Planning Lessons

LINDA JENSEN

Jensen’s "Lesson Planning" chapter serves as a guide for novice teachers who need to create
formalized lesson plans.The chapter covers why, when, and how teachers plan lessons, as well as basic
lesson plan principles and a lesson plan template. A sample lesson plan is provided in the context of
a weekly overview, module overview, and course overview.

IN T R O D U C T IO N : D E F IN IT IO N o u r students. As previously m en tio n ed , a lesson

O F A LESSO N PLA N
All good teachers have som e type of plan when
they walk into their classrooms. It can be as simple
as a m ental checklist o r as com plex as a detailed
two-page typed lesson plan that follows a pre­
scribed form at. Usually, lesson plans are w ritten
ju st for the te a c h e r’s own eyes a n d ten d to be
ra th e r inform al. But th ere may be tim es when
the plan has to be w ritten as a class assignm ent
o r given to an observer or supervisor, an d th e re ­
fore will be a m ore form al a n d detailed docu­
m ent. This c h a p te r will serve as a guide for
creating these m o re form alized lesson plans.
A lesson plan is an extrem ely useful tool
th a t serves as a co m b in atio n guide, resource,
and historical d o c u m e n t reflecting o u r teaching
philosophy, stu d e n t p o p u latio n , textbooks, and
m ost im portantly, o u r goals for o u r students. It
can be described with m any m etap h o rs such as
road m ap, b lu ep rin t, or gam e plan (see U r
1996); b u t regardless o f the analog)', a lesson
plan is essential fo r novice teachers a n d conven­
ient for ex p erien ced teachers.
plan is also a reco rd o f w hat we did in class; this
record serves as a valuable resource when plan­
n in g assessm ent m easures such as quizzes,
m idterm s, and final exams. A record of previously
taught lessons is also useful when we teach the
same course again, so that we have an account of
what we did the term or year before to avoid rein­
venting the wheel. W hen we have to miss class, a
lesson plan is a necessity for the substitute
teacher, who is expected to step in a n d teach
w hat had been p lan n e d for the day. In addition,
just as teachers expect th eir students to com e to
class p re p a re d to learn, students com e to class
expecting th eir teachers to be p re p a re d to teach.
A lesson plan is p art o f th at p reparation.
Yet in spite of the im p o rtan ce o f p lanning,
a lesson plan is m utable, n o t w ritten in stone; it
is n o t m ean t to keep a teach er from ch anging
the duration o f an activity or forgoing an activity
altogether if the situation warrants. A good lesson
plan guides b u t does n o t dictate w hat a n d how
we teach. It benefits m any stakeholders; teachers,
adm inistrators, observers, substitutes, a n d o f
course, students.

Why We Plan When and How We Plan

D eciding w hat to teach, in w hat order, an d for
how m uch tim e are the basic co m p o n en ts of
planning. T he lesson plan serves as a m ap or
checklist th at guides us in know ing w hat we w ant
to do next; these sequences o f activities rem in d
us of th e goals a n d objectives of o u r lessons for
To be perfectly honest, a certain a m o u n t o f les­
son p lan n in g takes place the n ig h t before a class
is taught. This p lanning, taking place ju s t hours
before e n te rin g the classroom , sh o u ld be the
fine or m icro tu n in g o f the lesson, n o t the big
pictu re or m acro p lan n in g th a t is based o n a
program m atic philosophy or syllabus design. A
good lesson plan is the result of b o th m acro
p lan n in g an d m icro planning. O n the m acro
level, a lesson plan is a reflection of a philosophy
o f lea rn in g an d teaching which is reflected in
the m ethodology, the syllabus, the texts, a n d the
o th e r course m aterials and finally results in a
specific lesson. In brief, an actual lesson plan is
th e e n d p o in t of m any o th e r stages of p lan n in g
th a t culm inate in a daily lesson.
Before a teach er steps into the second lan­
guage classroom , he or she should have devel­
o p e d his or h e r own u n d e rsta n d in g of second
language lea rn in g a n d teaching. This back­
g ro u n d in clu d es know ledge o f th eo ries of
second language acquisition and lea rn er charac­
teristics (see O xford's ch ap ter in this text) as well
as fam iliarity with both historical and cu rren t
trends in second language pedagogy (see chap­
ters by Celce-M urcia a n d Savignon in this text).
This background know ledge will create a p er­
sonal philosophy th at is realized w henever the
teach er is p rep arin g lessons, teaching classes, or
grading assignm ents or tests. A good teacher
c a n n o t help b u t b ring his or h e r own sense of
good learning a n d teaching into the classroom.
Ideally, this philosophy will be consistent with the
teaching m ethodology em ployed bv the institu­
tion since the m ethodology will then help im ple­
m e n t the syllabus an d influence the choice of
textbooks for m ost program s.
O nce the syllabus an d texts have been
decided, p lan n in g for the year or term takes
place. For m am teachers, especially newly h ired
ones, these decisions have already been m ade
a n d the m acro p lan n in g has been taken care o f
by colleagues o r supervisors. In som e cases, how­
ever, the new tea c h e r mav be responsible for the
m acro p lan n in g as well as the m icro planning.
C onsulting o r p lan n in g with fellow teachers
ab o u t syllabus design a n d textbook selection can
be very helpful in this type o f situation (see
chapters bv N u n a n a n d Bvrd in this text). In
rare cases, n o th in g mav be in place so it may be
entirely up to the in stru cto r to design the course
syllabus, choose the teach in g m aterials, and
plan the daily lessons. G enerally the opposite is
tru e for the novice teacher, however, who will
have verv little input at first in term s o f m acro
a n d even m icro planning. (See A ppendices B.
C, and D for exam ples o f m acro planning:
a course overview, a m odule overview, an d a
weekly overview.)
What a Lesson Plan Looks Like
A lthough th ere are a variety of form ats to use
w hen creating a lesson plan, m ost tem plates
share certain characteristics. W hen creating a
lesson, a teach er m ust consider the background
o f the students, the objectives o f the lesson, the
skills to be taught, the activities, the m aterials
an d texts, the tim e constraints, and the connec­
tions to previous an d fu tu re lessons. Like most
activities, a lesson plan has stages: a beginning, a
m iddle, an d an end. As m en tio n e d previously,
the am o u n t o f detail actually w ritten down will
varv with individual preferences a n d experi­
ence. Som e instructors like to keep n o te b o o k '
of lessons plans for each class; others may use
note cards or loose sheets of p a p e r th at can be
shuffled a ro u n d . Manv instructors now use com ­
puters to write up lesson plans; the advantage'
of this are th at the lessons are neatly typed, easv
to save, an d can readilv be copied an d m odified
as n eed ed . K eeping at least one p a p e r copy filed
awav in case o f a technological breakdow n is also
a good idea.
Most plans begin with a b rief description ot
the class and students; for exam ple, the nam e ot
the course and the level, and the background
o f the students are useful to note. It is also im por­
tant to add the date as well as the week and day ot
the course. Given the trend of adhering to com ­
petency requirem ents and published standards, a
lesson plan mav also need to include the com pe­
tencies an d standards that the lesson addresses.
Som e teachers list the gram m atical stru c tu re '
a n d kev vocabulary term s th at will be introducer,
as well.
Teachers also find it wise to note w hat h a'
been cov e re d d u rin g the previous class o r what
students already n e e d to know for the particular
lesson, especially if it will begin with a review o:
prev ious m aterial. T he day’s goals an d objective'
should be in clu d ed as should a list of texts.
m aterials, and eq u ip m en t such as audiovisual
aids. Som e instructors find it helpful to list the
day’s m aterials a n d audiovisual aids in a box at
the top o f the page to s e n e as a re m in d e r of
what they n e e d to b rin g to class. If m ore elabo­
rate m aterial p rep a ra tio n is necessarv before
class, teachers may also list the steps necessarv to
p rep a re these m aterials. N oting any hom ew ork
or assignm ents to be re tu rn e d or collected that
dav is also useful inform ation to have at the
b eg in n in g o f the lesson plan.
The m iddle com ponent o f a lesson plan is
the lesson's content; this includes procedures or
activities along with transition notes, as well as
time m anagem ent and class m anagem ent notes
such as the students' scaling arrangem ents for dif­
ferent activities. Novice teachers should also trv to
anticipate what mav go wrong or prove to be prob­
lematic so that contingency’ plans are prepared in
advance and written into the lesson plan.
Lessons usuallv begin with warm-up and or
review activities. Teachers n eed to decide how
they will co n n ect the dav's lesson to the prec ious
class m eetin g and how thev want to interest and
m otivate th eir students for the dav's activities.
O nce tvarm ed up. the class is then reach for the
p resen tatio n an d practice stages of the lesson.
These stages hat e been referred to with a varietv
of labels such as into, through, beyond (B rinton.
Goodw in, a n d Ranks 1994); engage, study, activate
(H arm er 1998); lead-in. elicitation, explanation,
accurate reproduction, an d immediate creativity
(H arm er 1991); and verbalization, automatization.
and autonomy (Ur 1996). All o f these labels
describe stages in which first, the language form
or c o n te n t is in tro d u ced and presented; second,
com p reh en sio n is checked before a form of
guided practice is im plem ented; and third, some
type o f less structured, com m unicative activity
takes place so that students can practice what
thev have ju st learned in a less controlled, m ore
natural situation. T he com m unicative stage also
provides an opportunitv for students to integrate
the new knowledge p resen ted in the lesson with
previous knowledge. Finallv. teachers and stu­
dents should evaluate how well the new m aterial
has been learn ed in o rd er to d eterm in e the
shape of future lessons.
Som e teachers find it useful to write b rie f
com m ents on a lesson plan th at help with the
transition from one activity to another, so that
the lesson flows well an d the various activities
have a sense o f co n n ectio n . For exam ple, w hen
transitioning from a listening activitv to a rea d ­
ing activity a teach er can discuss how certain
listening strategies can be a d ap ted as reading
strategies. C reating sm ooth transitions and links
can be challenging for novice teachers, so plan­
ning these moves a n d n o tin g them in a lesson
plan is worthwhile a n d valuable for b oth instruc­
tors and students.
Tim e m an ag em en t can also be challenging
for b eg in n in g teachers a n d even e x p erien ced
teachers c an n o t alwavs accurately pred ict how
long a certain activitv will take o r w hen a discus­
sion will becom e so engaging that it sh o u ld be
allow ed to c o n tin u e lo n g e r th a n p la n n e d .
N onetheless, it is im p o rtan t to n o te the n u m b e r
o f m inutes allotted for each activitv in the m ar­
gin o f the lesson plan; this also m eans th at the
teach er should wear a watch or be able to see a
clock in the classroom in o rd e r to be aware of
the tim e. More often than not, an activitv is
u n d erestim ated in term s o f length, so teachers
should decide ahead o f tim e what part o f a les­
son could be skipped or sh o rte n e d or saved for
the next class. This does not m ean that teachers
should not overplan. T h e re are tim es when an
activitv will take less tim e th an an ticipated or
suddenly seem s too easv or difficult, so the
teach er will decide to sacrifice it; good teachers
e rr on the side o f o verplanning a n d /o r have
som e useful five to ten m inute supplem entary’
activ ities av ailable in th eir rep e rto ire of teaching
tricks. It can be a verv frightening experience for
the novice teacher to look up at the clock and
see that she has ten m inutes left until the en d o f
class and no idea o f what to do. Initiallv, it is use­
ful for inexperienced teachers to plan th eir les­
sons so that each m inute of class is accounted for
before thev step into the classroom.
Seating arran g em en ts for various activities
should also be n o ted in the lesson plan. Pre­
p lan n in g pair and g roup work seating arran g e­
m ents is m ore efficient than standing in fro n t o f
the ( lass and m oving students a ro u n d random lv.
T h e re are tim es w hen ran d o m pairs o r small
groups mav m ake sense b u t th ere are m any
o th e r tim es w hen a rationale is n e e d e d in decid­
ing who works with w hom . O ften we w ant
groups to contain a m ixture o f talkative and
q u iet students; we probable want to mix lan­
guage groups o r separate best friends who talk
only to each other. P la n n in g these seating
arran g em en ts b e fo re h a n d helps the class ru n
sm oothly and sat es tim e. Most teachers also find
it useful to give instructions for g roup or pair
work to the class as a whole before breaking the
class up; once students start m oving a ro u n d ,
they may becom e so active that getting their
a tte n tio n can take up valuable class time.
Teachers also n eed to anticipate w here a
lesson may break down. Especiallv w hen trving
o u t a new activitv o r teaching a gram m ar point
fo r the first tim e, not ice teachers n e e d to think
ab o u t w hat mav go wrong. W hat part of the les­
son may be difficult for the students? W hat kinds
o f questions can the instructor expect? Will there
be problem s with student-student interactions?
This type o f fo re th o u g h t is especiallv im portant
for lessons th at relv on technology or eq uipm ent
th a t may fail o r not be available as planned.
A nticipating problem s and thinking o f solutions
b e fo re h a n d m akes both novice and experienced
teachers feel m ore com fortable an d confident
w hen thev walk into the classroom.
T he final section o f a lesson plan should
in clu d e com m ents that e n d the lesson such as a
review o r sum m ary o f the lesson and th at indi­
cate hom ew ork or o th e r assignm ents. A lthough
hom ew ork mav be n o ted at the e n d o f a lesson
plan, it is probable not a good idea to wait until
the e n d of class to assign it to the students. Find
a place on the b o ard w here hom ew ork can be
consistently p o sted so students always know
w here to check for it. Post it th ere at the begin­
n in g o f class or d u rin g the break so th at every­
one has a chance to write it down before those
final hectic m inutes of class w hen students are
packing up th eir belongings a n d ru n n in g o u t
the door.
Some teachers like to leave a space on their
lesson plans to com m ent on what needs to be
covered d u rin g the next class session based on
w hat w ent on d u rin g the dav's lesson. Perhaps an
activity h ad to be placed on hold or a teaching
point needs to be co te red again. Som e teachers
also like to note students' unansw ered questions
in o rd e r to research th eir responses before the
n ex t class m eeting.
It is also a good idea to include space for
lesson evaluation bv the teach er af ter the class is
over. T he evaluation co m p o n e n t o f lesson plan­
n ing provides an o p p o rtu n ity for h o n est reflec­
tion ab o u t what activities w orked o r did n o t
work an d whv, as well as how the lesson could be
im proved or m odified the next tim e aro u n d .
Teachers also find it useful to add com m ents
co n cern in g stu d en t reactions to the lesson. It is
these evaluative com m ents that can m ake a les­
son plan a trulv useful resource for fu tu re
course and lesson planning. (See A ppendices A
an d E for a lesson plan tem plate and a sam ple
lesson plan.)
Basic Principles of Lesson Planning
As with anv skill, lesson plan n in g becom es easier
over time. As teachers gain experience in the
classroom, thev learn certain principles about
planning. W hen seasoned teachers are asked to
list som e basic principles o f lesson p lan n in g that
novice teachers should be aware of, the ones
that are frequently m en tio n e d are actually basic
principles of good teaching: co h eren ce, variety,
and flexibility. These principles have proven use­
ful for all teachers, not just the second foreign
language teacher.
1. A good lesson has a sense of c o h eren ce and
flow. This m eans th at the lesson hangs
to g eth e r and is not ju st a sequence o f dis­
crete activities. O n a m acro level, links or
threads should c o n n e ct the various lessons
over the davs a n d weeks o f a course. O n a
m icro level, students n e e d to u n d erstan d
the rationale for each activitv; also, thev
learn best w hen th ere are transitions from
one activity to the next.
2. A good lesson exhibits variety. This variety
needs to be p rese n t at both the m acro
and m icro levels. W hile for m ost students, a
 certain degree o f predictability in term s of C O N C L U S IO N
the teacher, the texts, classmates, and cer­
tain adm inistrative procedures is com fort­ Knowing how to go ab o u t p lan n in g a s e c o n d /
ing; however, to avoid boredom and fatigue, foreign language lesson is the result o f m any
lesson plans should n o t follow the same pat­ o th e r stages of p rep aratio n . T he teach er m ust
tern day after dav. O n a m acro level, there be fam iliar with the principles o f second lan­
should be variety in term s of topics (con­ guage learn in g a n d teaching, as well as the
tent), language, and skills over the length of needs of the institution an d the stu d e n t p o p u la­
the course. O n a m icro level, each dailv les­ tion. H e o r she m ust first see th e big pictu re of
son should have a certain am o u n t of variety the course a n d be aware o f the goals a n d objec­
in term s of the pace of the class, such as time tives for th e en tire term before p lan n in g weekly
spent on various activities, d ep en d in g on a n d daily lessons. If the big pictu re is kept in
the difficulty or ease of the m aterial being m ind, the individual lessons will c o n n ect to
covered. T he percentages of teacher-fronted form a learn in g ex perience th a t benefits b o th
time and student-centered activities should the tea c h e r an d the students.
van from lesson to lesson; there are davs
w hen we want our students to participate
and be active, but there are o th er davs when
we want them a bit calm er in o rd er to be
receptive to new m aterial or practice a lis­ D IS C U S S IO N Q U E S T IO N S
tening or reading strategy. Some teacher- 1. How will vour knowledge o f second language
trainers have referred to this as the abilitv to acquisition theories inform vour decisions
“stir” or “settle" our students dep en d in g on in lesson planning? Give som e co n crete
the need. Each lesson should also have some
examples.
variety in term s of classroom organization 2. List what vou consider to be the characteristics
such as whole-class, small-group, pair, and of good students and good teachers. How will
individual activities. T he m ood of different
this affect vour lesson planning?
lessons will van' as well; m ood shifts can
3. How m uch detail do you feel is necessary in
reflect the teacher's disposition on a certain
w riting your own lessons plans? W ould this
dav, the chem istrv o f the mix of students,
change if a supervisor w anted copies of your
the weather, c u rre n t events, or som ething
lesson plans?
unexplainable.
4. As a novice teacher, w hat aspects of lesson
3. A good lesson is flexible. Lesson plans are
p lan n in g are the m ost daunting? How will
not m ean t to be tools that bind teachers to
vou go about g etting assistance in p lan n in g
som e p re o rd a in e d plan. G ood teachers
vour lessons?
th in k on th eir feet a n d know w hen it is tim e
5. How m uch autonom y are you com fortable
to change an activitv, regardless o f w hat the
with in terms o f lesson planning? W ould you
lesson plan savs. An in terestin g stu d e n t
prefer a teaching situation in which lesson
question can take the class in an unantici­
plans are given to you and you are expected to
p a te d direction that creates one o f those
closelv follow them , or would you prefer being
w onderful “teach in g m o m en ts,” n o t to be
h an d ed a textbook and told to write your own
missed. A brilliant idea can com e as the
daily lesson plans? W hat are the advantages
tea c h e r is w riting on the board; som etim es
and disadvantages of each situation?
p u rsu in g these ideas is well w orth a risk
o f failure. Even failure can be a valuable
lesson for b o th the novice a n d ex p erien ced
teacher.
S U G G E S T E D A C T IV IT IE S
1. O bserve several E SE /EFL classes a n d ask
each in stru cto r for a copv o f the day's lesson
plan. How closelv did the in stru cto r follow
the plan? How is the plan sim ilar o r different
from the actual lesson?
2. Interview one or two experienced teachers
about their own lesson planning strategies.
Ask if you can look at some of their lesson
plans. Ask if over the years thev have changed
the way thev plan lessons.
3. Exam ine an ESL /EFL text that von may
have the o p p o rtu n ity to teach in the future.
C reate th re e sam ple lesson plans with a vari­
ety o f skill or language foci. How w ould you
avoid m arch in g th ro u g h the text page bv
page? How w ould vou in co rp o rate supple­
m entary m aterial?
4. C reate a lesson plan for an ESL 7EFL class
in a c o m p u te r lab (see c h a p te r bv Sokolik.
this volum e). W hat lesson plan considera­
tions n e e d to be m ade for teaching in this
situation?
5. List a variety of opening and closing activities.
C om pare vour list with the lists of others
in your class. How do these activities reflect
individual teachers' personalities?
FU R T H ER R EA D IN G
Harmer, f. 1998. H o w to Teach E n g lis h . (Chapter 12:
How to plan lessons). Harlow, UK: Longman.
Excellent discussion of lesson planning for
the inexperienced or not ice teacher. Includes a
“Task File" with a sample lesson plan on teach­
ing the comparative degree to a low-level class
as well as useful activities.
Harmer. J. 1991. T he P ra c tic e o f E n g lis h L a n g u a g e
T e ach in g (New Edition). (Chapter 12: Planning).
Harlow. UK: Longman.
A more detailed chapter on lesson planning than
H o w to Teach E n g lis h with a focats on the teacher’s
background knowledge. Also includes a "speci­
men plan" for an intermediate aclnlt class.
Nunan. D. 1999. Se c o n d L a n g u a g e 'T each in g a n d
L e a r n in g . Boston. MA: Heinle 8c Heinle
Publishers.
A verv humanistic and personal account of
second language learning and teaching.
Enjovable to read, especially for not ice teachers.
Ur. P. 1996. A C o arse in L a n g u a g e T e ach in g : P ra c tic e
a n d Theory. (Module In: Lesson Planning).
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
A reflective approach to lesson planning that is
especially useful for experienced teachers.
Woodward. T.. and S. Linclstromberg. 1995. P l a n n i n g
from Lesso n to L esso n : .4 1Ya\ o f M a k i n g Lesson
Harlow, UK: Longman.
P l a n n i n g E a sie r.
Lots of lesson planning ideas based on the
metaphor of using threads to create continuity.
 A P P E N D IX А
Lesson Plan Template for a 50-minute Class

Background Information: To do before class:

course/level

description of students (if necessary)

aims/objectives

skills focus/grammar/vocabulary Bring to class:

texts/materials

previous class work

work to be collected or returned

Tim e Frame Procedures: Notes:

(in minutes)

3- 5 warm-up transitions

4- 5 review seating plans

10 introduction potential trouble spots

10 presentation activities

15-20 communicative activities contingencies

3-5 questions/homework

extra activities (if necessary)

Comments/Evaluation:
 Course Overview (10 Weeks) E S L 3 3 C / U C L A Service Courses

LISTENING: SPEAKING:
lectures: group work
History 160 and Anthropology 9 discussions/presentations

READING: WRITING:
A ca d e m ic Publishing Services (APS) in-class essays
Farew ell to M a n z a n a r (FM) out-of-class essays
weekly paced and timed readings 3-5 pp. research paper
Insights 1 weekly journals
St. M a r t in ’s H a n d b o o k (SM)

WEEK READING WRITING SPEAKING LISTENING

Module 1— The Immigrant in America (History 160)
1 diag. essay diag. essay diag. intros diag. diet.
previewing
skimming/
scanning

2 FM brief def. group work hist. lect. 1

1-5 relative clause notetaking
paraphrasing

3 FM extended def. group work hist. lect. 2

6-1 1 notetaking/
eye mov. 1 summary

4 FM IN-CLASS W R IT IN G group work

12-15 comp./cont. hist. lect. 3
cause/effect notetaking/
essay exams summary
SM ch.6/46

5 FM IN-CLASS W R IT IN G group work

16-22 articles

Module 11-Kinship and Marriage (Anthropology 9)

6 APS library tour group work anthro. lect. 1

verb tenses conferencing notetaking/
summary

7 APS argumentation group work anthro. lect. 2

SM ch.5 notetaking/

8 S/V1 39—40 passive voice group work summary

research anthro. lect. 3

9 S/V1 41-42 draft 1-paper peer response

S/V1 44 IN-CLASS ESSAY debate

10 draft 2-paper peer response final exam

Final Reading final draft due conferencing notes/summary
 I. Topic = HISTORY 160-The Immigrant in America

II. Rhetorical Modes: Definitions

Comparison and Contrast
Cause and Effect

III. Multiskill Components

A. Listening:Videotaped Lecture— Prof. John Laslett
1. Notetaking

2. Outlining
3. Mapping
4. Summaries

B. Speaking

1. Group work

2. Presentations
C. Reading: Core Readings
1. Previewing/Skimming

2. Scanning for Details

3. Vocabulary Development

4. Comprehension Questions
5. Rate Development
D. Writing/Structure
1. Paraphrasing

2. Summaries

3. Brief and Extended Definitions

4. Relative Clauses
5. Comparison and Contrast Essay Questions
6. Cause and Effect Essay Questions

E. Assignments

1. Journals

2. Video Notetaking: Outlining/Summaries

3. Reading: Outlining/Summaries

4. Skimming and Scanning Exercises

5. Reading Comprehension Exercises

6. Brief and Extended Definition/ln-class Writing

7. In-class Essay
8. Conferencing/Rewrite
 W eekly O v erv iew (W eek 3) ESL 3 3 C /U C L A S erv ice C o u rse s

R EA D IN G
Insights I: Assimilation and Amalgamation
Farew ell to M a n z a n a r (ch. 3-11)

W R IT IN G
using relative clauses in definitions
brief and extended definitions
Journal #3— //p. 124,Task 23

S T U D Y S K IL L S
summary
paraphrasing
predicting exam content

LIS T E N IN G
video seg. 2 “ Variables of Assimilation”
video seg. 3 “ The Melting Pot Model”

S P E A K IN G
group work
class discussions

LESSON SEQUENCING
H our O ne: Insights p. I 16— video seg. 2 “ Variables of Assimilation"
Insights pp. I 17-120 (brief definitions/relative clauses)

H o u r Tw o: FM 3-8, A P S p. 54 (discussion questions)

hw: APS pp. 28-30, 34—37(extended definitions)

/. pp. 120-124 / F M ch. 9-1 I (by Fri)

H o u r T h re e : paraphrasing APS pp. 28-30 / SM pp. 596-600, 6 17-618

extended definitions in APS pp. 34—37, S/VI p. 136

H o u r F o u r: summary / I. 123-124

I. pp. 120-123— video seg. 3 “ The Melting Pot Model”

(Amalgamation)
group work: begin extended definition— amalgamation

hw: finish extended definitions/journal #3 (I. p. 124/task 23)

H o u r Five: go over hw: extended definitions

brainstorm terms for definitions for in-class writing

FM 9-1 I

hw — F M ch. 12-15/prepare for in-class writing

 B ackg ro u n d In fo rm atio n : To do before class:
ESL 33C (advanced multi-skills)/ print in-class writing
content-based course studying models prompts
of assimilation
U C L A undergrads/mostly Asian
O b je ctiv e s: to be prepared for in-class writing B rin g to class:
next class Insights I

S k ills focus: writing extended definitions/ FM

predicting content of a midterm SM

T e x ts/m a te ria ls: Insights I , St. M a r t in ’s H an d b o o k , APS

Farew ell to M a n z a n a r

P revio u s class w o rk : group work writing

an extended definition of amalgamation
W o r k to be co lle cte d and re tu rn e d : return
Journal #2/collect Journal #3

T im e F ra m e P ro ce d u re s: N o te s:
(in minutes)
5 Warm-up: greetings/questions about weekend whole class
plans/check roll

10 Share extended definitions of amalgamation 5 small groups at tables

finished for hw/pick one to put on ovrhd. proj.

15 Group presentations of amalgamation give feedback on

definitions on a transparency in front of class relative clauses

10 Remind class of in-class writing (extended list on board

definitions) on Monday / Brainstorm possible
terms to define

10 Class discussion of F M ch. 9-1 I (discussion large circle

questions in A P S , p. 53)

hw: F M : ch. 12-15 for next Friday/review

for in-class writing

C o m m e n ts/E v a lu a tio n :
Good idea to focus feedback on relative cla uses
only with their extended definitions of
amalgamation; otherwise the activity takes too
much time.
Students did a great job of predicting the terms
that they will be asked to define.