The best way to design a lesson plan and unit is, drum roll please...THERE IS NO ONE BEST WAY! Robert Marzano made this astute observation (sans the yelling) in his comprehensive book The Art and Science of Teaching (a must read if you want to practice being, well, effective). Although all roads lead to Rome, most teachers will agree on a few simple foundational steps.
Marzano offers six easy to follow "Action Steps", sort of like a recipe, that help educators plan well-structured units. First and foremost, every unit needs a focus. Notice I said "unit". Why is this important you ask? Well, because a cohesive unit determines what the individual lessons will be, and there are "at least three basic areas of focus for a unit: (1) knowledge, (2) issues, and (3) student exploration". In basic terms all this means is (1) incorporating standards and learning goals, (2) central questions (i.e. values, moral code, etc.), and I think (3) is transparent enough, although Marzano suggests constructing tasks that encourage students to explore and form their own questions.
Action Steps 2-4 are, in a sense, a series, or what Marzano calls "segments". All three address this idea of having a "flexible lesson design"...
• Step 2 is to plan segments that will be part of every lesson, namely: rules and procedures, learning goals, assessments, and celebrating successes.
• Step 3 involves lesson segments that address academic content by implementing "knowledge practice and deepening understanding" such as in-class activities and homework; "critical-input experiences" which include lectures, reading materials, demonstrations, videos/presentations, and field trips; and "hypothesis generation and testing tasks" like library or internet research.
• Step 4, the final lesson segment, handles actions that must be taken on the spot. These are an important part of any lesson design because it helps teachers with "activities and behaviors that can be required at any point in lesson" specifically, engagement (implementing varied techniques), consequences for rules and procedures (keeping an equal eye on both positive and negative consequences), relationships (monitoring the balance between guidance & control and concern & cooperation), and expectations (for high and low level students).
Action Step 5 is to create a "draft of daily activities". In other words, don't be so hard-set on one procedure. Who knows what the day will throw at you, so it's best to stay loosey-goosey and remember the focus, or goal, of the lesson. Who cares how you get there as long as all your students joined along for the ride.
Action Step 6, the final step, is a reflection - not on the students, but rather yourself. Make sure you review "critical aspects of effective teaching" to insure that your lesson and unit plans are providing what is essential for "deepening students' understanding of content". Think of this like a checklist.
Now, the above being said, this is just one of many strategies to get your planning off on the right foot. Ultimately, just like in the classroom, the decision lies with you which process works best in order to achieve optimum results.
Since I'm a visual learner, below are a couple videos I found helpful...
This video offers what teachers called "useful" and "practical advise". (I don't know about you, but I wake up everyday and meditate on how I can complicate my class to the fullest extent.)
New Teacher Survival Guide: Planning
Other pointers to consider, but only if you like to finish on time and meet your objective.
Pace and Structure in Lesson Planning
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