1. Varying the Lesson Plan 1
Running head: VARYING THE LESSON PLAN
Varying the Lesson Plan
Rachel Pieters
University of Phoenix

2. Varying the Lesson Plan 2
Varying the Lesson Plan
Philosophy, especially classic philosophy such as Platonism can quickly become a tired
subject taught with very little enthusiasm and learned with even less enthusiasm. Patty
Zuccarello’s lesson plan on Plato’s Allegory of the Cave (2001) will be used to demonstrate how
to keep a subject, especially as old as Platonism, fresh and new every time this lesson plan is
taught. By incorporating different material, varying the instructional strategies used, varying the
end product used to demonstrate the mastery of the required content and changing the learning
environment, an old lesson plan can be refreshed and presented new again in order to engage the
targeted audience and their different learning styles and preferences.
Differentiating the Content to be Learned
One way to freshen up a lesson plan is to differentiate the content to be learned. In Patty
Zuccarello’s lesson plan, the material to be learned is strictly what is philosophy, allegory, and
Plato’s Allegory of the Cave (2001). By incorporating allegorical content that students may
already be familiar with, such as Dante’s Divine Comedy (1995) or the movie The Matrix
(2007), students will be able immediately to associate Plato’s Allegory of the Cave (2000, Book
7) with allegories they are already familiar with.
Many students have had to read Dante’s Inferno, which is a part of the Divine Comedy
(1995), either in high school or college. For those who have not been familiarized with Dante’s
Divine Comedy (1995), the instructor can provide a brief overview. Dante’s Divine Comedy
(1995) is an allegory on the way to God. Dante, like the chained slaves in Plato’s Allegory of the
Cave (2000, Book 7), only see the life in front of them. Like the one slave who is freed and
bought outside the cave, Dante is guided through Hell, Purgatory, and finally to Paradise where
his beloved Beatrice explains to him how he must change the way he is living.

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The movie The Matrix (2007) is a more recent allegory that many students have probably
seen and for those who have not seen The Matrix (2007) a brief overview can be provided and
perhaps a small clip of the film. The Matrix is like the Cave both are full of illusions that are
taken for reality. The main character in The Matrix (2007), Neo, is released from his prison in
the Matrix and like the slave who has been released in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, Neo learns
that there is more, that the truth is out there and that leads to his changing.
By using allegories that are more modern and more familiar to the students, Plato’s
Allegory of the Cave can be better understood through compare and contrast. Varying the
content however, is only one way to engage adult students.
Varying or Altering the Instructional Strategies Used to Teach the Required Content
Varying the instructional strategies used in a lesson plan can keep the lesson just as fresh
as varying the content within the lesson plan. Varying the instructional strategies may be
important to do based on the students’ learning preferences in that particular class. When a class
such as this one is likely to be taught repeatedly throughout the semesters, varying the
instructional strategies will keep new students on their toes and will distinguish the instructor as
one who is more popular because they do not do the same thing repeatedly.
Patty Zuccarello’s lesson plan on Plato’s Allegory of the Cave (2001) uses lecture as an
instructional strategy as well as a re-telling of the Allegory of the Cave (Plato, 2000), small
group work concerning the caves in our their lives and individually writing a journal entry. One
way to vary the instructional strategies in this lesson plan is to use PowerPoint while lecturing to
highlight the main points. The visual presentation will help enforce the important points of
allegory and will give students clarity in what is important that they need to take away from this

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lesson. By using PowerPoint in combination with lecture, both visual and auditory learners
benefit.
Another way to vary the instructional strategies is to instead of re-telling the Allegory of
the Cave (Plato, 2000) would be to show a video representation of the Allegory of the Cave
(Plato, 2000). There is a clay-mation film by Bullhead Entertainment (2008) that follows Plato’s
Allegory of the Cave (2000, Book 7) very closely. Some students have a difficult time
envisioning something that they have read and have a difficult time getting past the black and
white of the text and paper or they have a difficult time imaging something that they are listening
to without any text or images to help them. By showing this short film, it gives both a visual and
audio for learners who learn best using those methods.
Varying the instructional strategies is something that every instructor needs to do from
time to time not only to keep themselves interested in their lesson plan, but also to help the
students get the most from their lesson. By introducing visual aids such as PowerPoint and using
a film, students who are not as strong in auditory learning have a better chance of learning the
material being covered.
Varying the End Product Used to Demonstrate Mastery of the Required Content
Another way to keep an old lesson plan on an old topic fresh and new is to vary the end
product that demonstrates the students’ mastery of the content. Quizzes, tests, exams, papers and
term papers are all very familiar ways of determining the mastery of a topic. They are also not
looked forward to by the learners. The end product in Patty Zuccarello’s lesson plan on Plato’s
Allegory of the Cave (2001) is to collect the students’ journal entries on kings and philosophers
and also to collect allegories written by the students.

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One way to vary the end product is to have the students choose another
allegory/parable/metaphor and explain it. This will gives students a chance to use what they
learned about allegory and the Allegory of the Cave (Plato, 2000) and apply it to something more
familiar or modern. By deciphering another allegory, the students show whether or not they
understand allegory.
Another way to vary the end product is to have students write about a time in their life
where they have had the chance to change and whether they did change or did not change and
why. This gives students a chance to associate with either the one slave that has seen the world
outside or to associate with the slaves who did not see the outside world and do not recognize
their former friend or understand what the one who has seen the world is trying to convey. In this
way the students are applying the Allegory of the Cave (Plato, 2000) to their own life and are
examining both.
By varying the end product, students are given the chance to express their creativity and
to further explore their learning. The instructor may feel it necessary based on the students to
examine a certain aspect of the lesson more closely than another aspect of the lesson if the
students do not seem to grasp part of the lesson as well as they grasp another part.
Varying or Altering the Environment to Accommodate Varied Learning Styles
Another way to vary the lesson plan is to alter the environment to accommodate the
various learning styles of the students. It could be something within the classroom such as adding
a television and dvd player. The environment could be changed altogether and instead of having
class in the usual classroom, have a class trip or take class outside. Altering the environment is
an extremely refreshing way to change the lesson plan.

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One way to vary the environment for this lesson plan is to plan a class trip to a local cave
or if that is not possible, to take the class outside and set up a tent. In this way, kinesthetic
students will have a chance to act out the Allegory of the Cave (Plato, 2000) and feel what the
slaves feel and see what the slaves see. Still use the flashlight from the original lesson plan as
fire but this time place some things out and have the shadows projected. Choose one student to
be the one who is freed and have them try to explain the objects that are making the shadows to
the other classmates who are acting as the slaves. By bringing this out of the classroom and
sitting at desks to acting out the parts outside, it gives the students a chance to actively
participate instead of passively listening.
Another way to vary the environment is to acquire a projector and computer hookup. This
will allow the instructor to introduce both audio and visual means during the lesson.
Presentations such as PowerPoint can be made or showing a film clip can be done to help the
students who are not as strong as other students in auditory learning. The addition of one piece of
technology into the classroom can open many doors to altering the content of the lesson plan and
the instructional strategies used.
The altering of the learning environment can greatly enhance the students’ learning.
Something as simple as moving chairs into a circle or adding one piece of technology to the
classroom can excite the students that this class will be different. Entirely changing the learning
environment like taking a class trip or going outside can alter the students’ perception in a
positive manner of the material being learned.
Conclusion
Times change and students change in the educational scene. A lesson plan that was good
two years ago might not be as engaging or efficient if taught in the same manner today. When an

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instructor uses the same lesson plans semester after semester, they will inevitably get bored and
that will show through to the students. The content of the lesson plan may be focused on one
idea, like Plato’s Allegory of the Cave (2000, Book 7) , but changing and adding extra content
that is more familiar to the students of today will engage them more. Instructional strategies
when varied can be refreshing to the instructor and can be used to help students learn more when
their learning preferences are being used. Varying the end product can give students creative
license in showing their mastery of the topic and will give the instructor something more
interesting and more relevant to grade by than always giving quizzes and tests with the same
answers. Changing the learning environment can be refreshing to both the instructor and the
students and depending on the change can enhance kinesthetic, auditory or visual learning or all
three learning styles. A lesson plan that may work for this semester’s students may not work as
well for next semester’s students.

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References
The Cave: An Adaptation of Plato’s Allegory in Clay (2008). Retrieved June 24, 2009 from
http://platosallegory.com/
Dante, A. (1995). The Divine Comedy. The Portable Dante. (Musa, M, Eds.). New York:
Penguin Books.
Plato (2000). Book 7, The Allegory of the Cave. The Republic. ( Ferrari, G.R.F. & Griffith, T.,
Eds.). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Wachowski, A. (2007) The Matrix. Warner Home Video.
Zuccarello, P. (2001). Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. The Educator’s Reference Desk. Retrieved
June 24, 2009, from http://www.eduref.org/