The Web is always changing and evolving--new information is continually being added, new sites created, and new tools available. This is the spot for staying on top of this evolving world!
As the school year approaches, new and experienced teachers, teacher educators, and student teachers all intensify their instructional planning. A key element of this is preparing lesson plans. While they may vary somewhat in detail, almost all lesson plans include four basic components: instructional objectives (stated as student outcomes), learning activities, materials needed, and procedures for evaluation of what students have learned. For most teachers, the development of a lesson plan is not necessarily a linear process. Rather, planning is often a cyclical process: overall objectives are identified first and then, as learning activities begin to take shape, the more precise specification of objectives occurs. As learning activities are refined, materials are designated, and procedures for measuring student outcomes are identified. Lesson plans typically are designed for daily learning activities. They are typically component parts of larger unit plans that take place over several days or weeks and have broader learner objectives. Lesson plans not only deal with objectives and learning activities for the classroom as a whole, but also are tailored to individual students' needs and skills as appropriate.
Research shows that lesson plan clarity is related to teaching effectiveness: clear lessons are an attribute of effective teachers. This does not mean that lesson plans should become "scripts" that must be followed precisely. They typically require some modification based on the students and their prior knowledge, the attributes of the learning environment, and the available instructional resources. Most lesson plans need to be tried out and revised in order that they can serve as effective frameworks for instruction by a particular teacher, in his or her classroom, with a unique group of learners.
What's New on the Net identifies excellent sites for finding lesson plans on the World Wide Web. The number of outstanding lesson plan sites on the Web is large, providing an exceptional resource for educators at any point in their training or career.
Ask ERIC Lesson PlansBusy Teachers WebsiteCore Knowledge Home Page - Lesson And Units
Critical Thinking Community Lesson Plans
Crossroads - American History Lesson Plans
Edgar Dale Media Center Lessons PlansGeography Education - National Geographic Lesson Plans
Health Lesson PlansHeritage Online: K-12 Lesson Plan Resources
Kathy Schrock's Guide for EducatorsLawrence Berkeley Laboratory's Scientific Research Lesson Plans
Learning from Satellites -- NASA
Library of Congress: Lesson Plans and Primary Sources
Mapping Lesson Plans -- K-12
Poetry and Literature Lesson Plans
Ron MacKinnon's Educational Bookmarks
Teachers Helping Teachers -- Math Lesson Plans
Teachers' Pet
You Can With Beakman and Jax
July 10, 1997 -- Best Web Sites for K-12 Education April 16, 1997 -- Critical Thinking February 22, 1997 --The Internet and World Wide Web in K-12 Education December 19, 1996 --Multiple Intelligences Theory November 21, 1996 --Arts Education October 23, 1996 --Mathematics and Science Education September 18, 1996 --Principles of Motivation August 15, 1996 --Promoting Safe, Disciplined Schools July 16, 1996 --Addressing the Needs of Gifted and Talented Students. June 24, 1996 --Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) May 22, 1996 --Urban Schools and Disadvantaged Students May 1, 1996 --Educational Assessment Approaches April 17, 1996 --Diversity in The Nation's Classrooms April 3, 1996 --The 1996 National Education Summit: Education Standards March 22, 1996 --Reading and Writing Initiatives March 7, 1996 --Education, Motivation, and Life Success Feb. 21, 1996 --Technology and America's Schools Feb. 6, 1996 --Social Studies and Character Development
