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Teaching Science: Methodology (Physical and Biological) · Chapter 5

Planning: Year Plan, Unit Plan and Lesson Plan

What to remember

  • Planning goes from wide to narrow: year plan, then unit plan, then lesson plan. Each plan is built from the one above it.
  • The Herbartian lesson plan has five formal steps (preparation, presentation, association/comparison, generalisation, application). It is teacher-centred and content-based.
  • The Bloom (objective-based) approach starts with objectives, then learning experiences, then evaluation. It is learner-centred and based on what the pupil will be able to do.

Why planning is needed

Planning makes teaching systematic, saves time, makes sure that the whole course is covered, helps to choose methods and aids, gives confidence to the teacher, and ties teaching to evaluation. A teacher who plans does not depend on memory or on luck.

Year plan

A year plan (annual plan) shows how the whole course will be taught in the academic year.

Steps in making it:

  • 1. Study the textbook, the curriculum and the academic standards.
  • 2. Count the working days after removing holidays, examinations and school events.
  • 3. Divide the course into units and give each unit a number of periods.
  • 4. Include time for practical work, revision, tests and remedial teaching.
  • 5. List the major activities, projects and field trips month by month.
  • 6. Keep some free periods for unexpected loss of time.

Features of a good year plan: realistic, flexible, balanced between topics, and linked to the school calendar.

Unit plan

A unit is a complete, meaningful part of the course built around one theme (for example, "Light" or "Respiration"). A unit plan breaks the year plan into parts of a few weeks each.

Contents of a unit plan:

  • Title and class, number of periods
  • General and specific objectives
  • Content divided into sub-topics
  • Methods, activities and experiments
  • Teaching aids
  • Evaluation tools (tests, assignments)
  • Remedial and enrichment work

Morrison's unit plan (Henry C. Morrison) has five steps: exploration, presentation, assimilation, organisation, recitation. This plan is used for larger units that need pupils' work over a longer time.

Lesson plan

A lesson plan is a detailed plan for one period (usually 40-45 minutes). It tells what to teach, how to teach it, with what aids and how to check learning.

Main parts of a lesson plan:

  • General information: class, subject, topic, date, period and time.
  • Objectives or learning outcomes.
  • Previous knowledge of pupils.
  • Teaching aids and materials.
  • Introduction (to arouse interest).
  • Presentation or development of content.
  • Recapitulation and evaluation.
  • Home assignment.

Qualities of a good lesson plan: clear objectives, flexible, suited to pupils' level, uses activities, includes questions and evaluation, and is written in an easy order.

Herbartian approach

Johann Friedrich Herbart (German educator) based teaching on the psychology of the "apperception mass", that is, new ideas are learned by linking with old ones. His followers (Ziller and Rein) developed the five formal steps:

StepWhat happens
1. PreparationArouse interest and recall previous knowledge; state the aim
2. PresentationTeach the new content with examples, experiments and aids
3. Association (comparison)Compare and link the new facts with known facts
4. GeneralisationPupils draw the rule or concept
5. ApplicationPupils use the rule in new problems or situations

Herbart's own steps are often listed as clearness, association, system and method.

Merits: easy to follow and systematic; good for beginners; gives a clear order; suits the inductive way (examples to rule).

Limits: the teacher controls everything; the pupils are passive; the objectives are not clearly stated; evaluation is weak; it can make teaching mechanical.

Bloom's approach (objective-based, evaluation approach)

This approach uses Bloom's taxonomy and sees teaching as a triangle of objectives, learning experiences and evaluation. It was developed in India by RCEM Mysore, using Bloom's work.

Steps:

  • 1. Select the topic and the content.
  • 2. State the general objectives and then write specific objectives (behavioural terms).
  • 3. List the specifications (what pupils will do to show that they have reached the objective).
  • 4. Plan the learning experiences (methods, activities, aids).
  • 5. Present and carry out the activities.
  • 6. Evaluate using questions linked to objectives.
  • 7. Follow-up work (remedial and enrichment).
PointHerbartianBloom's (objective-based)
Starting pointAim and contentObjectives (behaviour)
FocusTeacher and contentLearner and outcomes
EvaluationAt the end, weakBuilt into the plan
ObjectivesGeneralSpecific and measurable
Learner roleMostly passiveActive

A sample Herbartian lesson (outline)

Topic: "Air occupies space" (Class 6).

  • Preparation: The teacher asks, "What is inside an empty glass?" and recalls that air is all around us.
  • Presentation: The teacher (or pupils) pushes an inverted glass into water with a piece of paper inside, and shows that the paper stays dry.
  • Association: Pupils compare this with a balloon that fills with air and with a bucket that fills with water.
  • Generalisation: Pupils state: "Air occupies space."
  • Application: Pupils explain why a tyre becomes hard when it is filled with air.

Sample objective-based plan (outline)

  • Objective (understanding): The pupil explains that air occupies space.
  • Specifications: The pupil gives two examples; the pupil predicts what happens when a bottle is put in water mouth-down.
  • Learning experiences: Group activity with glass, paper and a water trough.
  • Evaluation: Two short questions linked to the specifications.
  • Follow-up: A simple home activity with a balloon.

Writing a year plan in practice

Suppose a school has about 200 working days and the textbook has 12 chapters. After removing days for tests, practical examinations and events, the teacher might keep 150 teaching days. The teacher then divides the days among the chapters by the difficulty and size of each. Chapters with many experiments get more periods. The plan is kept in a register, and the teacher marks the actual date on which each unit is finished, so that delays are noticed early.

Modern note: 5E and constructivist plans

Many modern plans use a constructivist 5E model: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate. The pupil builds ideas through activity first and the teacher explains afterwards. This fits well with the academic standards of Andhra Pradesh, which stress activities, asking questions and application.

Classroom angle

  • Keep the plan short but complete; it is a guide and not a script.
  • Always have a plan B if an experiment or an aid fails.
  • Match each question in the evaluation to an objective.
  • After the class, note what worked and use it to improve the next plan.

Common planning mistakes

Teachers sometimes copy an old plan without changing it for the present class. Others write too many objectives for one period, or forget to plan evaluation. Some plans have no place for the pupils' own activity, so the class turns into a lecture. A good plan has a few clear objectives, a realistic time for each step, a simple activity for pupils, a few key questions and an end-of-lesson check. After the lesson, the teacher should note what worked and what did not, and use this when planning the next lesson. Plans should also leave a few minutes for pupil questions.

Planning for different learners

In every class, some pupils learn fast and others need more time. A good plan includes a simple remedial task for slow learners and an enrichment task, such as a small investigation, for fast learners. The teacher can also use group work, in which pupils of different levels help each other. This is part of planning for inclusive classrooms.

Exam traps

  • 1. Year plan vs unit plan vs lesson plan: the year plan is widest; the lesson plan is for one period.
  • 2. Morrison's steps (exploration to recitation) belong to the unit plan, not to the Herbartian lesson plan.
  • 3. Herbartian steps end with application, not with evaluation.
  • 4. Herbartian vs Bloom: Herbartian starts from the aim and content; Bloom's starts from the behavioural objectives.
  • 5. Preparation vs presentation: preparation arouses interest and recalls old knowledge; presentation gives new knowledge.
  • 6. Generalisation comes after association and before application.
  • 7. Specifications are behaviours that show an objective is met, not the content.
  • 8. Recapitulation is not the same as evaluation; recapitulation is a quick summary.

One-liners

  • 1. A year plan shows the course division for the whole academic year.
  • 2. A unit plan covers one theme over several periods.
  • 3. A lesson plan is for one period.
  • 4. Herbart was a German educator.
  • 5. Herbartian steps are five in number.
  • 6. The Herbartian second step is presentation.
  • 7. Generalisation is the fourth Herbartian step.
  • 8. Morrison's unit plan has five steps, ending with recitation.
  • 9. Bloom's approach begins with objectives.
  • 10. Specifications show how an objective is met.
  • 11. A lesson plan should have a home assignment.
  • 12. 5E stands for Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate and Evaluate.

Practice questions

  1. The widest and longest plan of a teacher is the

    1. unit plan
    2. lesson plan
    3. daily diary
    4. year plan
    Answer

    D. year plan

    Year plan covers the whole academic year.

  2. A plan for one period of teaching is called a

    1. unit plan
    2. lesson plan
    3. course plan
    4. year plan
    Answer

    B. lesson plan

    A lesson plan is for a single period.

  3. A unit plan covers

    1. only one period
    2. the whole school
    3. the whole year without division
    4. one theme or part of the course over several periods
    Answer

    D. one theme or part of the course over several periods

    A unit is a meaningful part of the course.

  4. The five formal steps of teaching are associated with

    1. Bloom and Krathwohl
    2. Skinner and Crowder
    3. Herbart and his followers
    4. Dewey and Kilpatrick
    Answer

    C. Herbart and his followers

    Herbart's followers Ziller and Rein formulated them.

  5. Johann Friedrich Herbart was a

    1. Indian mathematician
    2. American psychologist
    3. German educator
    4. British physicist
    Answer

    C. German educator

    Herbart was a German educationist.

  6. The first step of the Herbartian lesson plan is

    1. presentation
    2. preparation
    3. application
    4. generalisation
    Answer

    B. preparation

    Preparation arouses interest and recalls old knowledge.

  7. The last step of the Herbartian lesson plan is

    1. preparation
    2. association
    3. generalisation
    4. application
    Answer

    D. application

    Pupils apply the rule in new situations.

  8. The fourth step of the Herbartian lesson plan is

    1. presentation
    2. application
    3. association
    4. generalisation
    Answer

    D. generalisation

    The rule is drawn out before application.

  9. Morrison's unit plan ends with the step of

    1. presentation
    2. assimilation
    3. recitation
    4. exploration
    Answer

    C. recitation

    Exploration, presentation, assimilation, organisation, recitation.

  10. Henry C. Morrison is linked with the

    1. year plan
    2. unit plan
    3. micro-teaching
    4. programmed learning
    Answer

    B. unit plan

    He proposed a five-step unit plan.

  11. The Bloom approach to lesson planning begins with

    1. recapitulation
    2. presentation
    3. objectives
    4. home assignment
    Answer

    C. objectives

    It starts with behavioural objectives.

  12. The three points of Bloom's evaluation approach are objectives, learning experiences and

    1. preparation
    2. evaluation
    3. recitation
    4. association
    Answer

    B. evaluation

    The approach is a triangle with evaluation.

  13. Which part of a lesson plan arouses interest and links to previous knowledge?

    1. Evaluation
    2. Home assignment
    3. Recapitulation
    4. Introduction
    Answer

    D. Introduction

    Introduction is the opening of the lesson.

  14. In a good year plan, the first thing to count is the number of

    1. textbooks
    2. classrooms
    3. working days
    4. pupils' marks
    Answer

    C. working days

    The plan depends on available teaching days.

  15. The 5E model has the stages Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate and

    1. Enrol
    2. Examine
    3. Express
    4. Evaluate
    Answer

    D. Evaluate

    The last E stands for Evaluate.

  16. Specifications in the Bloom approach are

    1. names of content topics
    2. behaviours that show an objective has been reached
    3. teaching aids
    4. home assignments
    Answer

    B. behaviours that show an objective has been reached

    They tell what the pupil will do.

  17. Herbart's own steps are often listed as clearness, association, system and

    1. method
    2. application
    3. recitation
    4. evaluation
    Answer

    A. method

    Clearness, association, system, method.

  18. A year plan should keep time for revision, tests and

    1. remedial teaching
    2. holidays only
    3. play only
    4. fees collection
    Answer

    A. remedial teaching

    Remedial teaching helps weak pupils.

  19. In a Herbartian lesson on 'air occupies space', the teacher first asks what is inside an empty glass. This is the step of

    1. presentation
    2. association
    3. generalisation
    4. preparation
    Answer

    D. preparation

    It arouses interest and recalls old knowledge.

  20. The teacher shows that a paper inside an inverted glass stays dry when pushed into water. This is the step of

    1. generalisation
    2. preparation
    3. presentation
    4. application
    Answer

    C. presentation

    New content is shown with an experiment.

  21. Pupils state 'air occupies space' after comparing several examples. This is the step of

    1. presentation
    2. generalisation
    3. preparation
    4. application
    Answer

    B. generalisation

    The rule is drawn from the examples.

  22. Pupils explain why a tyre becomes hard when filled with air. This is the step of

    1. preparation
    2. generalisation
    3. application
    4. association
    Answer

    C. application

    The rule is used in a new situation.

  23. Comparing the new fact with balloons and buckets that pupils already know is the step of

    1. preparation
    2. presentation
    3. application
    4. association
    Answer

    D. association

    New facts are linked with known facts.

  24. A major limit of the Herbartian plan is that it

    1. starts with evaluation
    2. is teacher-centred and weak in evaluation
    3. ignores content
    4. has no steps
    Answer

    B. is teacher-centred and weak in evaluation

    The teacher controls the lesson.

  25. A main advantage of the objective-based plan over the Herbartian plan is that it

    1. makes the teacher the only active person
    2. has fewer steps
    3. links objectives, activities and evaluation
    4. avoids testing
    Answer

    C. links objectives, activities and evaluation

    Evaluation is built into the plan.

  26. A teacher marks the date on which each unit is finished and compares it with the year plan. This helps to

    1. notice delays early
    2. reduce working days
    3. avoid all tests
    4. skip revision
    Answer

    A. notice delays early

    Monitoring keeps the plan on track.

  27. A teacher keeps a spare activity ready in case a demonstration fails. This shows that a lesson plan should be

    1. rigid
    2. very long
    3. written only for the inspector
    4. flexible
    Answer

    D. flexible

    Flexibility helps handle surprises.

  28. Which of the following is part of a lesson plan but NOT of a year plan?

    1. Time for revision
    2. Home assignment for the day
    3. Division of units
    4. Number of working days
    Answer

    B. Home assignment for the day

    Home assignment is a daily item.

  29. In the 5E model, pupils first do activities and the teacher explains afterwards. This view is

    1. constructivist
    2. purely deductive
    3. behaviourist
    4. lecture-based
    Answer

    A. constructivist

    Pupils build ideas from experience.

  30. Which order of planning goes from wide to narrow?

    1. Unit plan, year plan, lesson plan
    2. Year plan, lesson plan, unit plan
    3. Lesson plan, unit plan, year plan
    4. Year plan, unit plan, lesson plan
    Answer

    D. Year plan, unit plan, lesson plan

    Wide to narrow: year, unit, lesson.

  31. Which plan is most useful for beginners because of its clear steps?

    1. Mager's plan
    2. Dale's plan
    3. Herbartian plan
    4. Crowder's plan
    Answer

    C. Herbartian plan

    Its five steps are easy to follow.

  32. Consider the statements about planning. 1. A year plan is the widest of the three plans. 2. A lesson plan covers a whole unit. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    A lesson plan is for one period.

  33. Consider the statements about Herbartian steps. 1. Association comes before generalisation. 2. Application comes before preparation. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    Application is the last step.

  34. Consider the statements about Morrison's plan. 1. It is a unit plan. 2. Its first step is recitation. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    The first step is exploration.

  35. Consider the statements about the Bloom approach. 1. It begins with objectives. 2. Evaluation is built into the plan. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct.

  36. Consider the statements about the Herbartian approach. 1. It is learner-centred and activity-based. 2. It suits the inductive way of teaching. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    It is teacher-centred.

  37. Consider the statements about lesson plans. 1. A good lesson plan is flexible. 2. It should include evaluation. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct.

  38. Consider the statements about year plans. 1. Working days are found after removing holidays and examinations. 2. Time for revision is not included. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    Revision and tests are included.

  39. Consider the statements about specifications. 1. They are the behaviours that show an objective is met. 2. They are the same as teaching aids. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    They are not aids.

  40. Consider the statements about the 5E model. 1. It begins with Engage. 2. It ends with Explore. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    It ends with Evaluate.

  41. Consider the statements about Herbart. 1. He used the idea of linking new ideas to old ones. 2. He proposed the three-part cycle of micro-teaching. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    Micro-teaching came from Dwight Allen.

  42. Match the step with the activity: (A) Preparation (B) Presentation (C) Generalisation (D) Application; (1) recall of previous knowledge (2) experiment shown (3) rule stated (4) problem solved

    1. A-1, B-2, C-4, D-3
    2. A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4
    3. A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4
    4. A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4
    Answer

    B. A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4

    Each step is matched with its activity.

  43. Match the plan with its scope: (A) Year plan (B) Unit plan (C) Lesson plan; (1) whole academic year (2) one theme over some weeks (3) one period

    1. A-1, B-3, C-2
    2. A-2, B-1, C-3
    3. A-3, B-2, C-1
    4. A-1, B-2, C-3
    Answer

    D. A-1, B-2, C-3

    Year - whole year; unit - one theme; lesson - one period.

  44. Match the name with the plan: (A) Herbart (B) Morrison (C) Bloom (D) Bybee; (1) five formal steps (2) unit plan (3) objective-based plan (4) 5E model

    1. A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4
    2. A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4
    3. A-1, B-2, C-4, D-3
    4. A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4
    Answer

    B. A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4

    Herbart - formal steps; Morrison - unit plan; Bloom - objective-based; Bybee - 5E.

  45. Match the Morrison step with its meaning: (A) Exploration (B) Presentation (C) Assimilation (D) Recitation; (1) testing pupils' prior knowledge (2) giving the main outline (3) pupils study and work on the unit (4) pupils report what they learned

    1. A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4
    2. A-1, B-2, C-4, D-3
    3. A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4
    4. A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4
    Answer

    D. A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4

    Each Morrison step is matched with its meaning.

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