This document provides an overview of lesson planning using a backward design approach. It discusses identifying desired learning objectives and outcomes, determining assessments, and planning learning experiences to help students achieve objectives. Key aspects covered include establishing clear student roles, using understanding, knowledge and skills (KUDs) to guide objective setting, and employing a two-column lesson plan design to clarify teacher and student responsibilities. Additional tips focus on pacing, materials, activities, and reflection to improve lessons. The presentation aims to help educators understand backward design and apply its principles to make objectives clear and drive instruction.

1. “What are we going to
do today?”
ALL ABOUT LESSON PLANNING
APRIL SALERNO

2. Session Objectives
Discuss common challenges in lesson
planning (understand)
Learn approach for making students’
roles clear in lesson plans (do)
Learn the meaning of “Backward
Design.” (know)

3. Introductions
Please tell:
Your name
Your school and the grade levels you
teach
One question you have about lesson
planning that you’d like to discuss
today

4. Backward Design
How will students be assessed?
What skills do students need in order
to succeed on the assessment?
Make those your objectives!
 Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design. Boston:
Pearson

5. The three stages of “backward
design”
1. Identify
desired results.
2. Determine
acceptable
evidence.
3. Plan learning
experiences
and instruction.

6. KUDs
K:
What students need to
Know
Facts
U:
What students need to
Understand
Concepts
D:
What students need to
be able to Do
Practice Skills

7. KUD Example
 K: Students will know the meaning of present perfect
and the associated helping verbs (has/have).
 U: Students will understand that the present perfect
tense indicates an action that happened before the
present point in time.
 D: Students will be able to write (do) a paragraph (using
the present perfect) telling about what they have done
to prepare for September 1.

8. 5 Steps to Achieving the Objectives
(Source: TFA, Teaching as Leadership)
1. Opening /Attention getter
(might include pre-assessment)
2. Introduction to new material
3. Guided Practice
4. Independent Practice / Homework
5. Closing / Assessment

9. Two column design
The teacher will … Students will …
-explain the present
perfect tense.
-sit and listen.
-write the conjugation of
examples on the board.
-sit and listen.
-provide some example
sentences using present
perfect.
-sit and listen.

10. Two column design
The teacher will … Students will …
-explain the present
perfect tense.
-take two-column notes.
-give students a model
text.
-find examples of present
perfect in the text.
-ask students to explain the
examples they found.
-work in pairs to explain an
example.

11. Materials
 Keep track of what you’ll need for your
lesson.
 Highlight any special materials that you’ll
need to remember to prepare/gather.
 Have students prepare materials whenever
possible.

12. Pacing/Timing
How much time will each step take?
Do you need to split the lesson plan
into different days?
What “sponge activities” can you
have ready in case students work
quickly?

13. Motor Mouth
(example sponge activity)
1. Students pick any 5-10 vocabulary words
from lessons they’ve studied.
2. They write them on a secret list.
3. In pairs, each takes a turn having 2-5
minutes describing the words to the partner
without saying the word. The partner tries to
guess the word. The pair that gets the most
words wins!

14. For a class that takes too long
Choice time system:
1. You estimate how long an activity should take and
tell the class.
2. Class earns “choice time” for every minute they
save in doing it.
3. On a special day, they get “choice time” where
they do fun learning activities for however many
minutes they earned.
 from Fred Jones, Tools for Teaching

15. Reflection
 Did students meet my objectives? What
evidence do I have?
 Even if not, what were the strengths of the
lesson?
 What will I do differently next time I teach
this lesson?

16. Additional Elements
Differentiation for individual
learners
Technology Use
Long-term, summative
assessment

17. What will you actually use when you
teach?
 A checklist?
 An agenda on the board?
 A highlighted version of the lesson plan?
 Notes in a notebook?
 What works for you?

18. Quick Write
 Take a moment to review the handout, your
notes, and/or the presentation slides.
 Write for 3-5 minutes, summarizing what you
have heard in the presentation.
 Identify and share one new (or improved)
thing that you would like to try.
 What questions do you have now?

19. Extra practice with KUDs

20. KUD Sort
In small groups, see if you
can sort the objectives into
K’s, U’s, and D’s.

21. Sort into K’s, U’s, and D’s
• There are 50 states in the US
• Multiplication is another way to do
addition
• Thomas Jefferson was the 3rd
president
• Write a unified paragraph
• People migrate to meet basic
needs
• Compare and contrast themes
across texts
• In 1492 Columbus “discovered”
America
• The multiplication tables
• Analyze causes of conflict
• What is the Pythagorean Theorem?
• Who was Ptolemy?
• Work collaboratively
• All cultures contain the same
elements expressed differently
• Argumentative writing requires writers
to use evidence
• Develop a timeline
• What is onomatopoeia?
• Voice reflects the author
• Who were the leaders of the Suffrage
Movement?

22. Answer Key
K U D
• There are 50 states in
the US.
• Thomas Jefferson was
the 3rd president of the
United States
• In 1492 Columbus
“discovered” America
• The multiplication
tables
• What is the
Pythagorean Theorem?
• Who was Ptolemy?
• What is
onomatopoeia?
• Who were the leaders
• Multiplication is
another way to do
addition
• People migrate to
meet basic needs
• All cultures contain
the same elements
expressed differently
• Argumentative
writing requires writers
to use evidence
• Voice reflects the
author
• Write a unified
paragraph
• Compare and
contrast themes
across texts
• Analyze causes of
conflict
• Work
collaboratively
• Develop a timeline

23. Contact information
 April Salerno, Fulbright Scholar, University of
Virginia, USA / Ion Creanga State
Pedagogical University, Moldova
 april.simun.salerno@gmail.com