LESSON PREPARATION

AND BUILDING
BACKGROUND
Shannon Cush & Meghan Tighe

What is Lesson Preparation?

Think, pair and share with a partner what is

important to remember when preparing a
lesson?

Planning must produce lessons that allow

students to make connections between their
prior knowledge and experiences with the
new information being

Content and Language

Objectives

Clearly define what the objectives are.

Content Objectives describe what the students
will learn during the lesson
Language Objectives describe how the
students will learn the content of the lesson.
Based on the needs of the student.
Adaptation of content, simplify without
watering down the material too much.

The Usage of Graphic

Organizers

Help students to grasp the completeness of

what theyre learning

Using Graphic Organizers:

Before a lesson: Organizing of Ideas
During a lesson: Make connections
After a lesson: Record understanding

Examples of Graphic
Organizers

Venn Diagram

Timeline

Concept Maps

Comparison Chart

Discussion Web

Tools to Use When Planning

Outlines serve as a guide for students when
taking notes.
Highlight key vocabulary or important concepts
.
Write Marginal notes in the textbook to focus
attention on important questions.
Study Guides created by teacher to
accompany text.

Tools to Use When Planning

Adapted Text- Teachers make texts more understandable by

rewriting difficult material

Simple Sentences
Topic Sentence Supporting Sentences
Maintain consistent format

Jigsaw- A type of Cooperative Learning Style

Students are split up into groups where they will learn about a
specific topic once they understand the topic they return to
their original groups to teach their peers.

Supplementary Materials
It is important to use materials to provide
students with :
-concrete experiences
-visual support
- scaffolding of learning
Use materials that will appeal to all types of
learners.

Plan Meaningful Activities

o

Are your activities integrating the concepts?

The activities should allow for the language
practice in all four skills: Reading, Writing,
Speaking, Listening
Examples of Activities:

Surveys (Speaking)
Letter Writing (Writing)
Constructing Models
Simulation

Activity

Pretend you are a teacher preparing a lesson

for a class of ELL students. You are giving the
children the story of Goldilocks and the Three
Bears
You will work in partners and be given one of
the tools we covered and create an example to
share with the class.

BUILDING
BACKGROUND

Before Activity
Before we go over building background, As a
teacher, how would you go about planning a
lesson for an ELL student?

Write your thoughts on the before section of the t

chart.

Key Features of Building

Background
1.

Link: Link concepts to students background

experiences

2.

3.

Activating students prior knowledge

Little to no prior knowledge perform activities to help
build background knowledge (models, illustrations,
reading a story, picture book, video, insert model)

Bridge: Make connection of past learning

and the new key concepts
Emphasize Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary Knowledge= high achievement

Context Vocabulary
Teachers read and understand content
select important key vocabulary
Be straightforward when defining
vocabulary words
Show how those words are used in
context
Give synonyms of words to simplify
meaning

Self Selecting Strategy

Students pick the essential words
Can be selected individually or in a
group/ with a partner
Share their findings about words they
chose
Good strategy for participation

Other Tools

Have the students self

select words or terms that
they find essential for the
content.
Create a word wall visible to
the entire class
Or have the students create
personal glossaries or
dictionaries
Both these tools can serve
as something for the student
to refer back to as a
resource.

After Activity
Now that we have gone over building
background for ELL students, as a
teacher, how would you go about
building background for an ELL
student?
Write your thoughts on the after
section of the t chart.