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Aside from the grade level, writing lesson plans generally follows a format much like the outline below. While different teachers - and curricula - alter the format somewhat, the basics are the same.

Overview

This section contains the subject matter and an assessment of how much ground the class has covered in the topic area. The overview addresses the importance of the lesson within the context of the subject matter. It the topic is Supreme Court decisions, the overview might discuss the impact of high court decisions on everyday Americans.

Purpose

This section defines the overall goal of the lesson, both mandated academic requirements and actual educational value. Writing lesson plans should always include both elements, but it is important that the mandated goal not overshadow the learning involved.

* Personalize the educational goal. Write the lesson plan to define your purpose for each student: 'Every student will understand the importance of the First Amendment within the context of his personal life and the context of any professional goals he might have.'

Objective

The objective defines the activities to be completed and the learning to be accomplished. The students will have examined ten Supreme Court decisions and discussed their constitutional impact. They will have learned the manner in which cases come to the court, and impact that rulings have on current statutory law.

* Provide an example drawn from real life. Discuss how a civil rights decision forced dozens of states to rewrite school requirements. Writing lesson plans should include drama provided by dynamic examples.

Resources/Materials

When writing lesson plans every teacher lays out the material requirements for the lesson to be taught. This includes textbooks, specific library access requirements, any multimedia tools to be employed, and current events materials such as newspapers or magazines.

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* Ask the student to bring forth an example of the lesson topic's impact. A little guidance here will produce interesting stories. The relationship between Title XX of the Civil Rights Act and our professional female athletes, thirty five years later. As much as possible, write a lesson plan that highlights the potential impact of the topic on the individual student

Activities and Procedures

Usually, when writing lesson plans these sections discuss the classroom specifics. There is a list of daily activities that proscribe development of the overall lesson.

* Include a timetable. Don't just keep it in your head; itemize it in your plan.

+ Tying it all Together/Closure

This section can be not only a summation of the lesson, but a look forward. Here the lesson plan can connect what the students knew at the beginning and where the lesson has taken them. When writing lesson plans, you can also hint at what is to come next time.