Education Research Help
About this guide
Welcome to the UBC Education Library lesson planning guide! We hope that this guide will serve as a source of information and inspiration as you design learning experiences for your assignments and for your students. Here you will find resources--both from within and from outside the library--to assist you in lesson and unit planning.
Although we do our very best to curate a collection of resources that are relevant to your teaching, we have many materials for lesson planning that come from outside British Columbia and from outside Canada. This means that you will encounter materials that were created to serve a variety of curricula, with different learning objectives and standards and varying emphasis on what we know to be essential components of learning in British Columbia, including Aboriginal Perspectives & the First Peoples Principles of Learning, flexible and inquiry-based learning, the BC Big Ideas & Core Competencies, and Universal Design for Learning.
It is unlikely that you will find any lesson plans here that require no adaptation or modification for use in your classroom. In the same way that you would draw on prior research to write a new essay of your creation, we hope that you view the resources on this guide as sources of inspiration that you use to create learning experiences all your own.
Where we have links to sample lesson plans, we aim to include lessons that:
- are free to access
- have British Columbian or Canadian authorship
- have clear lesson objectives
- feature inclusive language
- are relevant to the current BC curriculum
- abide by copyright guidelines
And, as always, you can get in touch with a librarian for any assistance navigating this guide or the resources herein.
Thank you to Greg Fowler (CFE student, 2019) for his contributions to this guide.
General Guidelines for Learning Design
From the Library: Books about Lesson Planning
Below are examples of books from the UBC Library about lesson and unit planning.
You can find more through the UBC Library website by using search terms like:
“lesson plan” OR “lesson planning”
learning AND design
Understanding by Design, Expanded 2nd Ed by Call Number: LB2806.15 .W54 2005 (Print & Online)Publication Date: 2005-01-01Drawing on feedback from thousands of educators around the world who have used the UbD framework since its introduction in 1998, the authors have greatly revised and expanded their original work to guide educators across the K-16 spectrum in the design of curriculum, assessment, and instruction. With an improved UbD Template at its core, the book explains the rationale of backward design and explores in greater depth the meaning of such key ideas as essential questions and transfer tasks.
The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units by Call Number: LB2806.15 .W545 2011 (Print & Online)Publication Date: 2011-03-01This guide is intended for K-16 educators either individuals or groups who may have received some training in Understanding by Design and want to continue their work independently; those who've read Understanding by Design and want to design curriculum units but have no access to formal training; graduate and undergraduate students in university curriculum courses; and school and district administrators, curriculum directors, and others who facilitate Understanding by Design work with staff. Users can go through the modules in sequence or skip around, depending on their previous experience with UbD and their preferred curriculum design style or approach. Unit creation, planning, and adaptation are easier than ever with the accompanying downloadable resources, including the Understanding by Design template set up as a fillable PDF form, additional worksheets, examples, and FAQs about the module topics that speak to Understanding by Design novices and veterans alike.
The Understanding by Design Guide to Advanced Concepts in Creating and Reviewing Units by Call Number: LB2806.15 .W547 2012 (Print only)Publication Date: 2012-01-01Understanding by Design is based on a backward design approach and is used by thousands of educators to create curriculum units and assessments that focus on developing students understanding of essential ideas and helping students attain important skills. The Guide is intended for use by individuals or groups in K 16 education (teachers, school and district administrators, curriculum directors, graduate and undergraduate students in curriculum, and others) who want to further develop their skill in Understanding by Design. Users can work through the modules in order or pick and choose, depending on their interests and needs.
Lesson Planning with Purpose: Five Approaches to Curriculum Design by ISBN: 9780807778616Publication Date: 2020When teachers and students are both engaged in the educational enterprise, every day has the potential to be transformative. Lesson Planning with Purpose takes readers on a journey through many pathways to engaging and meaningful educational experiences. The text first discusses Perceptive Teaching: the belief that teachers must know themselves and their students while cultivating culturally sensitive, safe, and inviting spaces for learning for all students. Next, five unique approaches to lesson planning are explored: behaviorist, constructivist, aesthetic, ecological, and integrated social-emotional learning. Each chapter provides the rationale for the approach, its theoretical background, practical applications, and critiques and considerations. Chapters end with a sample lesson that can be compared across approaches.
Conquering the Crowded Curriculum by Call Number: LB1025.3 .L86 2015 (Print & Online)Publication Date: 2015-10-31This practical book offers simple ways to build on the four principles of inquiry, innovation, identity, and integration to form a creative framework for delivering curriculum. The book introduces ten comprehensive, planned projects that integrate curriculum areas, and encourage students to see different perspectives; think critically and imaginatively about ideas; work with new materials; and represent their knowledge in precise and profound ways. Based on Kathy Lundy's extensive classroom experience, this timely book suggests meaningful ways for the entire education community to work together to deliver a curriculum that is relevant and engaging.
P. L. A. N. for Better Learning by Call Number: LB1025.3 .B54 2016 (Print & Online)Publication Date: 2015-11-26This hands-on guide is designed to assist teachers as they structure their learning practice. The framework of four basic and proven steps: Preparation, Learning Sequence, Authentic Application, and New Thinking. It can be used at any grade level, for any subject, and for learning applications ranging from lessons to unit plans. The P.L.A.N. approach aims to improve flow in teaching; to help teachers truly implement purposeful planning, personalization, and engagement. Combining the best research on how we learn with practical lesson exemplars, the P.L.A.N. process encourages and supports goal setting, student engagement, and transformational learning.
Lesson Design for Differentiated Instruction, Grades 4-9 by Call Number: LB1027.4 .G53 2009 (Print only)Publication Date: 2009-01-14Designed for teachers who are new to differentiating instruction, this book provides step-by-step guidance for creating meaningful lessons in language arts, math, science, and social studies at the upper elementary and middle school levels. Kathy Tuchman Glass helps teachers develop confidence and expertise in differentiating lessons, units, and assessments and provides a detailed planning template, numerous examples, and reproducibles. This user-friendly resource Provides an overview of differentiation based on the backward design model Discusses strategies for differentiating content, process, and product Helps teachers organize lessons around guiding or essential questions for students to explore Shows how to take students′ learning characteristics (readiness, interests, learning styles) into consideration when planning lessons Lesson Design for Differentiated Instruction, Grades 4-9 helps teachers plan differentiated lessons that will promote learning for every student. around guiding or essential questions for students to exploreShows how to take students′ learning characteristics (readiness, interests, learning styles) into consideration when planning lessons.
Your UDL Lesson Planner by Call Number: LB1027.4 .R35 2016 (Print & Online)Publication Date: 2016-01-01In this practical, accessible guidebook, UDL expert Patti Kelly Ralabate walks teachers through the entire UDL lesson planning process, from developing learning goals to monitoring student progress. Through vignettes, exercises, video demonstrations, and other immediately useful resources, K - 12 educators will discover how to translate UDL from theory to practice and plan lessons that meet every learner's needs. An essential guide for teachers, college instructors, specialized instructional support personnel, IEP team facilitators, curriculum planners, and inclusion facilitators, this book will help educators supercharge their lesson plans with one of today's best teaching approaches, and improve outcomes for students with and without special needs. This book helps teachers: review and understand the big ideas of UDL (what it is, what it's not); create effective learning goals based on content and performance standards; make sure learning goals are S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-oriented, and Time-bound); Design lesson plans that address learner variability; measure what matters by applying UDL principles to assessment of student progress; infuse UDL features into traditional instructional methods; enhance UDL lessons with materials, tools, and media that add real value; and use self-reflection strategies and professional learning communities to continously strengthen everyday practice. To guide teachers through each phase of the lesson planning process, the book includes scenarios, models, charts, application exercises, reflection questions, check-ins, and 7 classroom videos (available online) that bring key UDL concepts to life. Educators will also follow the lesson planning process of three teachers as they apply UDL for the first time.
Lesson Planning by Call Number: LB1027.4 .S34 2015 (Print & Online)Publication Date: 2014-09-15Lesson planning is an essential component of every teacher's practice. It is part of a three-tiered, integrated pedagogy: planning, teaching and evaluation. Drawing on the work of skilful teachers and the latest research, this book provides a rationale for lesson planning as an integral part of a teacher's work. It introduces the key concepts and skills of lesson planning and provides a practical framework for their development. The book helps the reader to make an informed choice about the approaches they use to plan lessons, taking into account their subject area and the requirements of individual learners. Covering all aspects of short, medium and long-term planning, chapters include: Writing Appropriate Learning Objectives and Outcomes Designing and Structuring Engaging Teaching Activities Resourcing the Lesson Assessing Students' Learning Strategies for Personalised Learning Evaluating Your Lesson The book also includes practical and reflective activities to help the reader apply the ideas discussed to their own work and key questions to encourage the development of their skilful pedagogy. This highly practical book is essential reading for trainee and practising teachers.
Lesson Planning by Call Number: LB1027.4 .S357 2009 (Print only)Publication Date: 2007-12-28This book is designed to assist teachers in constructing a lesson plan that will help K-12 students master new content, concepts, and skills. Lesson Planning: A Research-based Model for K-12 Classrooms can help by guiding teachers in the selection of research-based instructional strategies and types of materials designed to consider all learners' needs.
Better Lesson Plans, Better Lessons by Call Number: LB1027.4 .C87 2016 (Print & Online)Publication Date: 2015-10-08In today's high-stakes world, ready-made lessons and teacher's guides are no longer enough to guarantee achievement. The best way to help students succeed is through deliberate and careful lesson planning focused on the end result of increasing student achievement. Whether you are a new teacher or an experienced educator, this book will help you get started by providing a practical, step-by-step guide to designing lessons that will lead to student mastery of any objective. You'll learn the essential components of lessons that are Common Core-aligned and grounded in best practices. Topics include: Tailoring your lessons to meet your state standards while ensuring high student achievement. Writing a strong objective to stay focused on the goal of a lesson. Creating an end-of-lesson assessment to gauge the lesson's success. Constructing a lesson plan that combines direct instruction, guided practice, and independent practice. Along the way, you'll find plenty of helpful examples from math and English Language Arts. You'll also find end-of-chapter FAQs and activities to try, to help you make these concepts a reality for your own classroom. Many of the tools from the book are also available as free downloads from our website (www.routledge.com/books/details/9781138838871/).
Search Power
Because the UBC Library's system for classifying materials is aimed at organizing research and scholarship, searching for curriculum materials can be difficult. We recommend using the following terms for a targeted search within the library catalogue for K-12 teaching and learning resources. These results have been limited to books and e-books in the Education Library:
- "study and teaching"
- "lesson plans" or "lesson planning"
- "activity program" or "activity programs"
- "juvenile literature" - information books for children & young adults
- "juvenile fiction" - novels and picture books
- "pz4.9" - picture books
- "juvenile poetry" - poetry for children & young adults
Add these terms to the subject area, lesson topic, or theme to find books and other materials on your topic.
For example: "study and teaching" AND science
The below handout will provide more guidance for effectively searching for teaching resources in the UBC Library: