ALEX

LESSON PLAN GUIDE

Alabama Learning Exchange
Lesson components with an asterisk are required. Before preparing your lesson plan, we
strongly advise teachers to review the Lesson Plan Criteria Checklist that will be used to judge
Lesson Plan quality for posting to ALEX.
*Author Information:
Name
E-mail address (will not be published)
School
School System
*Title: May be plain or designed to grab attention!

*Overview/Annotation:
A three to five sentence description of the lesson. Your annotation may describe the
primary nature (such as hands-on, inquiry, technology-based, project, lecture), whether
interdisciplinary or single-subject, and/or its relationship to other lessons (such as part of a unit,
follows or precedes another submitted lesson, remediation or extension of another submitted
lesson) or courses (such as a Career-Tech course lesson addresses embedded credit content).
Being clear, descriptive, and specific will help in keyword searches.

*Content Standard(s):
One or more of Alabama's course of study content standards. The content standard stem
and bullets would be included, although the bulleted format need not be retained. A lesson may
address a single content standard, a portion of a content standard, two or more content
standards from the same subject area, or content standards from two or more subject areas.
Course of Study:
Grade Level:
Content Standard:

Course:
Content Standard #

Course of Study:
Grade Level:
Content Standard:

Course:
Content Standard #

Revised 3-1-2009

National/Other Standards:
(Optional) National standards may be provided to assist teachers that may require them. Place
a standard here to align the lesson with national or other standards.

*Primary Learning Objectives(s):

The concept, knowledge, skill, or application students can demonstrate at the lesson's
completion. This may be the same as or very similar to the content standard; however, it could
be narrower or perhaps broader. Objectives may be stated in the form of critical questions
students should be able to answer.

Additional Learning Objective(s):

(Optional) These may be incidental, related outcomes that are not assessed; they may be
smaller steps students need to take to lead to the Primary Learning Objective; or they may be
broader objectives that extend beyond the scope of the lesson but that the lesson partially
addresses (e.g., critical thinking).

*Total Duration:
The anticipated time of the entire lesson (including assignments and assessment) stated in
minutes.
*Materials and Equipment:
Those required by teacher and/or students, with pertinent notes to guide preparation or other
special instructions needed such as safety considerations. Please list technology items in the
next field.

Series: 4.1.09

*Technology Resources Needed:

Examples of technology tools might include: slideshows, digital cameras, Interactive Boards,
podcasts, laptops, Photostory, web sites, demonstrations, experiments with probeware, etc.

Background/Preparation:
Background information /prerequisite learning material needed by the students or teacher
and/or advanced preparation required.

*Procedures/Activities:
A clear, succinct description of the activity. It should be divided into steps or sections.
Include web links and file attachments as needed to strengthen your lesson. NOTE: For tips
on uploading files, videos, and attachments, check the FAQs.
Step 1

Lesson
Title:
Materials to Annotation: (Write a brief description of the attachment; i.e. video clip,
be
handout, activity, etc.)
attached:
(Attach files
as needed)

Title:
Annotation:

Web Links

Title (List the title of the website.)

URL (Copy and paste the Internet address here. You must include http://)

Annotation (Write a brief description of the website.)

Series: 4.1.09

Step 2

Lesson
Title:
Materials to Annotation:
be
attached:
Title:
(Attach files Annotation:
as needed)
Web Links

Title:
URL:

Annotation:

Step 3

Lesson
Title:
Materials to Annotation:
be
attached:
Title:
(Attach files Annotation:
as needed)
Web Links

Title:
URL:

Annotation:

Series: 4.1.09

Step 4

Lesson
Title:
Materials to Annotation:
be
attached:
Title:
(Attach files Annotation:
as needed)
Web Links

Title:
URL:

Annotation:

Step 5

Lesson
Title:
Materials to Annotation:
be
attached:
Title:
(Attach files Annotation:
as needed)
Web Links

Title:
URL:

Annotation:
(Add additional steps if needed.)

Series: 4.1.09

*Assessment Strategies:
This may simply indicate the type of assessment most appropriate, or it may provide sample
questions, entire tests, or rubrics.

Extension:
Explain how the lesson might be modified for students who already know or can do the
Primary Learning Objective, such as activities that apply the concept to new content.

Remediation:
Explain what may be done for students who need extra preparation before or extra assistance
after the lesson.

Series: 4.1.09

ALEX Lesson Plan Criteria Checklist

How to Use This Guide: These criteria will be used by Reviewers to judge the quality of your favorite
lesson plan(s), so please read these criteria carefully before submitting your lesson plans to ALEX.
Most educators have found it useful to use the downloadable Lesson Plan Guide on ALEX to enter
their lesson plans first, do the spell and grammar check, save as an .rtf file. Then, the next step is to
simply copy and paste your completed lesson plan into the online lesson plan template on ALEX that
is located in your Personal Workspace area. [Users must create a free account by going to
http://alex.state.al.us, Personal Workspace, and complete the information. Then confirm your
account by responding to the email sent from the ALEX Administrator.] If you include these 4
important components in this guide, your lesson plans will reflect ALEX Quality:

Yes
No

Criteria 1: Communication
Criteria 2: Standards and Content
Criteria 3: Innovation and Creativity
Criteria 4: Lesson Quality

The writer provides compelling evidence of a clearly-written, wellstructured lesson plan, rich in technology and other resources.
(Meets Criteria)
The writer provides insufficient or no evidence of a clearly-written,
well-structured lesson plan, rich in technology and other resources.
(Does Not Meet Criteria)
Criteria

Yes

No

Criteria 1: Communication
Criteria 2: Standards and Content
Criteria 3: Innovation and Creativity
Criteria 4: Lesson Quality
*Note to Review Panel:
A.) If a checklist item states when/as appropriate, and that item is not appropriate for the particular
lesson, then the reviewer will score the item as Yes.
B.) All No answers must be accompanied by comments that clearly specify corrections that need
to be made by the lesson plan submitter.
C.) Any and all Criteria items marked No must be corrected or returned to the submitter for editing
and resubmission, i.e. no Lesson Plan will be posted to ALEX that does not meet 100% of the
Criteria items.
D.) If a Reviewer is given the authority to edit a Lesson Plan, edits may not substantively change
the original intent of the Lesson Plan. Edits by Reviewers are generally confined to spelling,
grammar, clarity, formatting, addition of technology use and/or links to enrich the lesson plan,
and extension/remediation/accommodation suggestions.
Series: 4.1.09

Title of Lesson:
Author:

Lesson #:
Reviewer:

**Criteria 1: Communication
Yes

No

Checklist Items

Comments

1. Lesson Plan follows ALEX format.

2. Correct spelling, grammar, and usage.
3. Writing and directions are clear and concise.
4. Appropriate student and teacher resources
(handouts, websites, etc.) are included.
5. New terms, acronyms, and abbreviations are defined.
6. All links to files or websites work.

=Total

**Total required for approval=6/6

Title of Lesson:
Author:

Lesson #:
Reviewer:

** Criteria 2: Standards and Content

Yes

No

Checklist Items

Comments

1. All Course of Study (COS) standards are relevant,

aligned to objectives, and sufficient in number.
2. Lesson duration and flexibility options are provided
and reasonable.
3. Content is accurate, complete, and at the appropriate
level for target students; prerequisites/prior
knowledge for understanding the content is clearly
specified, as appropriate.
4. Lesson develops student understanding of content
through active applications, rather than only
memorization.
5. Ways to evaluate student understanding are included
(e.g. oral/written questions and discussion,
assessment rubrics, checklists, formative/summative
assessments, etc.).
6. Accommodations and extension activities support
inclusion for special populations, as appropriate.

=Total

Series: 4.1.09

**Total required for approval=6/6

Title of Lesson:
Author:

Lesson #:
Reviewer:

** Criteria 3: Innovation and Creativity

Yes

Checklist Items
1. Title and Annotation are creative and clearly express
the lesson content.

No

Comments

2. Students are given opportunities to develop and

demonstrate their creativity, as appropriate.
3. Engaging 21st Century Learning web resources are
included (e.g. ALEX, Thinkfinity.org, etc.).

4. Lesson is enriched by adding ways to use different

kinds of multimedia expressive tools (e.g.,
slideshows, digital cameras, Interactive Board,
podcasts, laptops, photostory, journaling, books,
writing, demonstrations, experiments, enactments,
plays, games, artwork, dance, music, etc.).
5. Innovative opportunities are created for transfer of
knowledge to other situations, (e.g., real-world
applications, project-based learning, etc.).

=Total

**Total required for approval=5/5

Title of Lesson:
Author:

Lesson #:
Reviewer:

** Criteria 4: Lesson Quality

Yes

Checklist Items
1. Teachers and students use a variety of informal
education resources beyond a textbook and
worksheets (e.g. technology-mediated, [web links,
tools, etc.] experts, fieldtrips, publications, etc.).

No

2. Diverse learning groups are used as appropriate.

3. Activities to address a variety of learning styles and
actively engage all learners at an appropriate level of
difficulty are included.
4. Students are provided enough time and ways to think
and talk about what they are learning.
5. Activities that help students relate lesson activities
and content to other issues/content areas, and/or
larger social, political, ethical issues are included,
when appropriate.
6. All students are required to use key concepts,
generalizations, ideas, and skills at higher levels of
thinking, (e.g., solve problems, extend understanding,
and/or create meaningful products).

Series: 4.1.09

Comments

=Total

Series: 4.1.09

**Total required for approval=6/6