how to write a summary lesson plan

Summary Lesson Plans

Students can learn how to write summaries with the help of graphic organizers, and summarization lessons..

By Lesley Roberts

As we begin to reinforce strong comprehension skills, we must remember that one of the hardest skills to teach students is summarizing . It is hard for kids to distinguish between main ideas and supporting details, and it is this confusion that clouds students' understanding. Summarization includes recognizing the main ideas of a passage and being able to retell those ideas in a few sentences. How can you teach students how to determine the main ideas , and what's important and what's not?

Let's start with discussing the importance of summarization. As students identify links to prior knowledge and connections to main ideas in text, they enhance comprehension and retention. Summarization can also be considered as an organizational strategy, it promotes "deep processing" thinking skills, while building reference points to unknown information. A summary will usually have four defining features: (a) it will be short; (b) it will tell what is most important to the author; (c) it will be written "in students own words;" and (d) it will state the big ideas of the passage.

Teachers can promote student skill in summarizing by providing direct instruction about cues to identifying text-based importance. Students can also use thought maps to help them organize passage or paragraph summaries. Some teachers use cues such as the 5 W's in summarization of expository passages. Being able to pick out the "who, what, when, where, and why" details of a passage can help some students get on the right track to building strong summaries. In summarizing narrative text, students can use a similar strategy in which they start out using a graphic organizer in the shape of a 5x5 grid. The first row of the grid will contain the words of the following phrase: Somebody / Wanted / But / So / Then. Students will fill in the second row of the grid with corresponding details. If we use the story of "Little Red Riding Hood", it would look like this.

If we take the information from the graphic organizer and put it in summary format, it looks like this: Little Red Riding Hood wanted to go see her grandmother, but a big, bad wolf tried to trick her. So she screamed in fright and a woodsman came to save her. This strategy works well in whole group instruction as well as small group instruction.

The following lesson plans can help you implement these strategies. I found many other great lesson plans that can also assist in teaching summarization. Those listed below are just a few of the ones I found.

Summarizing Lesson Plans:

What Was That All About??? : This is a great lesson plan to use with students in third through fifth grades. It teaches the difference between important ideas and less important ideas.

Summary : In this lesson plan, students practice identifying elements of a good summary, and then create a summary in small groups and independently.

Using Important Events to Summarize Literary Text : This lesson plan allows students to practice writing summaries on short stories (picture or beginning books), and them write summaries for longer stories (novels).

Summarization : Students will incorporate cooperative and kinesthetic activities to learn about how to create a summary from a story read aloud to them.

To Make a Long Story Short. . . :  This lesson focuses on using news articles to strengthen the summarizing skills of middle and high school students.

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Teaching Summarizing So Students Actually Understand

Teaching summarizing seems like it should be easy. When 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students summarize, they don’t have to come up with any of their own ideas – all they have to do is briefly tell the most important parts of a book or reading passage that they read.

Sounds pretty easy...but it’s not.

Teachers have all sorts of cute and colorful ideas to teach summarizing strategies. If you search “summarizing” on Pinterest, you’ll see a huge variety of activities and ideas for summarizing fiction and nonfiction text.

There are anchor charts, graphic organizers, the “Somebody Wanted But So Then” method, the SAAC method, the 5 fingered retell, summarizing sentence starters, and more.

With all of these strategies, you would think our upper elementary students would be better at writing summaries.  However, many of these strategies and techniques do not address the root of why students struggle with summarizing.

Why Students Struggle With Summarizing Fiction and Nonfiction Texts

Text to text/self/world connections are not included in a good summary.

Usually, we want students to incorporate what they already know about a topic. We even take time in class to activate prior knowledge, knowing that students will better understand what they have read if they can relate to it.  We want them to make meaningful connections to the text.

But when summarizing, students aren’t supposed to incorporate any additional information – only the information that the author chose to include.

Including and Justifying Your Own Opinion is NOT Included in a Good Summary

Usually, we encourage students to think for themselves. We want students to share their opinions, and to justify that opinion.   We want students to learn how to disagree with an author and learn that authors aren't always right.  We want students to ask meaningful questions.

But when summarizing, students aren’t supposed to have their own opinion – they are simply supposed to explain what the author says and thinks.

A Lot of Interesting Details Are NOT Included in a Good Summary

Usually, we want students to share as many details as possible. How many times have you told a student that they need to add more details, write more, or make it longer? The more details students include, the better – except for in summarizing.

But when summarizing, students are supposed to only include the most important information. Which means students have to have a firm handle on how to find the main idea. No wonder students struggle with summarizing text!

What Makes a Good Summary

There are a lot of different things that make up a good summary - some things that should be included in a summary, and some things that should not be included. I've found that 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students struggle most with these aspects of summarizing fiction and informational texts:

• Summaries should only include information from the passage
• Summaries should not include your opinion
• Summaries should only include the most important information
• Summaries are not copied from the passage

Also, fiction summaries generally should include the problem and solution of a text.

Practicing each of these aspects of summarizing in isolation as mini lessons can help students become better summarizers.  However, just telling upper elementary students what makes up a good summary is not enough.

How to Teach Summarizing - An Important Activity Idea

Since summarizing goes against what students will naturally want to do, we can’t just tell students what makes a good summary and expect that to be enough. Students don’t just need to see examples of good summaries - they also need to see examples of BAD summaries and be able to understand what makes it “bad.”

Before your summarizing lesson, write several different summaries of a reading passage. Make a couple of these summaries deliberately BAD – include a summary that has all sorts of unimportant information, and another summary that includes opinions that aren’t from the text. Make sure you also have one “good” summary.

After reading the passage with your class (or in a small group setting), show students the different summaries. Have the students discuss in small groups or partners which summary is best, and what is wrong with the other summaries. Repeat this activity several times with different reading passages.

Incorporating “bad summaries” into your summary lessons will keep your students from making those same mistakes when they begin writing summaries. Although writing out extra summaries takes extra prep time, it will keep you from having so many frustrated and confused students later in the school year.

A No Prep Option for Your Summarizing Lesson Plans

If you don’t have the extra time to prepare both “good” and “bad” summaries (and what teacher DOES have extra time?), then you might like a no prep option. I have summarizing resources for both fiction and nonfiction texts, or get both of them for a discount. 

These resources provide reading passages with plenty of “bad” summaries and “good” summaries to help your students develop a better understanding of summary writing. The resources are also hands on, with several cut and paste activities and a scavenger hunt.

Or, you can find both the Summarizing Fiction and Summarizing Nonfiction resources at my TPT store.

Want Some Free, No Prep Main Idea Activities?

Awesome hands-on activity. Helps make this concept more concrete for students!

Thank you! I am a newer teacher and this was very insightful.

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Get the GIST: A Summarizing Strategy for Any Content Area

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In this series of lessons, students read newspaper articles obtained from newspaper websites. Students then identify journalism's "5 Ws and 1 H" (who, what, when, where, why, and how) and complete a template with the corresponding information they have found in the article. Finally, students use their notes to write a 20-word summary called a GIST. Once students have mastered writing a GIST using newspaper articles, the strategy is then applied to content area texts to support comprehension and summarizing skills.

From Theory to Practice

• All students benefit from strategy instruction. Too many strategies taught in a short amount of time do not lead to transfer or independent performance of the strategy because students are not able to practice before applying them to content. Therefore, students should learn one or two strategies to allow for transfer.
• Students need to learn a reading strategy out of context of the content area in order to effectively assimilate the strategy. Once students no longer need scaffolding using the strategy, application to content area is possible.
• The model for strategy instruction is–direct instruction, practice using curriculum-free materials, and application to curriculum.

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
• 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
• 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.

Materials and Technology

• Content area classroom texts
• Computers with Internet access
• Overhead projector (optional)
• GIST Template

Preparation

Student objectives.

Students will

• Learn and practice the gist summarizing strategy
• Apply the gist strategy to content area-reading assignments

Session 1: Introduction and Modeling

First, discuss with students what a GIST is and why it is a useful strategy. Often, one or two students will have heard the term before and the class will deduce that it means the process of summarizing information. Next, model the GIST process using a high-interest newspaper article. Stories that have recently been in the news are the most engaging. You may wish to use an overhead projector to allow the whole class to read and discuss sample articles together. Have students read the article along with you, and using the overhead projector, together fill in the "5Ws and H"-who, what, where, when, why, and how-on the GIST Template . Then ask students to try writing their own summaries, or GISTs, while you write your own. Next, share your GIST with the class and ask students to share theirs.

Session 2: Review and Assessment of Progress

Begin by reviewing what a GIST is and the purpose it serves. Then, provide students with an article and have them read along while it is read aloud. Have students work with partners to fill in the 5Ws and H and write GISTs about the article. While they work, you may wish to display the article using the overhead projector and informally assess student process by walking around the room to observe students and offer assistance. Finally, share your gist and ask students to share what they have written. [NOTE: If students need additional time to master the concept, repeat Session 2 with a new article before moving on to Session 3.]

Session 3: Introduction to Computer Research

Introduce students to using computers to access information they will use to complete the GIST Template . Give students a specific website article to begin with so everyone is using the same material. If you choose to have students access and complete the GIST Template on the computer, review the process of how to open the online GIST Template and move between the two website screens. Allow students to familiarize themselves with the activities, and monitor and help them as necessary.

Session 4: Independent Student Research

Tell students that they are now on their own and that they are to work independently to research information and complete the template. Have each student choose a news article using the list of newspaper websites. Tell students that the article must be at least five paragraphs long and must not be an editorial or opinion piece. Then, allow students to work on their own. Instruct each student to print both the article and the completed GIST Template , staple them together, and turn them in. Assess their work to see if students are ready to move on to applying the strategy to class texts. [NOTE: If students are not yet ready to move on to the next step, repeat Session 4, helping those that need further instruction. It is very important that this strategy is mastered before it is applied to a content area.]

Session 5: Application of GIST Strategy to Content Areas

Tell students that they will now apply the GIST strategy to classroom work. First, discuss how the GIST would be most helpful. Write students' suggestions on the board. Then, give students a content area selection to be read. Examples might include a fiction excerpt from a novel or short story or a section from a content area text. One positive aspect of this strategy is that it is applicable to any area. Students may complete the GIST either on the computer or on paper.

• Students may also provide responses to the articles to support further learning. For example, they can write about how the article makes them think and feel. Students can also write about possible solutions to a problem or situation that the article may pose.
• Students may use any of the following website activities to further their knowledge of the subject matter and may research additional resources on their own.
• ReadWriteThink lesson, "Research Building Blocks: Notes, Quotes, and Fact Fragments" : Students can use this lesson to apply and practice finding the 5Ws and H in this fact-finding activity.
• NationalGeographic.com : Students who have mastered the gist technique could begin exploring science- and social studies-related articles and complete gists on those articles. This site also has numerous student-friendly, educational games for students to complete that support middle-level content areas.

Student Assessment / Reflections

Teacher observation and anecdotal notes:

• Observe students in class during their research and writing time, and assess students' progress from answers elicited during class sharing and discussions.
• Assess students' application of the GIST strategy in appropriate situations and for use during content area assignments.

Assessment of written student responses. GISTs are teacher-scored on a 1-4 scale (as per Washington state WASL grading scale):

• Grade 4: Assigned to a GIST that goes above and beyond giving the reader a clear vision of the article and is written in a higher-level manner
• Grade 3: Average grade given to a GIST that addresses the 5Ws and H in sentence form and accurately reflects the article read
• Grade 2: Represents a GIST that either addresses the 5Ws and H or is a semi-accurate summary written in sentence form
• Grade 1: Representative of not understanding the assignment and using single words rather than complete sentences

Students could assess themselves and their peers by sharing articles and gists. Students read the article first and then read the GIST to see if it accurately reflects the article.

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How to Teach Summary Writing: Easy Lesson Planning Guide

Last Updated: July 18, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Tristen Bonacci and by wikiHow staff writer, Janice Tieperman . Tristen Bonacci is a Licensed English Teacher with more than 20 years of experience. Tristen has taught in both the United States and overseas. She specializes in teaching in a secondary education environment and sharing wisdom with others, no matter the environment. Tristen holds a BA in English Literature from The University of Colorado and an MEd from The University of Phoenix. There are 7 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 40,135 times.

Summary writing is a really valuable skill, but it can be tricky to teach new students. If your pupils are young kids or ESL learners, they may not understand the purpose of summaries, or have some difficulty expressing themselves in a concise way. With a bit of time, patience, and repetition, you can guide your students through the summary process while providing support and encouragement along the way!

Going over the Basics

• Be encouraging throughout your lesson! Summarizing can be confusing and stressful to new students, and your support and knowledge will help put them at ease.
• It may help to use a projector, PowerPoint, or other visual aid while you’re explaining the basics of summarizing.

• For instance, if you’re teaching younger kids, consider using an excerpt from a children’s book. If you’re working with older kids, use an article, biography, or other passage that’s easy to understand.

• You can find useful templates online, like ReadWriteThink’s website.

Did you know? Many teachers use the GIST method when teaching summaries, which involves writing down the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the passage down on a separate worksheet. If you want to take baby steps into the summary process, encourage your students to first write a 20-word summary, or “gist,” after answering these basic questions.

• For instance, if you were to summarize the movie Titanic , you may say something like: “A wealthy woman and a poor man meet on an expensive cruise ship. As the ship sets sail, they both fall in love despite extra complications. Their journey ultimately ends in tragedy as the boat sinks in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.”
• Remind your students that they’ve probably summarized a story before, like whenever they describe a movie or TV show to a friend.

Creating a Summary

• For instance, if you were reading a story like “Cinderella,” some main ideas could be how Cinderella’s stepsisters ruined her dress, or how the fairy godmother gives her a new dress to wear.
• If you’re working with older students and reading a book like “The Pearl,” you may want to focus on when Kino first finds the pearl, as well as when he tries to sell it.

• For example, in “Cinderella”, the fairy godmother giving Cinderella a dress and carriage would be more important info to include in a summary than the fact that Cinderella had a dog and cat.
• If you’re working with older students, you may work with a story like “The Great Gatsby.” In this case, a main idea would be the pursuit and failure to find happiness, as opposed to a statement on what Gatsby’s home looked like.

• If you’re summarizing an article or passage where someone is stating their opinion, use phrases like “according to” to keep your summary unbiased.
• If you’re summarizing a story like “Jack and the Beanstalk”, try writing a summary like this: “Jack uses his family’s money to buy a packet of magic beans. To prove to his annoyed mother that he didn’t waste their money, Jack plants the seeds and climbs the beanstalk that grows. At this point, he finds a giant’s kingdom and steals their golden egg, which provides lots of money for Jack’s family in the end.”

• If the original text says something like, “The girl ran through the woods to escape her attacker,” you can paraphrase it to “A wolf started chasing the girl, so she ran very fast to get away.”
• If an essay or article says something like, “The government will try to pass the new law next year,” you can paraphrase it to “According to members of the government, the traffic law will be passed relatively soon.”

• For instance, a concluding sentence for a summary of “Star Wars Episode 6” could be: “Luke, Leia, and Han reflect on the past before focusing on everything the future holds for them.”

Providing Extra Support and Encouragement

• Remind your students that you’re there to help if needed.
• For instance, if you and your students are reading “Romeo and Juliet”, you could mark down the “who” as Romeo and Juliet, the “what” as a tragic love story, the “where” as Verona, the “when” as Shakespearean era, the “why” as a family feud, and the “how” as a pair of tragic suicides.

• For example, in a summary of “Three Little Pigs,” you can write something like: “Three pigs have their lives frequently disrupted by a villainous wolf who destroys their home. They are finally safe when they seek shelter in a sturdy house that the wolf cannot blow away.”
• A summary of “The Outsider” might sound like this: “Several boys are involved in a gang conflict that threatens to tear apart their small community.”

Tip: If you’re students are having trouble writing short, concise summaries, encourage them to summarize a passage in 1-3 sentences. Once they get the hang of writing short summaries, encourage them to add a little more information. [12] X Trustworthy Source Reading Rockets Online resource supported by PBS providing research-based strategies for assisting children to become confident readers Go to source

• A verbal summary may sound like this: “Star Wars starts off in a galaxy far, far away, where a galactic war is currently going on. The heroes of the franchise, Luke and Leia, fight against their long-lost father, who’s the main enemy.”

Expert Q&A

• It may help to create a lesson plan before you dive into teaching summary writing. [15] X Trustworthy Source Read Write Think Online collection of reading and writing resources for teachers and students. Go to source Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1
• Use a summary map if your students are visual learners. This may help them better understand the summarizing process. [16] X Trustworthy Source Reading Rockets Online resource supported by PBS providing research-based strategies for assisting children to become confident readers Go to source Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
• As an extra challenge, have your students write a summary without looking at the original passage. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/gist-summarizing-strategy-content-290.html?tab=4#tabs
• ↑ Tristen Bonacci. Licensed English Teacher. Expert Interview. 21 December 2021.
• ↑ https://busyteacher.org/6214-how-to-teach-summary-writing.html
• ↑ https://study.com/academy/lesson/how-to-write-a-summary-lesson-for-kids.html
• ↑ https://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/summarizing
• ↑ https://public.wsu.edu/~mejia/Summary.htm
• ↑ https://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~degray/BSE18-spring/ClassSummaries.pdf

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Creating Lesson Plans

There are many approaches to writing lesson plans. Some instructors develop their plans independently from scratch, while others borrow plans from a shared curriculum. Some carefully write out all the details for their lesson, while others use a brief outline. Your approach to writing lesson plans will depend on various factors: how well you know the material you're teaching, how long you've been teaching, the kinds of teaching you've done, and the students you expect to have in your class. There is no single formula for writing lesson plans, but this guide will help you think through some of the processes that other instructors have found valuable to their own lesson planning.

Guidelines for writing lesson plans:

Consider Your Destination

Sequence your objectives, know your time frame.

• Create Activities to Meet Your Objectives

Check for Understanding

Sample lesson plan format.

• Citation Information

When creating lesson plans, always keep your destination in mind. Where do you want students to end up? If you're planning daily activities, think about how these activities connect to the larger goals for the course. Ask yourself, how will each activity prepare students for the upcoming portfolio assignment? Assuming that your assignment sheets accurately reflect the course goals, use them at the beginning of each unit to determine:

• What is the overall goal for this assignment? What is the assignment asking students to do?
• What knowledge do students already have that will help them meet the goals for writing this assignment?
• What skills and concepts will students need to meet the goals for this assignment?

From these questions, create a list of smaller objectives to use as stepping stones for your destination. If you are planning writing assignments for student portfolios, your list of objectives may include:

Portfolio 1 - Objectives for Teaching Summary/Response

• Students will think about their purpose, audience and context for writing.
• Students will use critical thinking skills and critical reading strategies to become better writers.
• Students will practice writing academic summaries.
• Students will practice writing different types of response.
• Students will learn to develop a claim and support that claim with reasons and evidence.
• Students will learn to value revision through workshops and other peer review activities.

While sequencing your objectives, consider how each one builds off another. How might one objective prepare students for learning another? If reading critically helps students summarize an argument, you might address your critical reading objective before teaching summary.

Also, think about what your students know. Given the information they already have, which objectives would be best met at certain points in the unit? Will simpler objectives work better at the start of a unit? Will more complicated objectives make clearer sense to students after some basic objectives have already been met?

Finally, determine how your sequencing of objectives will best meet these goals and requirements for the upcoming assignment.

While sequencing your objectives, be aware of the amount of time allotted for each portfolio. Based on the overall goals for the portfolio, determine how much time you will need to spend addressing each objective. Keep in mind that a single lesson will address only one or two objectives. Some of these goals will be easily met, while others will present a challenge for students. You may decide to build in extra time to review concepts that are more challenging.

Try to be flexible, but remain within a reasonable time frame. Spending three days on one essay may be too much (even if students are thrilled by the subject matter). One strategy to help you keep up your pace, is to utilize outside resources such as the CSU Writing Center or online tutorials. The Writing at CSU home page contains plenty of online resources as well. Use these resources to compliment discussions and save you some time in class.

Below is an example for how you might organize your sequence and time frame for the first student portfolio:

Portfolio I - Sequence and Time Frame for Objectives:

• Students will begin to think about their purpose, audience and context for writing. (day 1)
• Students will use critical thinking skills and critical reading strategies to become better writers. (day 2)
• Students will practice writing academic summaries. (days 3 - 4)
• Students will practice writing different types of response. (days 5 - 6)
• Students will learn to develop a claim and support that claim with reasons and evidence. (day 7)
• Students will learn to value revision through workshops and other peer- review activities. (day 8)

Develop Activities to Meet Objectives

Once you've sequenced your objectives within a given time frame, the next step is to create activities that will help students meet each objective. Decide which activities are most relevant to your desired objectives. Take the time to revise existing activities and to create new ones that meet the needs of your class. You may also combine activities or eliminate some that seem less related to your objectives.

Two questions that you should always keep in mind when constructing activities are: "What do my students already know that will help them meet a desired objective?" And, "What activities will best help students meet a desired objective?"

Below is an example illustrating how you might design activities to meet a particular objective:

Objective: Students will use critical thinking skills and critical reading strategies to become better writers.

Activities:

• Define critical reading and provide a list of strategies on an overhead (this is useful because many students do not know what critical reading is).
• Model critical reading strategies (show students how to implement critical reading strategies).
• Have students practice critical reading strategies with their homework.
• Ask students to respond to an in class writing, describing their experience with the critical reading assignment. Have them speculate as to how this process of critical reading will influence their own writing. As a group, discuss the connection between reading and writing.

Just as you did with objectives, you'll need to create a sequence and time frame for your activities. Which activities should come first? How much class time will each activity take? Planning this out ahead of time will help you create smoother transitions between activities and it will help you connect your activities to larger, writing-related objectives.

The final step in planning lessons is to make time for assessing students' learning. How will you check to see that students understand the new concepts you're teaching? When will you revisit the material that they didn't quite grasp?

Intervention along the way can help you learn what students are struggling with. Many instructors collect homework once a week, or assign quizzes and short writing exercises to assess their students' progress. Conferences and e-mail exchanges are other effective means for gauging students' understanding.

Depending on what you learn from using evaluative measures, you may need to revise your lesson plans. If students' homework indicates that they're having trouble summarizing main points, you may spend the first fifteen minutes of the next class reviewing this concept. Addressing such struggles early on will help students face the more challenging objectives that follow.

Just as you did with objectives, you'll need to create a sequence and time frame for your activities. Which activities should come first? How much class time will each activity take? Planning this out ahead of time will help you create smoother transitions between activities, and help you connect your activities to larger, writing-related objectives.

Course: Date: Materials needed: Class Announcements:

• Class Objectives: Write out the goals or objectives for class. Try to limit these to one or two things.
• Connection to Course Goals: Describe how your daily objectives connect to the overall course goals.
• Anticipatory Set: Sometimes referred to as a "hook." Use an informal Writing to Learn (WTL) exercise, a question, a quote, or an object to focus students' attention at the start of class. This activity should be brief and directly related to the lesson.
• Introduction: Write down what you'll need to inform students of the daily goals and class procedures. Be sure to explain how these procedures relate to students' own writing.
• Procedures: List your activities, including any discussion questions and transitions along the way.
• Conclusion: Describe the objective for the lesson and point students forward by connecting your objective to their own writing.
• What to do Next Time: Leave space in your plan to reflect on the lesson and suggest future changes.

Also see the guide on Planning a Class for help with writing introductions, transitions, and conclusions.

Eglin, Kerry. (2008). Creating Lesson Plans. Writing@CSU . Colorado State University. https://writing.colostate.edu/teaching/guide.cfm?guideid=96

• Lesson Title
• Grade Level
• Subject or Topic
• Preparation
• Instructional Plan or Teaching Sequence
• Differentiation
• Homework/Assignments
• Additional Notes

Tips for How to Write a Lesson Plan for English

Tips for how to write a lesson plan for maths, tips for how to write a lesson plan for science, tips for how to write a lesson plan for art, tips for how to write a lesson plan for physical education, how to create a lesson plan.

Introduction

Steps to Creating an Effective Lesson Plan

1. lesson title.

a. Reflect the Content

B. be engaging, c. be specific, 2. grade level.

a. Grade or Age Group

B. prior knowledge, c. appropriate content, d. cognitive development, recommended for you, 3. subject or topic.

a. Clear Identification

B. alignment with curriculum, c. relevance, d. conciseness, 4. duration.

a. Time Allocation

B. realistic estimate, c. flexibility, d. alignment with schedule, e. include breaks, 5. objective.

b. Measurability

C. alignment, d. realistic expectations, e. relevance, 6. materials.

a. Comprehensive List

B. specifics, c. preparation, d. availability, e. accessibility, 7. preparation.

a. Advance Planning

B. timeline, c. resources, d. checklist, e. contingency plans, 8. instructional plan or teaching sequence, 1. introduction of chapter and topic.

2. Content Presentation

3. Activities and Exercises

4. Assessment

9. Differentiation

a. Understanding Student Diversity

B. inclusive strategies, c. accommodations, d. extensions, e. grouping, f. assessment flexibility, 10. homework/assignments.

a. Assignment Description

C. due date, d. resources, e. grading criteria, 11. reflection.

a. Observations

B. challenges, c. student engagement, d. assessment of learning, f. adjustments, g. next steps, 12. additional notes.

a. Clarifications

B. special considerations, c. reminders, d. alternative approaches, e. references, f. next steps, bonus content.

Sample Lesson Plan

Bonus: tips for crafting subject-specific lesson plans, unlock exclusive content – sign up now.

Focus on Core Skills

• Identify the key language skills you want students to develop, such as reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
• Align lesson activities with specific language goals to ensure a comprehensive approach.

Incorporate Literature

• Integrate literary works that resonate with your students to make the learning experience more engaging.
• Encourage critical thinking and analysis through discussions about themes, characters, and plot structures.

Include Creative Writing

• Devote time to creative writing exercises that allow students to express themselves.
• Provide constructive feedback to nurture their writing skills and foster a love for language.

Clearly Define Objectives

• Specify the mathematical concepts and skills students should grasp by the end of the lesson.
• Break down complex topics into manageable learning objectives.

Utilize Visual Aids

• Integrate visual representations, charts, and diagrams to enhance understanding of mathematical concepts.
• Encourage students to create their visual aids to reinforce learning.

Incorporate Real-World Applications

• Relate mathematical concepts to real-life situations to demonstrate their practical relevance.
• Design activities that challenge students to apply mathematical principles in problem-solving scenarios.

Hands-On Experiments

• Prioritize hands-on experiments to make scientific concepts tangible.
• Ensure safety measures are communicated and followed during practical sessions.

Use Multimedia Resources

• Integrate videos, simulations, and interactive tools to supplement theoretical explanations.
• Appeal to various learning styles by incorporating a multimedia approach.

Encourage Inquiry-Based Learning

• Foster curiosity and critical thinking by structuring lessons around inquiry-based activities.
• Guide students to ask questions, formulate hypotheses, and conduct investigations.

Creative Expression

• Prioritize activities that allow students to express their creativity through various art forms.
• Provide opportunities for experimentation with different materials and techniques.

Art History Exploration

• Explore different art movements and styles to broaden students' understanding of artistic traditions.
• Discuss the cultural and historical context of famous artworks.

Skill Progression

• Design lessons that focus on the progressive development of motor skills and physical abilities.
• Incorporate activities that cater to various fitness levels and interests.

Team Building and Sportsmanship

• Integrate team sports and cooperative activities to promote teamwork and sportsmanship.
• Emphasize the importance of fair play and positive attitudes in physical activities.

Pre-Primary Teacher

Assistant teacher, primary teacher, post graduate teacher, head of department, format of a stellar lesson plan with samples, how to create a lesson plan, different types of lesson plans, common mistakes in lesson plans, wrapping up, good news, frequently asked questions.

Yes, lesson plans can be adapted by adjusting the complexity of tasks, modifying resources, and considering the developmental stages of students. Flexibility is key in catering to various grade levels.

Depending on the subject, you can integrate technology by using educational apps, interactive presentations, or online resources. Ensure that technology enhances the learning experience without being a distraction.

Let's consider a high school Biology lesson about cellular processes. Instead of a traditional lecture, you decide to leverage technology to make the topic more interactive. You introduce an educational app that allows students to explore virtual cells, witness cellular activities, and even simulate experiments. To learn more on how to integrate technology into your classroom, watch this masterclass for free !

Reflection is key. After the lesson, consider what worked well and what could be improved. Collect feedback from students and be open to adjusting your approach based on their responses. Read this blog on Reflection in Teaching to gain insights to practice reflection in your teaching process.

While it's important to have a plan, flexibility is crucial. Be prepared to adapt based on the needs of your students, unexpected class dynamics, or if an activity is taking more or less time than anticipated.

While formats may vary, a typical lesson plan includes above mentioned sections like objectives, materials, procedures, assessment, and closure. The key is clarity and organization to guide effective teaching.

Stay calm and be adaptable. Have a few backup activities or quick engagement strategies on hand. Establish clear classroom expectations to minimize disruptions. Let's say you're in the middle of explaining a complex math concept, and suddenly there's a loud noise from the hallway that grabs everyone's attention. Instead of getting flustered, take a moment to address the distraction calmly. You might say, "It seems like there's a bit of noise from the hallway. Let's all take a deep breath and refocus on our learning.”

It's possible to use existing lesson plans as a template, but tailor them to suit your teaching style, students, and classroom dynamics. Personalizing the content will make it more effective for your students.

Encourage open communication with students and colleagues. Seek feedback on the clarity of instructions, engagement level, and overall effectiveness. Continuous improvement is a key aspect of teaching.

Simran Agarwal

Simran is a writer here at Suraasa and has formerly worked as a Teacher. She is passionate about learning and making a difference through her words.