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Lesson Planning Fundamentals
About this course
A practical course on planning a lesson backwards from what students must be able to do: writing sharp objectives, structuring and timing a 45-minute lesson, choosing activities and checks for understanding, and finishing with a one-page plan improved through peer review.
Learning outcomes
- Plan a lesson backwards from a textbook unit: standard, evidence, then activities
- Write observable learning objectives and test each one by asking 'could I see it?'
- Structure and time a 45-minute lesson, and decide what to cut when time runs short
- Choose activities, key questions and quick checks for understanding that match the objective
- Produce a one-page lesson plan, improve it through peer review and keep it reusable
Session plan
Backward Design: Start with the End
Plan a short lesson sequence backward: state what students must be able to do, decide the evidence, and only then choose activities.
Writing Learning Objectives That Work
Write one sharp, observable objective for a lesson chunk, name its Bloom level, and rewrite a vague objective using the 'could I see it?' test.
Structuring a 45-Minute Lesson
Build a 45-minute lesson sequence with five stages, a realistic time budget, and a clear decision about what to cut when time runs short.
Activities, Questions and Checks for Understanding
Choose an activity that matches one objective, write three key questions with wait time, plan one quick check for understanding, and predict the mistakes students will make.
Putting It Together: Plan, Peer-Review, Improve
Write a complete one-page lesson plan for a 45-minute lesson, review a colleague's plan with a checklist, and revise your own plan using the feedback.
Assessment
| Weight | Exemplary looks like | |
|---|---|---|
| Objective-writing exercise | 25% | Rewrites every vague objective so that it can be seen and checked |
| Lesson structure and timing | 35% | Builds a 45-minute lesson that adds up and names what to cut if time runs short |
| Final one-page lesson plan | 40% | Aligns objective, evidence and activities, and records what peer review changed |
Required readings
- Short introduction to backward design for classroom teachers
- Guide to Bloom's revised taxonomy and writing observable objectives
- Practical summary of lesson-structure and checking-for-understanding ideas
AI integration
AI tools can help with drafting: a first list of examples, a first version of a timing table or a tidy layout for your plan. They never replace your judgement about your pupils, your textbook and your 45 minutes, and they can sound sure while being wrong. Check every draft against your objective and the textbook, and never enter pupils' names or personal data. See course 5.9 (AI Literacy for Teachers) for the full routine. No activity here needs technology.