how to write introduction for lesson plan

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• Creating Lesson Plans

How to Build a Lesson Plan: Templates, Requirements, and More

Last Updated: April 7, 2024 Fact Checked

Sample Lesson Plans

Constructing a lesson plan, adjusting your lesson plans efficiently, presenting the lesson, expert q&a.

This article was co-authored by César de León, M.Ed. and by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure . César de León is an Educational Leadership Consultant and currently serves as an Assistant Principal for the Austin Independent School District in Austin, TX. César specializes in education program development, curriculum improvement, student mentorship, social justice, equity leadership, and family and community engagement. He is passionate about eradicating inequities in schools for all children, especially those who have been historically underserved and marginalized. César holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education and Biology from Texas State University and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from The University of Texas at Austin. There are 20 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 3,804,659 times.

As a teacher, developing a thoughtful lesson plan is an essential part of your job. Not only do your lesson plans lay out everything you’ll do in a given class, but they can be shared with subs to complete your lessons when you’re out sick, and administrators can use them to provide feedback and monitor your classroom. While writing a lesson plan may seem like a daunting task at first, take it from a former teacher that they’ll soon become second nature. In this article, we’ll walk you through what you need to include in each lesson plan, show you how to use your lesson plan to make you a better teacher, and walk you through what a class might look like based on your plans.

Things You Should Know

• A lesson plan outlines what you’ll teach in a given lesson and provides justification for why you’re teaching it.
• Every lesson plan needs an objective, relevant standards, a timeline of activities, an overview of the class, assessments, and required instructional materials.
• Overplan in case your lesson ends early and tailor your plans to suit the needs of your students.

• An example of a good objective might be, "Students will be able to analyze nonfiction texts by performing a close reading on a historical document."
• Most teachers will use Bloom’s taxonomy when choosing their objective verb.
• Teachers often abbreviate “Students will be able to” with “SWBAT” on their lesson plans.
• Many teachers start with the objective then work their way out from there, choosing class activities last. This is called “backmapping” and it’s the most widely accepted lesson organization style around today. [2] X Research source

• Our previous objective aligns nicely with the CCSS R.L.8.2, which reads “Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text…”
• A handful of states, including Florida, Virginia, and Texas, refuse to adopt common core. They have their own state standards.
• If you’re still in school to become a teacher, you may not have specific standards you need to cover just yet.
• Many schools will allow teachers to cover the objectives in whatever order they’d like so far as they cover all of them. Some schools will map out the standards to cover in their curriculum, though.

• For example, if your class is about Shakespeare's Hamlet , your overview might be “Introduction to Hamlet . Historical context, biographical info, and preliminary information. We’ll cover the folio, character list, and assign reading roles. Start Act 1 if time allows.”
• A single overview may get you through multiple classes, so you may find yourself copy and pasting the same overview into multiple plans. That’s totally okay!

• 1:00-1:10: Warm up . Bring class into focus and recap yesterday's discussion on great tragedies; relate it to Hamlet .
• 1:10-1:25: Present information. Discuss Shakespearean history briefly, focusing on his creative period 2 years before and after Hamlet.
• 1:25-1:40: Guided practice . Class discussion regarding major themes in the play.
• 1:40-1:55: Freer practice. Class writes single paragraph describing current event in Shakespearean terms. Individually encourage bright students to write 2 paragraphs, and coach slower students.
• 1:55-2:00: Conclusion. Collect papers, assign homework, dismiss class.

• Formative assessments are instructional tools. They’re anything you use to check if students are learning so you can adjust your lessons. Examples include: class discussions, teacher questions, pop quizzes, group work, surveys, and self-reflections.
• Summative assessments are how you prove a student learned something. They occur at the end of lesson arcs, units, or sections. Examples include: tests, quizzes, essays, presentations, and final projects.
• All summative assessments (outside of tests and quizzes) have rubrics, which are the set of standards you’re judging students on. You do not need to include your rubrics in the lesson plan, but you should be making rubrics.

• You might list textbooks, worksheets, novels, calculators, or whiteboards. If you need to borrow a TV or need a link to a specific YouTube video, include that, too.
• Skip the basic school supplies every student needs. You don’t need to mention pens, pencils, etc.
• Need a worksheet or special materials for a class but don’t want to spend super long making them from scratch? Check out Teachers Pay Teachers . Seasoned educators sell their instructional material to other teachers for cheap!

• Over time, you’ll need to do this less and less. Eventually, you'll be able to go in with practically nothing at all!

• If you find yourself constantly running over your schedule, know what you can and cannot scratch. What must you cover in order for the children to learn most? What is just fluff and time killers?

• Odds are you'll be working with a pile of extroverts and introverts. Some students will benefit more from working alone while others will thrive in pair work or in groups. Knowing this will help you format activities to different interaction preferences. [11] X Research source
• You'll also wind up having a few students that know just about as much as you do on the topic and some that, while smart, look at you like you're from another planet. If you know who these kids are, you can plan accordingly.

Joseph Meyer

Effective teaching strategies consider a student's individual strengths. Tailoring instruction to a student's existing skills and encouraging collaborative activities can improve a student's outcome. Recognizing diverse learning styles allows for a stronger approach, fostering potential in all learners.

• Really, any activity can be manipulated to be done separately, in pairs, or in groups. If you have ideas already mapped out, see if you can revamp them at all to mix it up.

• Every student learns differently. Some need to see the info, some need to hear it, and others need to literally get their hands on it. If you've spent a great while talking, stop and let them talk about it.
• You will likely have some students with IEPs, or Instructional Educational Plans. These are legal documents for students with special needs that require specific instructional adjustments.

• The easiest thing to do is to come up with a quick concluding game or discussion. Throw the students together and have them discuss their opinions or ask questions.

• Avoid using shorthand or acronyms that only you’ll be able to understand.

Eric McClure

"It helps if your backup lesson plans are very easy to find and clearly labeled as substitute plans. If there are any handouts, print those out ahead of time as well. This is the kind of thing that’s easy to overlook early in the year, but trust me—you’ll need a day off at some point and when you do, you won’t want to come in just to drop off lesson plans."

• The warm up can be a simple game (possibly about vocab on the topic to see where their current knowledge lies (or what they remember from last week!). Or, it can be questions, a mingle, or pictures used to start a conversation. Whatever it is, get them talking and thinking about the topic.

• Go over the objective at the beginning of class! Always let your students know why they’re doing what they’re doing.

• This is often explained by teachers as “I do, we do, you do.” In other words, you show them how to do it. Then, the whole class does it together. Finally, the students do it on their own.
• If you have time for two activities, all the better. It's a good idea to test their knowledge on two different levels -- for example, writing and speaking (two very different skills). Try to incorporate different activities for students that have different aptitudes.

• If you've been teaching the same group for a while, odds are you know the students who might struggle with certain concepts. If that's the case, pair them with stronger students to keep the class going.
• You don't want certain students left behind, but you also don't want the class held up, waiting for everyone to get on the same level.

• It all depends on the subject at hand and the skills you want to use. It can be anything from a 20-minute puppet making project to a two-week long dalliance with the oversoul in a heated debate on transcendentalism.

• If you have a group full of kids that can't be paid to raise their hands, turn them amongst themselves. Give them an aspect of the topic to discuss and 5 minutes to converse about it. Then bring the focus to the front of the class and lead a group discussion. Interesting points are bound to pop up!

• Assign and hand out any homework at the end of the class.

• Don’t worry if lesson planning feels really unfulfilling and pointless to you. A lot of new teachers think they feel like busy work at first—especially when classes don’t go as planned. Luckily, once you finish one year of teaching, you’ll have a full year’s worth of lessons to use! [24] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Lesson plans typically cover a single class period, although a more complex lesson may require 2-3 days to get through. A single lesson plan may also bleed over into multiple classes if there’s a fire alarm, some behavioral issue that requires attention, or you have to modify your schedule due to a school-wide event. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/tools-tips/5-tips-improve-your-lesson-plan
• ↑ https://www.calstate.edu/csu-system/why-the-csu-matters/graduation-initiative-2025/co-requisite-mathematics-summit/Handouts/Backmapping_example_and_template.pdf
• ↑ https://drexel.edu/soe/resources/student-teaching/advice/how-to-write-a-lesson-plan/
• ↑ https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/cnm/cresource/q4/p16/
• ↑ https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/Formative-Summative-Assessments
• ↑ https://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~slm/AdjCI/Lessonplan/Elements.html
• ↑ https://awildsurmise.medium.com/improving-teaching-scripting-5950e1d15f54
• ↑ https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/511257/Eliminating-unnecessary-workload-around-planning-and-teaching-resources.pdf
• ↑ César de León, M.Ed.. Educational Leadership Consultant. Expert Interview. 11 November 2020.
• ↑ https://onlineprograms.ollusa.edu/ma-in-counseling/resources/learning-styles-of-introverts-and-extroverts
• ↑ http://www.auburn.edu/~nunnath/engl6240/seating.html
• ↑ https://teach.com/what/teachers-know/learning-styles/
• ↑ https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/pacing-lessons-for-optimal-learning
• ↑ https://www.chalk.com/introduction-to-lesson-planning/why-lesson-plan/
• ↑ https://www.edutopia.org/blog/having-an-off-day-josh-stock
• ↑ https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/teaching/teaching-how/chapter-2-teaching-successful-section/running-class
• ↑ https://readingrecovery.clemson.edu/home-2/reading-comprehension/lesson-structure/guided-practice/
• ↑ https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/professional-development/teachers/knowing-subject/d-h/free-practice
• ↑ https://teaching.cornell.edu/teaching-resources/engaging-students/using-effective-questions
• ↑ https://www.tefl.net/elt/ideas/younglearners/finishing-preschool-english-lessons/

About This Article

If you need to make a lesson plan, start by creating a timeline based on the length of the class or the school day. As you get to know your class throughout the year, try to tailor your lesson plan to their strengths. For instance, some groups might learn better by taking notes during a lecture, while others might benefit more from group discussions or worksheets. Try to include several different activities during each class period so the kids don’t get bored, and also to appeal to the different learning styles in the classroom. Read on for sample lesson plans and more tips on how to budget your time! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How To Write A Lesson Plan in 6 Easy Steps

Written by Victoria Hegwood

Use Prodigy to level up your student's learning experience at no cost!

• Teaching Strategies

6 Steps to building an effective lesson plan

Step 1: identify your learning objectives, step 2: work with your grade level team, step 3: design your learning activities & content, step 4: determine how you will assess knowledge, step 5: adapt & modify according to students’ needs, step 6: review & edit, the importance of a high-quality lesson plan.

• Frequently asked questions

Everybody knows that just about everything in life goes better when you have a plan. And, of course, the classroom is no exception. 

An effective lesson plan is a fundamental aspect of successful teaching, enhancing the learning experience for students of all levels.

While there are many methods to use when making a lesson plan, this article will outline six straightforward steps for developing engaging and purposeful lesson plans. If you’re looking to promote student learning and equip your students with the best tools to succeed, read on!

These six steps provide a foundation for building a great lesson plan. As you get more familiar with the six steps, you may find that you tweak them to better serve your students. But here are the fundamentals to start with.

The first step in any lesson plan is to identify the end goal. You will want to identify clear and measurable learning objectives so that your learning plan is very focused. 

Clear objectives state exactly what you want your students to achieve by the end of the lesson.

After identifying these objectives, you should double-check that they are both aligned with curriculum standards and appropriate for the students' grade level. 

Finally, you should make sure that there are ways to make achieving the objectives fun and engaging. 

The next step in building a good lesson plan is to collaborate with your grade level team to ensure that everyone is on the same page with their teaching strategies , materials, and assessment methods.

By collaborating with other teachers, everyone can share insights on effective teaching practices and exchange ideas to improve the overall educational experience for students.

You may even discover ways to coordinate your lesson plans with colleagues and lessen the workload for everyone. And by sharing worksheets or other materials, students across different classrooms will receive the same educational experience. 

The third step is to develop a well-structured outline for your lesson that encompasses an introduction, instruction, practice and assessment components .

You should also make sure to organize the content in a way that makes the most sense to students. It should be easy to follow and be presented in a clear way.

Next comes choosing an engaging and relevant learning activity . Ideally, this activity will cater to various learning styles and capture your students’ interest. By keeping them engaged in the lesson, this activity will create a better learning experience.

While we most often think of tests as the way that we assess students’ knowledge, there are lots of other options for assessing learning. Depending on your learning objectives and teaching styles, you may use quizzes, discussions, or projects as assessment tools. 

It should be clearly specified when and how these assessments will be administered. You could choose to do it during the lesson or at the end of the lesson.

It is incredibly important to ensure that your assessments not only focus on rote memorization but also deeper comprehension and critical thinking skills.

Tip: Consider using game-based platforms like Prodigy Math to deliver assessments that help take the anxiety out of testing in your students.

While it’s important to spend time before a lesson prepping and preparing, it’s just as important to be flexible and willing to adjust on the fly. While teaching your lesson, you should continuously monitor students' understanding and engagement during the lesson. 

If you notice that they don’t seem to be getting a concept, spend a little more time on it. If they all seem to be bored with an activity quicker than you thought they would be, just move on to the next thing. 

Have a plan to differentiate your instruction to accommodate the different learning styles and abilities in your classroom. 

The best lesson plan will have adaptations to maximize each students’ learning experience. Consider the various teaching styles, like game-based learning , that may hold your students’ interest while teaching them effectively.

Even if you thought that you made the best lesson plan possible, there are likely some points that you will see could be improved at the end of the school day. 

Take time after teaching a lesson to reflect on what worked well and what didn’t go as great. Make notes and tweaks while everything is fresh in your mind. 

If you teach the same grade each year, store the lesson plan (and its improvements) away for the next year. Or share it and what you learned with your fellow teachers for feedback and collaboration. 

The value of a high-quality lesson plan can’t be overstated. 

High-quality lesson plans ensure that the key components of what you want your students to learn are emphasized. By focusing your efforts, students will make measurable progress in their understanding of the material.

Effective lesson plans also offer engaging activities and strategies that capture students' attention and maintain their focus throughout the lesson. The last thing you want is students thinking about lunch or their after-school activities during the math lesson!

Additionally, well-planned lessons prevent wasted time in the classroom. With a clear structure, teachers can maximize class time and cover more content in the limited time that they get with students. 

Particularly in high school, where the subject matter becomes more complex, a high-quality lesson plan is even more important. It ensures that students receive a well-rounded education and the opportunity to grasp the main points of each lesson, supporting their overall academic success.

Lesson Plan FAQs

Can i use lesson plan templates to build my lesson plans.

Yes, lesson plan templates can be a great tool to structure your lessons effectively. Templates provide a framework for organizing your weekly lesson objectives, activities, and time frame.

Templates help maintain consistency. If you plan to be gone for some reason, a template can make it easier for substitute teachers to follow the plan. 

You can also personalize templates to suit your learners' needs and tailor the lesson to their prior knowledge and abilities.

Here are some free lesson plan templates to get you started!

How can I adapt my lesson plan to accommodate different learning styles and abilities?

You should consider employing various teaching strategies to address diverse learning styles, such as visual aids, worksheets, and hands-on activities. Not every student learns the same way, so we shouldn’t teach every student the same way.

If you aren’t sure where your students are at or how the lesson may need to be tweaked for them, consider giving a formative assessment . This could be a quiz and discussion that gauges student understanding and lets you know how to adjust your teaching approach.

What are the 5 parts of a lesson plan?

A lesson plan typically consists of an introduction, instruction, guided practice, independent practice and a conclusion .

Letting these 5 parts guide your structure ensures that essential content is covered while maintaining a balanced flow of activities throughout the class time.

How should I measure my student’s academic success?

Student learning can be measured through formative assessments , which occur during the lesson, and summative assessments , which evaluate learning at the end of the lesson or unit.

These assessments can take various forms, such as quizzes, handouts, and assignments. Whatever method you choose will help you gauge student understanding and guide your instruction.

How can I make my lesson plans more interactive and student-centered?

The ability to craft a fantastic lesson plan is essential for every teacher, but it can take time and practice to hone this skill. However, armed with the knowledge and steps from this article, you’ll be creating engaging and effective lesson plans in no time. Keep the end goal and your students in mind and your lesson plans will be amazing!

If you’re looking to add more engaging activities to your lesson plan, Prodigy is a great option. Prodigy works on math and English skills that are right on par with curriculum and grade standards – all while being lots of fun. 

The intuitive algorithms adjust the content to meet your students exactly where they are and give them extra practice in areas where they need it. It’s easy to see how each student is performing through the teacher dashboard and its reports.

And best of all, teachers and schools get access to Prodigy at no cost!

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