

The students(A) will be able to identify and describe(B) the 5 literary elements in a

Grimm’s fairy tale read aloud(C) by achieving 3 out of 4 on a rubric(D). The history students(A) will be able to design(B) a timeline of at least 5 Civil War

battles located in grade level text and achieve an 9 out of 10 on a given product checklist(D).

The behavior/action verb is the most important element of a measurable objective and

describes what the student will be able to do following the instruction. Bloom’s Taxonomy

and Webbs’ Depth of Knowledge are two concepts/tools widely used in the education field

and backed by educational research to specifically describe intended behaviors.

Bloom’s Taxonomy was created by a group of psychologists and is a tool for the

organization and categorization of different levels of learnings. The six levels of Bloom’s

Taxonomy (lowest to highest) include knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis,

synthesis and evaluation. Each of the levels relate to how the brain processes information

and thoughts. Webbs’ Depth of Knowledge by Nathan Webb was developed based on research about student thinking to extend student learning. While Bloom’s Taxonomy focuses on the tasks that students complete to deepen student learning, Webbs’ Depth of Knowledge focuses on the thinking process and not just the product.

Differentiation

Differentiation consists of the efforts of teachers to respond to variance among learners in the

classroom. When a teacher reaches out to an individual or small group of students to vary the

teaching in order to create the best learning experience; this is an example of a teacher

differentiating instruction. How will you meet the needs of all your students (variables could include readiness, rate of learning, interest, learning styles, flexible groups, products

demonstrating mastery).

Remediation: An intervention is not an accommodation or a modification,

it is considered a remediation. It is a re-teaching of the concept using a

different approach or method. The use of a multi-sensory approach

would be beneficial, as a range of learning styles and needs can be met.

Extension: This is not merely an extra assignment. Not more of the

same. Not extra credit. It is considered an “enhancement” beyond the

lesson objectives. Use Webb’s Depth of Knowledge and/or Bloom's

Taxonomy to create an activity that goes above and beyond. The objective of

the extension is to challenge all of the students.

Assessment

The “Assessment” component includes Pre-Assessment Data and Post

Assessment. This is where you assess the final outcome of the lesson and to what

extent the measurable objective(s) were achieved.

Pre-Assessment: This includes the data collected prior to this lesson that drives

instruction. This could include teacher-made tests, DIBELS, progress monitoring,

state/district assessments, etc. Pre-assessment data is critical when developing a lesson plan

which will meet the needs of all your students. When completing a lesson plan or a Sequential

Lesson Plan Unit as a part of a field experience assignment, the mentor teacher should be

consulted for direction in terms of specific data literacy to support the lesson plan’s measurable

objective(s).

Post-Assessment: Data collected which demonstrates student proficiency and

student mastery of measurable lesson objective(s).

Formative assessment may include; a question and answer session,

performance observation, listening in on small group work, individual

contributions to collaborative group projects. Informal assessment

observations need to be documented (checklist, anecdotal notes, etc.) in

order to guide future lesson planning.

Summative assessment may include; test, essay, worksheet, project,

speech, oral report, performance, etc. How will you measure and document

the students' achievement on your formal assessment? Possibilities may

include: skill based checklist, rubric, developmental scale, answer key for

test, essay, worksheet, or quiz.

Whether the post-assessment is formative or summative, it is an essential part of

every lesson and must be included in each lesson plan. Once the students have

completed the given assessment activity, (this might be the independent practice) teacher

reflection needs to take place. If the learning objectives were not adequately achieved, this

would indicate the need to reteach the lesson in a different manner. The Critical

Components of Lesson Design template within TaskStream has an Assessment/Rubrics

section to include a rubric wizard (created within TaskStream) and/or a teacher created

assessment (checklist, developmental scale, answer key, etc.) that may be uploaded from

your computer.

Teacher Facilitated Instruction

The “Teacher Facilitated Instruction” is one of the most important (and lengthy)

parts of a lesson where the teacher outlines a detailed, step-by-step set of instructions

spanning from the Anticipatory Set through the Instructional Sequence and ending with

the Closure of the lesson.

The Instructional Sequence will include evidence of the following components; direct

instruction, modeling, guided practice, active engagement strategies, checking for

understanding and independent practice. Evidence of each component must be labeled

within the step by step instructional sequence section of the lesson plan.

Anticipatory Set with Purpose (written in narrative form): The anticipatory set is

to grab the students’ attention. The teacher actively engages and motivates the

students about the lesson topic through conversation, visuals, read alouds, computer

clip, critical thinking questions, etc. The anticipatory set should be relevant to the lesson and link students' prior learning to the current lesson focus. It is important for

the teacher to directly state the new concept/skills and/or strategies the students will be

learning and how it will apply to their own lives (age appropriate).

Instructional Sequence

This portion of the plan should include: direct instruction, modeling, guided practice, active

engagement, checking for understanding, and an independent activity. In order to

demonstrate your thorough knowledge of each critical component, you will insert an

abbreviated indicator at the end of each content item. Direct Instruction: (DI) Modeling: (M)

Guided Practice: (GP) Active Engagement (AE) Checking for Understanding (CU).

Direct instruction refers to instructional approaches that are structured,

sequenced, and led by the teacher.

Modeling is when the teacher demonstrates, for the entire class, a skill

or strategy. This can be in the form of a “think aloud” or direct

instruction.

Guided Practice involves an opportunity for the students to practice the

new skill or strategy with the teacher’s support.

Active Engagement strategies are techniques the teacher employs to

involve all students in all aspects of the lesson.

Checking for Understanding occurs throughout the lesson when the

teacher takes advantage of opportunities to ensure that the students

understand what is being taught.

Independent Activity: post assessments may occur during this portion of the

lesson. Unlike the guided practice, the teacher is not readily available to correct

mistakes or assist with activity completion. The purpose of this activity is to

help in the retention of the material that was covered and to demonstrate

student proficiency. The independent activity can take place before the lesson

closure and/or as a homework assignment.

Closure (written in narrative form): This is the culmination of the lesson, or the

finale. Revisiting or reflecting on the measurable objectives here will help

organize the information into a meaningful context in the students’ minds. Keep

in mind that the closure portion of the lesson is not the end point of the skill or

subject but a final "check for understanding" used at the end of the class period

or before changing subjects. The information gathered during this portion of

the lesson will help the teacher plan future instruction.

Sequential Lesson Plan Unit

Lesson sequencing is the process of organizing several lesson plans, focused on one topic of

study, which will be taught consecutively. The practice of purposeful lesson sequencing is to

create a continuum of learning which builds upon the previously taught lesson (scaffolding)

while maximizing optimal learning outcomes. Clear end objectives and sequenced lessons

allow teachers to anticipate opportunities for differentiation and assessment check points. The teacher can scaffold the new concept, skill or strategy, so that students have

access to support as they gain new knowledge and meet the lesson’s measurable objective(s). Creating a sequential lesson plan unit will showcase the teacher’s ability to anticipate the needs of the students while meeting the grade level standards.

The Sequential Lesson Plan Unit is broken up into three sections; Planning, Instruction and

Reflection. As you complete this heavily weighted project, please be sure to consult the rubric in order to ensure that your unit clearly addresses all indicators to be assessed.

Planning

Subject(s) Grade Level Summary

Summary of the Target Student Population

Describe, in narrative (paragraph) form, the target group of student for the unit of study. State the number and age/grade of the students, provide a description of the whole group and special characteristics of individual students as relevant to the unit of study.

Standards Describe Pre-Assessments

Describe, in narrative (paragraph) form, the assessments developed and used to guide

instruction and demonstrate growth for the unit of study.

Timeline

Provide a clear timeline highlighting the relevant instructional lessons and assessments for the unit of study’s learning experience.

Instruction

Lesson Plan 1 Lesson Plan 2 Lesson Plan 3

Reflection

Assessments

Describe and analyze, in narrative (paragraph) form, assessment results and individual student growth.

Student Growth

Provide examples of how daily instructional decisions impacted student growth.

Looking Ahead: Future Instructional Planning

Based on your student progress data, what are your next instructional steps?

Learning Activities

Include all handouts, activities, and assessments.