Lesson design is a process that serves as an advance organizer to help teachers create an effective learning environment for students with different learning styles. In the steps outlined below, it is assumed that the teacher has already identified the content to be taught, the lesson objectives (knowledge, skills and attitudes) and the target group of students.
Eight Key Elements of Lesson Design
There are eight key elements of lesson design: i) mental/anticipatory set, ii) performance indicators, iii) instructional input, iv) modelling (demonstrating), v) understanding check, vi) guided practice, vii) capstone (closure), and viii) independent practice.
i) Mental/Anticipatory Set
Mental or anticipatory set is the instructional technique the teacher uses to get students focused on a topic and ready to learn. It` serves the following purposes:
Example vehicles for creating a mental set are: oral questions, review games, mystery boxes, demonstrations or discrepant events, stories, visual aids (graphs, pictures, etc.), short reading articles, or relevant review sheets.
ii) Performance Indicators
Performance indicators are descriptions of educational intents that summarize what the teacher expects students to be able to do by the end of the lesson. The teacher communicates these expectations to students early in the lesson. Althought performance indicators should not give the answer away they need to:
An example performance indicator for an objective is: "By the end of this lesson you should be able to, given a Dial-O-Gram balance, determine the mass of an unknown sample correct to two decimal places within five minutes".
iii) Instructional Input
Instructional input is what students receive to facilitate the learning. It is important to have students use as many of the senses of sight, smell, taste, hearing or feel as possible during this stage. Above all, the instructional input must work to attain the performance indicators for the lesson.
Example sources of instructional input are:
It is desirable to provide a variety of sources over the period of several lessons and to strive to provide an assortment even within a single lesson.
iv) Modelling/Demonstrating
A model is a visual representation of what is to be learned or has been learned. The model needs to be valid to the lesson objectives. It should enlighten not confuse, be obvious not ambiguous, be visible and touchable (if possible) and have the potential of nurturing a discussion.
Alternatively, a demonstration can provide conclusive evidence and illustrate and explain concepts or skills. In addition, demonstrations often show a practical application of the new knowledge.
Models or demonstrations can be used one or more times during the lesson. Models and demonstrations motivate, add variety, heighten interest, help students understand, and engage visual learners.
v) Understanding Check
Understanding check is the process that helps the teacher monitor and verify whether students have grasped the knowledge or skills just covered. An understanding check serves several functions; for the teacher it facilitates adjustments to instruction; for the student it motivates those who are successful to extend themselves, and encourages those who are less successful to continue paying attention. Several methods are used to perform understanding checks:
vi) Guided Practice
Guided practice is the time allotted in a lesson to enable students to "try out", and apply their new knowledge under the supervision of a mentor (classroom teacher, special education helper, etc.). Guided practice nurtures recall, facilitates transfer, and clarified and illustrates the lesson objectives. It also gives the teacher feedback on instruction so that remediation can take place if needed. It also provides the opportunity for the teacher to give positive reinforcement. Students need encouragement to build on what they are doing correctly as well as to work on things they need to improve. Some considerations when planning guided practice are:
vii) Capstone/Closure
Capstone or closure is the process of drawing together the new material to reach a conclusion after the content has been discussed in adequate detail.
This key stage of the lesson serves the following purposes:
Capstoning or closure is done near the end of the lesson or at the end of a key segment of the lesson. Capstoning can be as simple as making a summary statement or a series of statements. A more interactive and hence desirable process is for the teacher to ask questions that encourage students to summarize the key learnings themselves. Small groups (pairs, triplets, or quads) can be given the task of preparing a capstone paragraph for the lesson.
viii) Independent Practice
Independent practice is the final element of lesson design. It is the exercise or assignment given to allow students to "try out", and apply their understanding without the guidance of the teacher. Independent practice is often referred to as homework. Some considerations when planning for independent practice are:
Some Advice
This eight-element format is not a recipe to be followed blindly for every lesson. Each time a new lesson is planned, the teacher must make informed professional decisions about the balance among the eight elements and decide which one(s), if any, can be omitted without weakening the lesson. Checking for the potential inclusion of the eight elements each time a lesson is planned ensures that no key element is unintentionally omitted.
Sample
Lesson Plan
The Reflex Arc
Instructional Objectives
Attitudes:
students will be encouraged to develop:
• an interest in the reflect arc as it occurs in nature.
Skills:
students will have an opportunity to develop skill in:
• investigating reflex arc examples associated with their own bodies.
Knowledge:
students will be expected to know:
• the parts of the reflex arc, and;
• how the reflex arc works to prevent bodily damage.
Materials |
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30 cotton swabs 1 safety shield |
numerous cotton balls 15 opaque cards |
15 penlights 1 ice cube |
Mental Set
a) Imagination Activity
Tell students to do the following: Close your eyes and imagine that you are just about to unknowingly step barefoot onto a sharp stone on a beach. What will happen as soon as you touch the sharp stone? (The foot will be pulled away)
b) Demonstration
Gently place an ice cube on the back of a student's neck. Ask the students: What did the student do? How quickly did this happen? (The student will jerk his/her neck away)
Tell the students: What you have just imagined or seen are reflexes at work Today's lesson is on human reflexes. We will be studying how reflex actions aid in human survival and how they prevent us from becoming badly injured
Performance Indicators
Tell the students: By the end of this lesson you should be able to name and describe the five components of the reflex arc and in a paragraph, describe how these components work and how reflex actions aid in human survival.
Instructional Input
a) The Nature of a Reflex Arc
Develop chalkboard # 1: What do you think is meant by a human reflex? What do you think makes reflexes operate so fast?
Chalkboard # 1 Human Reflexes • A human reflex is a fast, predictable response to an external stimulus which work to keep us out of danger. • Reflexes are so fast because signals are processed in the spinal column and sent back to the sensory site. • The reflex arc is the structural basis for all reflex actions. |
b) The Parts and Action of the Reflex Arc
- assemble reflex arc diagram (magnetic
stickups)
- describe sequence of happenings when a hot flame is touched
- explain the steps and terms associated with the reflex arc and complete the
table
Parts
of a Reflex Arc (Chalkboard #2)
(example heat)
Table 1: Parts, Location, and Function of the Reflex Arc (Chalkboard # 3) |
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Name |
Location |
Function |
1. Heat Receptor |
hand (finger) |
senses temperature |
2. Sensory Neuron |
hand to spinal column |
carries sensory impulse |
3. Association neuron |
in spinal column |
transfers signal to action neuron |
4. Motor Neuron |
spinal column to hand |
carries response impulse to finger |
5. Arm Muscle |
arm |
receives signal and moves hand away from hot flame |
Modelling
- gather students around the front
desk
- have students locate their uvula
- ask for a volunteer and gently touch a soft sterile cotton swab to the uvula
of one student
- have students observe the immediate effect
-ask "What do you think will happen if the swab is left on the uvula for
a prolonged period of time?
Check for Understanding
a) Flip It Exercise
b) Jeopardy Game
Have the students play "Reflex Arc Jeopardy"
Guided Practice
A. Knee-jerk Reflex
Have your partner sit on the edge of a lab bench with legs hanging freely. Locate the knee cap and the tendon below it. Strike the tendon gently but sharply with the edge of your hand. Observe and record the motion of the leg and foot.
B. Sneeze Reflex
Use a clean cotton swab to gently stimulate the lining of your partner's nose. Observe and record the results. Have your lab partner try to inhibit the reflex by applying pressure to the skin just above her/his upper lip. Record what happens. (Caution: Discard the cotton swab after use and use a clean one for each person.)
C. Cilo-Spinal Reflex
For this activity you and your partner must sit close together facing one another. Place your hand behind your partner's neck while you examine the size of the pupils of his/her eyes. Then gently pinch the skin below your partner's hairline and record the effect on the size of the pupils of both eyes.
D. Pupillary Reflex
Remain seated as in Activity C. Have your partner close both eyes for about 2 min. Place an opaque card alongside the nose so that the left eye is shielded from the right eye. Have your partner open his/her eyes and immediately shine a penlight into one eye. Contrast and record the action of the two pupils.
E. Blinking Reflex
Have your lab partner stand facing you behind a transparent protective shield. With your partner's face close to the shield, throw cotton balls toward his/her eyes. Have your partner try to consciously stop blinking as the cotton balls hit the shield. Record your observations.
Capstone/Closure
Independent Practice
Chalkboard # 4: Homework |
1. Prepare a comic strip (at least six frames in length) for the reflex that corresponds to your letter: A. Knee-Jerk; B. Sneeze; C. Cilo-Spinal; D. Pupillary; E. Blink. |
2. Prepare a one paragraph caption to accompany each frame describing in detail what is happening. |
3. Be prepared to discuss your comic strip with peers next class. |
End of Sample Lesson
Teacher: |
Class | Topic; | ||
Objectives: Attitudes: Students will be encouraged to develop: Skills: Students will have the opportunity to develop skill in: Knowledge: Students will be expected to: |
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Element |
Duration (min) |
Teaching Strategy(ies) |
Activity(ies) |
Resource(s) |
(1) Mental Set |
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(2) Performance Indicators |
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(3) Instructional Input |
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(4) Modelling/Demonstration |
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(5) Understanding Check |
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(6) Guided Practice |
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(7) Capstone/ Closure |
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(8) Independent Practice |