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Introduction

A lesson plan is the systematic preparation done in a scientific manner. Effective and  successful teaching mainly depends on perfect lesson planning. Lesson plan represents a  single teaching unit meant for a class period and it generally help in the teacher’s mental  visualization of a classroom activities. 

Daily lesson planning involves defining the objectives, selecting and arranging the subject  matter and determining the method and procedure.

Importance of Lesson Plan

Planning is essential for every aspect of human activities, but for a planned teaching more  planning is required.

1. Suitable Environment : In a lesson plan objectives are fixed and the teaching strategies, techniques and material aid  etc. are decided beforehand. When a proper teaching environment is created, the teaching  task goes in a much planned way. 

2. Based on previous knowledge : In preparing lesson plans, the teacher presents new knowledge as the basis of previous  knowledge of the pupils. This enables the pupils to gain the knowledge very conveniently on  one side, the teacher succeeds in acquiring his objective on the other side.

3. Psychological teaching : The teacher uses proper teaching strategies, techniques and instruments keeping in mind the  interests, aptitudes, needs, capacities and abilities of the pupils for teaching them when the  lesson plans are prepared. This makes the teaching more psychological.  

4. Limitation of subject matter : In a lesson plan, the subject matter becomes limited. This enables the teacher to give up  irrelevant things. He only remembers definite and limited matter and its presentation before  the pupils become easy. The pupils also receive the knowledge in a systematic and organized  way. 

5. Determination of activities : In a lesson plan, the teachers and pupils activities are pre-decided according to the class level.  This makes the teaching activities meaningful and purposeful. 

6. Preparation of material aids : At the time of preparing a lesson plan, the teacher decides what facts are to be clarified by  what strategies, techniques and instruments and what aid is to be used at what time. This prepares the necessary and effective aids before starting the teaching task.

Herbertian Approach

This approach generally known as Herbartian approach was implemented by J.F. Herbart (1776-1841) and his followers. The formal steps involved in the approach as below:

1. Introduction/Motivation : This step is concerned with the task of preparing the students for receiving new knowledge. In  preparation, nothing new is taught to students. Relevant to the topic in hand the teacher should  3 make himself sure of what the pupils already know , by putting a few questions , based on the  pupils previous knowledge.  

2. Presentation : It is the key step and only through which the actual process of teaching is going to take place.  Here the aims of the lesson should be stated clearly and the heading should be written on the  blackboard. We have to provide situation for both the teacher and the students to participate in  the process of teaching and learning. Our ultimate aim of the presentation is to make the  concepts understandable to the students. Therefore simple language is used.

3. Comparison or Association : More importance should be given in this stage to compare the facts observed by the students  with another concept by way of giving examples. By making use of this comparison, the  students can derive definitions or theories.

4. Generalization : This step is concerned with arriving at some general ideas or drawing out the necessary  conclusions by the students on the basis of the different comparisons, contracts and associated  observed in the learning material present by the teacher.

5. Application : In this stage, the teacher makes the students understand the knowledge in an unfamiliar  situation. Unless the knowledge of science is applied in new situations or in our day-to-day  life, the study of science will become meaningless.

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5Es Lesson Plan (Constructivist Approach)

One approach to inquiry science is the 5E instructional model (Engage, Explore,  Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate). The 5E model is a planning tool for inquiry teaching  that provides a structure for students to connect science ideas with their  experiences and apply their learning to new contexts. The 5E model comprises five  phases that help teachers build a sequence of coherent and engaging learning  experiences for students. 

How the 5E Model Works

1. Engage. The teacher uses short activities to promote curiosity. The activity must  connect prior knowledge to new learning experiences in order to expose any  misconceptions and prepare students for new learning.

2. Explore. An investigation or hands-on activities are usually introduced in this  phase as students attempt to investigate a problem. Conflicting ideas, questions,  and confusion are common and help students identify what they need to know  before new terms or concepts are introduced.

3. Explain. With the teacher’s guidance, students explain the concepts they  explored in the previous phase and demonstrate their understanding of the new  terms that were introduced. Questions can make learning more meaningful,  interactive, and participatory.

4. Elaborate. Students apply their knowledge to new experiences and extend their  conceptual understanding as they solve a problem in a new context before  evaluation in the last phase of the 5E model. 

Micro Teaching Skills (Skill of Teaching) 

There are 8 teaching skills in which a student-teacher must practice during this micro-teaching session: 

1. Skill Of Set Induction: Set Induction is the art of introducing a lesson. When  teaching a certain topic, before the start of a new topic, the teacher must gain the  interest of the students in the topic he/she is about to teach. 

2. Skill of Explaining: After the students are set for a learning environment, the teacher  explains the topic. The beginning statement is important in such cases as it creates  readiness and grabs attention of the pupil. 

3. Skill of Illustrating with examples: When teaching a topic, students understand  concepts better by giving examples that they can comprehend with as well as  something that they can relate to in their life. They include: Formulating Simple examples, Formulating Relevant examples, Formulating  Interesting examples, Using appropriate media for Example. 

4. Skill of Questioning: The art of asking questions is one of the basic skills of good  teaching. An educator must reach into the learner’s hidden level of knowing and  awareness in order to help the learner to reach new levels of thinking. They include:   Lower Order questions, Middle order questions and Higher Order questions. 

5. Skill of Response Management: When asking questions during teaching a lesson, the  students may or may not be able to answer the questions. In such cases, the following  techniques should be used: Prompting technique, Seeking Further information technique, Redirection technique,  Refocusing technique.

6. Skill Of Reinforcement: Reinforcement is the act of strengthening or encouraging  the students during the class. They include: Positive Verbal Reinforcement and Positive Non-verbal Reinforcement 

7. Skill of Stimulus Variation: Stimulus is the positive input given by the teacher in the  form of motivation or values that can arouse the student’s creativity. They include: Movements, gestures, change in speech patterns, change in interaction style, focusing and pausing.