Lesson+Planning+Strategies+and+Resources

Lesson Planning Strategies and Resources

"Careful lesson planning can help to insure the successful running of your courses. Incorporating best practices in teaching and learning into the design process will help students meet learning objectives for your course. There are many different styles of lesson planning, but most contain similar elements, based on what is known about promoting student learning." Promoting students' learning is dependent on what they //already// know, what they are interested in, and having students understand and engaged in the information.

For many teachers, planning lessons that are interesting, engaging, and accessible to students is no small task. Lessons plans must gain attention, inform learners of the objective, present the content, provide learning guidance, provide feedback, assess performance, and enhance retention. This long list of goals can be met through various activities and strategies that can be easily integrated into the lesson plan. The following collection of resources allows any individual to construct a lesson plan that assesses pre-requsite skills, activates prior knowledge, interests students, and checks for understanding. [Citation Below] toc



In General
[|NTCM Lesson Plans] This resource provides a search engine for lesson plans by grade and by standard (or topic). Upon clicking the "search" button, lesson plans that relate to the standard come up. Each lesson plan provided gives a brief description of what the lesson accomplishes, the objectives, the materials, an instructional plan, questions for students, extensions, assessment options, and questions for students.

This lesson plans are rich as is or can be adapted to incorporate other ideas, topics, ideas, or skills. Each lesson plan is centered around an activity that provides the material in a unique and interesting way that will appeal to many types of learners. Many of the instructional plans (teaching and learning sequences) appear to accommodate several of the multiple intelligences effortlessly, thus an even more appealing resource to use.

[|Awesome Library] This resource provides an index of resources related to middle school and high school mathematics. The index is organized in several ways: by topic, by standard, pre-algebra, algebra, probability/statistics, pre-calculus, calculus, trigonometry, and problem solving. Clicking on one of these links redirects to a new page that lists links to further resources by standards, grades, and topic. A number of resources are provided under each link.

[|Learning Contracts]  A learning contract is an agreement between a teacher and a student that defines self-directed learning projects. Learning contracts guide learning and clarify how students will be assessed. The contract is developed collaboratively by the teacher and the student and may be used for courses, learning units, independent studies, or students who are absent for extended periods of time.

This resource provides an introduction, a breakdown of the five elements generally found in a learning contract, an instructional sequence explaining how to construct a learning contract, as well as samples and resources that help teachers set up an effective and appropriate learning contract for the situation and student it is designed for.

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Hooks
<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">[|MathTeamLessonHookandLaunchesHandouts] <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;"> This resource is a .pdf file that begins by introducing research about teaching and learning mathematics in a way that establishes an effective mathematics classroom. The resources emphasizes students interaction and activities that are structured in ways that allow students to explore, explain, extend, and evaluate their progress. Then, the resource discusses classroom observations, more specifically, what the teacher and the students should be doing during the course of a lesson. This is all leading up to a suggestion of hook activities to be used to introduce the lesson.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">The main part of this document introduces and describes a list of hook activities that can be used to engage students and create effective instruction. Some of the hooks that are suggested for this lesson are: brown bag, gallery walk, survey, stumped, song, experiment, skit/dress up, news, play a game, uses a visual, tell a joke, or give a scenario. Many of these can be used in conjunction or as a motivational strategy to create an interesting and engaging lesson for students.

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<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Pre- Requsite Skills
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<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Graphic Organizers
<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;"> [|ED Helper] <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Many of the organizers this site are designed for general use. To keep things flexible, most directions and labels on the organizers do not give many details for how to use it. When a student first uses one kind of organizer, it is recommended that a sample organizer be drawn on the board for the class to fill in together. This also gives the opportunity for students to understand that sometimes there might be more answers than there are spaces on the organizer. You can fill in part of the organizer or add specific directions before photocopying it for the class.Graphic organizers can be used to reinforce topics from any subject.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">This site offers links to general graphic organizers, sorting graphic organizers, graphs and charts graphic organizers, sequencing graphic organizers, storytelling graphic organizers, Venn diagram graphic organizers, and KWL graphic organizers. Some seem a little age inappropriate, however they can be adapted to work in the appropriate situation.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">[|EDU Place] <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">This resource provides an index of graphic organizers appropriate for any discipline. This resource explains that graphic organizers "help students classify ideas and communicate more effectively. Graphic organizers can be used to structure writing projects, to help in problem solving, decision making, studying, planning research, and brainstorming. The index provides .pdf files that allow the user to view and select a graphic organizer based on preferences.

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<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Activating Prior Knowledge
<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Strategy Bank: Activating Prior Knowledge] <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">This resource is created by West Virginia Department of Education. They recognize "activating prior knowledge as important because it helps students make connections to the new information they will be learning. By tapping into what students already know, teachers can assist students with the learning process."

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Activating Prior Knowledge: TeacherVision] <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">This resource provides the following description for their perception of activating prior knowledge, why it should be taught, and what it looks like: "Call it schema, relevant background knowledge, prior knowledge, or just plain experience, when students make connections to the text that they are reading, their comprehension increases. Good readers constantly try to make sense out of what they read by seeing how it fits with what they already know. When we help students make those connections before, during, and after they read, we are teaching them a critical comprehension strategy that the best readers use almost unconsciously.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">[| Prior Knowledge.doc] <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">This document offers strategies and activities that can be included into lessons plans to help students active their prior knowledge when learning new content. Some of the strategies described in this document include anticipation guides, KWL's, brainstorming, clustering, "LINK"ing, picture puzzles, and graffiti activities.

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<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Checking for Understanding
<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Checking for Understanding Strategies] <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">This .pdf file offers a list of checking for understanding strategies with a corresponding description on how to administer the strategy. Some of the strategies that are: "Fist to Five", 4-3-2-1 Scoring Scale, ABCD Whisper, Capacity Matrix, "Circle, Triangle, Square", Clickers, "Decisions, Decisions", Exit Tickets, Example/Non-Example, Flag It, and Handprint, among others.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Diffchecklist.doc] <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">This document provides a checklist for teachers to review their teaching styles. It checks to make sure lessons are differentiated by resource, task, support, and response. In planning lessons, it is important for teachers to use a variety of strategies to aid in their differentiation. This is an appropriate way to self-review and document strategies that have been used to vary instruction while teaching students content.

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<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Activities
<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Manipulatives] <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Algebra, Geometry and Trigonometry can be challenging and complex subjects for many high school students in the United States. These subjects are usually taught using textbooks, workbooks and examinations. While these resources are essential in developing learning skills in math, it doesn’t encourage problem-solving skills and retention. It is not surprising to learn many students view math as boring, difficult and irrelevant, rather than fun and interesting. High school math should be taught in a way in which students can grasp and understand skills. Manipulatives are visual objects that help illustrate mathematical relationships and applications. These resources are used primarily in elementary schools and somewhat in middle schools. Manipulatives are valuable resources for accelerating and deepening students understanding of math, yet its use is almost non-existent in high school. Marilyn Burns, Creator of Math Solutions has "used manipulative materials at all levels for 30 years." In every decade since 1940, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has encouraged the use of manipulatives at all grade levels (Bellonio), yet many high school teachers are reluctant to use this type of resource.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">[|National Library of Virtual Manipulatives] <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">This resource provides an index of virtual manipulatives organized by content and grade level. Each of the manipluatives are resourced designed and developed by NLVM and allow students to investigate mathematics through the use of activities and games. Many of the manipulatives require students to explore patterns or detect themes revolving around a central topic.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">[|SET] <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">The game SET provides a multitude of mathematical question for students of all levels, and students learn a lot of combinatoric theory while having fun. Students develop mathematically sound strategies in order to improve their game. The cards serve as manipulaitves that students use in order to develop more abstract thinking. Students think about questions and begin to ask their own questions. The game provides an excellent context in which to promote problem solving and deductive reasoning in discrete mathematics ideas that need to be emphasized in the high school curriculum.

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<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Response to Intervention & Tiering
<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Response to Intervention (RTI) <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">The <span class="wiki_link_ext">National Center on Response to Intervention (RTI) states, "Rigorous implementation of RTI includes a combination of high quality, culturally and linguistically responsive instruction; assessment; and evidence-based intervention. Comprehensive RTI implementation will contribute to more meaningful identification of learning and behavioral problems, improve instructional quality, provide all students with the best opportunities to succeed in school, and assist with the identification of learning disabilities and other disabilities."

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">This resource provides an image and a breakdown of each of the tiers to better help accommodate students teach mathematics instruction.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Tiering] <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Meeting the varied learning needs of adolescents is a big challenge. Conceived with diverse classrooms in mind, this blog is dedicated to those of you who are constantly searching for ways to better serve your students.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">The 2007 //Educational Leadership// article, “When Students Choose the Challenge,” generated a lot of questions about the tiered, Challenge by Choice approach. This site was created to offer information and support. I’m really grateful to visitors who have pushed me to add or clarify content. Sharing CbC has offered so many fun and unanticipated opportunities to connect with like-minded educators around the world.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">[|What is Tiering?] <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">In this video, teacher interviews and classroom footage explore the practice of creating tiered assignments. This video is one in a four-part series about tiering.

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<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 70%;">[|Instruction and Resources Introduction Quote:] Penn State University. (2009) //Lesson Planning Overview.// Penn State. http://www.personal.psu.edu/scs15/idweb/lessonplanning.htm