DEAKIN UNIVERSITY: LESSON PLANNING TEMPLATE: School of Education
Date: 19th March 2020
Mentor Teacher: Megan Mclaren
Duration of the lesson: 1 hr – broken up into
segements to follow WVPS reading sequence
Title of lesson/activity: Writing focus
Intended Learning Outcomes/Learning
intentions:
 What will the students be able to know and do by
the completion of this lesson?
Success Criteria:
 How will you know that the students have
successfully achieved the learning
outcome/intention?
Prior Learning and Experiences:
 How will students’ prior learning and experiences
be used in this lesson?
Links to the curriculum (Victorian Curriculum)
and to the curriculum planning of the school
Student Group: 6MM
School: Wyndham Vale Primary School
Class size: 17 children (dependant on attendance due to COVID – 19).
WALT ask ‘think and search’ questions.
We can share our knowledge of ‘think and search’ questions.
I can create ‘think and search’ questions
I can use evidence to explain why my questions are think and search questions.
I can…
Share my knowledge of ‘think and search’ questions.
Create ‘think and search’ questions.
Explain why your questions are ‘think and search’ questions.
Students have been engaging in lessons that explore their understand of prior
learning and how they can apply their prior learning and experience to help them
engage in working towards their learning goals.
Students have previously discussed think and thin questions – therefore, will be
expanding their knowledge base in asking questions to gain a deeper understanding of
the text.
Use comprehension strategies to interpret and analyse information and ideas,
comparing content from a variety of textual sources including media and digital
texts (VCELY347)
Resources, Materials and Organisation:
 What additional human and physical resources
will be required for this activity?
 What specific teaching materials will need to be
prepared?
 How will ICT be utilised in the lesson?
 What OH&S factors will need to be considered for
this activity?
Learning intentions will be displayed upon beginning the lesson in A3 display book.
Different coloured markers to pull apart and discuss learning intention.
A white board to visually explore think and search questions? What is a think and
search question?
ICT will be used as a tool to watch an audio book for questions to be based on.
Children will be on the mat with the teacher conducting lesson at the front of the
classroom.

Teaching Strategies and lesson structure: What you as teacher will
do?
Prompts for your planning:
*Following WVPS Reading
 How will the lesson and ideas be introduced and Block template
made relevant to the students?
 How will you engage the class?
The learning intention will
be introduced = WALT
‘think and search’
questions
 What specific teaching and learning strategies will
‘what is a think and search
you use for the lesson? question’. Define ‘think’.
 What exactly will the students be required to do Define ‘search’.
and what will be your role?
 How will you create a collaborative learning Answers are gathered from
environment and how will the classroom be several parts of the book
arranged to support this?
 How will you include all learners? What Curriculum and put together to make
and Pedagogy adaptations or modifications will be meaning.
required? * For what reason _______?
 How will you differentiate learning opportunities * What caused ________?
for diverse learners? * Tell me in your own
 How will you ensure the students are on-task and
words
what strategies will you use to support positive
behaviour? * What happened, first
second, third?
* What are the
 How will you draw ideas together and conclude the characteristics of ______?
lesson? * Explain __________
 How will you conclude the learning experience/
learning findings?
* Find two examples
_________
What are the students Timing
doing?
*Following WVPS
*Following WVPS Reading Reading Block
Block template template
Beginning
The students will be 5 mintue warm up
offering
suggestions/information 15 minute explicit
based on teach.
questions/prompts that I
ask. 20 mintute
independent activity /
The students will be guided reading lesson
situated on the mat – with
the teacher at the front of 5 mintue share
the classroom addressing
the whole class. 15 mintue work on
The whole class will be individual goal
encouraged to share their
ideas and participate in 5 minute share how
group learning. you have worked on
your goals.
 *Compare and contrast
_____________
* Summarize
_____________________

Throughout the beginning

of the lesson students will
be encouraged to recall on
prior learning to establish
the meaning of ‘think and
search’ and apply this
knowledge to the
immediate lesson.

I will model applying ‘think

and search’ questioning to
a text – to further establish
an understanding of the
text.

Expectations of each
learner will differ based on
learning levels and my own
prior knowledge of each
learning level.
My questioning
strategy/level of
questioning will differ
based on my own prior
knowledge.

I will ‘cold call’ on students

that do not put their hand
up to contribute to
discussions (based on
mentor teacher feedback
and advice).
 Children will be
encouraged to move to
individual learning spaces
and complete preplanned
worksheet.

Middle

Students will be
completeing work sheet
I will walk around the previously designed to
room and touch base with further their understand of
each child when they are what a ‘search and think’
completeing each question is and how to
worksheet. Assistance in provide evidene that it is.
the form of
questioning/prompting
and modelling will be
provided dependant on
student level.

Conclusion
Students will share their
question and their
understanding/evidence to
I will call on a range of support it being a ‘think

Reflection and Self Evaluation:
 What aspects of the lesson seemed to be most
valuable?
 What aspects of the lesson could be improved and
how could they be improved?
 What follow-up will be required from this lesson?
students to share their and search’ question
question and their
evidence of it being a ‘think Students will work on their
and search’ question. individual reading goal and
share with the class if time
Teacher will direct permits.
students to work on their
individual reading goal
independtley / share their
evidence if time permits
Valuable moments of the lesson
The most valuable moments seemed to be when I used a range of teaching
approaches e.g. I asked what they knew about think and search questions. I used
prompting to get them thinking deeper about their answers and encouraged them
to keep on contributing through positive re-einforcements.
When I noticed it was getting complex I modelled an example of a ‘think and
search’ question and as a group we discussed why that was evident e.g. going back
through the story to find the multiple areas where the question was answered.
Further investigate ways to support and encourage each individual child during
whole group lessons. E.g. I noticed that Kristell and Jasmine were not as interested
in the lesson as they are at a reading level of a year 7 student, however, the lesson
was almost too complex for Jason, Kobe and Calais.
I found that the individual learning time was really beneifical to the learning
needs of each child. I was able to work independently work with each child,
catering my teaching approaches to their learning level, meaning I was able to
differentiaite my teaching to suit individual children. E.g. simplifiy the questions
(explain in more detail) or add extra elements as needed to the learning content.
Follow up from this lesson would be to assess the worksheets completed by each
 child. Once assessed – decide whether or not the lesson needs to be revisited, in
what depth and/or do certain children need to be further challenged / do certain
children need extra one on one support.
Mentor Teacher’s reflection
(See guiding questions below)
 Harriet was able to differentiate the lesson through the learning intention and success criteria. This shows her understanding of
each student in the class and their individual needs. There is a large range of needs within the classroom (low academic, high
academic, EAL, etc) and Harriet has shown that she is able to cater to all needs.
 Harriet provided a worked example during the explicit teaching part of the lesson to ensure all students knew what was
expected of them and allowed them all to enter the lesson at some point.
 Harriet’s questioning is strong – she asked student’s to provide evidence to support their thinking, she re-words questions if the
students do not understand, she askes open-ended questions.
 Harriet was well prepared with resources set up, questions planned and a clear structure for the lesson evident.
 Harriet used individual student goals (directly from the curriculum priority documents) to foster one-on-one conversations
with students.
 She was very calm with all transitions and questioning; it is clear students feel comfortable with her presence.

Mentor Teacher’s reflection

The following questions can be used as a guide for providing structured feedback to pre-service teachers:
 Has the pre-service teacher utilised teaching strategies that reflect an understanding of how students learn and factors that influence their learning?
 Has the pre-service teacher sought to build on students’ prior learning and experiences?
 Has the pre-service teacher engaged the class through active learning strategies?
 Has the pre-service teacher u t i l i s e d appropriate teaching materials and resources?
 Does the pre-service teacher demonstrate a suitable knowledge of the content area and skills required to teach this lesson/activity?
 Has the pre-service teacher drawn on appropriate curriculum documents for the lesson?
 Has the pre-service teacher demonstrated effective communication in explaining tasks and ideas?
 Has the pre-service teacher demonstrated adequate planning and set achievable goals for the activity?
 Has the lesson/activity followed an appropriate sequence and timeline?
 Have ideas been introduced in a way that motivates students?
 Has the pre-service teacher been able to create a suitable and safe learning environment through the use of consistent and clearly communicated
behavioural expectations for students and OHS requirements?
 Has the pre-service teacher used appropriate strategies to manage difficult and challenging behaviours?
 Has the pre-service teacher used group work and individual tasks with success?
 Has the pre-service teacher planned for flexibility and contingency in the lesson?
 Is the pre-service teacher’s voice and body language suitable and effective in directing the learning activity?
 Has the pre-service teacher been effective in the use of questions and answers?
 What was the Australian teaching standard/s being developed in planning/implementing/reflecting on this lesson?
 What are the strengths developed/areas for improvement as a result of planning and implementing this lesson?