{"id":21566,"date":"2025-05-01T11:23:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T15:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/?p=21566"},"modified":"2025-08-19T13:52:42","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T17:52:42","slug":"instructional-design-lesson-planning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/instructional-design-lesson-planning\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Essential lesson planning tips using instructional design"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lesson planning is truly the artistry of teaching. Learning how to write a lesson plan takes practice to discover what works best for you and your students. Often lesson plans are downgraded to mere outlines of planned activities, but when an instructional design is folded in, they become the source of truth for crafting engaging learning experiences<\/a> in the classroom. Whether you’re a first year teacher<\/a> or a seasoned educator, this blog will provide the essential tips you need to lesson plan effectively and efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New to Nearpod? <\/strong>Teachers can sign up for a free Nearpod account below to access these standards-aligned activities and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Teachers: Sign up for free<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Administrators: Schedule a call<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

How do you write a lesson plan?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lesson plans outline what to do before the lesson, during the lesson, and after the lesson. The basic components of a lesson plan should include learning objectives, standards, materials, class time, sequence, and assessments. There are many different templates or models for effective lesson planning, with elements that may differ depending on philosophical approach or school-wide adopted techniques. Yet before diving into mapping out a lesson, you may want a refresher on sound instructional design strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is instructional design?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Instructional design goes far beyond the mere production of a lesson plan or its accompanying teaching aids. Instructional design includes the goals for student learning and the methodology for achieving such goals, all while keeping in mind how individuals best engage in their learning journey. While teaching as a discipline is founded in science, its magic is in the artistry that educators add. As author and educator Mark Van Doren said, \u201cThe art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet as with any artistic venture, there is no hard and fast template for creating really engaging experiences. When it comes to the classroom, we have some tried and true models based on theory, research, and practice, but the best teachers add their own flavor to such classroom recipes to transform learning experiences for each and every student. Instructional design is no small task, but this is the beauty and challenge for educators daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5 Lesson planning tips for teachers using instructional design<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Start with Backward Design<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to instructional design, many teachers are tempted to jump into a fun activity they saw in action or read about; there\u2019s loads of inspiration posted daily from our \u201cedu-celebs\u201d in the blogging and social media worlds. However, according to researchers Wiggins and McTighe, starting with a backward design is best. Backward Design<\/a> is a fundamental concept in instructional design.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Stages<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

In their book, Understanding by Design<\/em><\/a>, Wiggins and McTight outline that backward design consists of three sequential stages. First, you must set your overall learning goals and identify the desired results of your instruction; your eyes are on the end goals. Then, you work backward to determine what evidence you will want to see to know that these goals have been met. Only lastly should you plan and craft the learning activity or experience. In traditional lesson planning, it can be hard to rein in the creativity and enthusiasm around a good idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, often thinking about an assessment comes at the end of the lesson, a final step. However, by keeping the end in sight first, kids will be more engaged, and their knowledge becomes more transferable. Your systematic approach to and sequence of scaffolded lesson plans will yield better student outcomes<\/a>. If you’re incorporating frameworks like the 5E Model<\/a> (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate), the backward design approach can also be helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you have results in mind, Nearpod<\/a> can be utilized within your lesson design by leveraging the Nearpod reports as part of acceptable evidence and then drilling down into some of the interactive features and activities, such as Draw It<\/a> or Drag and Drop<\/a>, to support the lesson\u2019s overall learning goals and objectives. Also, consider how to write a lesson plan using these tips on Nearpod. The corresponding lessons can be curated, organized, and housed within a lesson library.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Learn more about Nearpod<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

2. Incorporate effective assessments<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of goal setting and \u201cacceptable evidence,\u201d it is helpful to have a refresher on the types of assessments to continually weave into your lessons for daily instruction. While there are many ways to break down assessments, four common types are Diagnostic, Formative, Interim, and Summative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diagnostic Assessments<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Consider how you can use diagnostic assessments<\/strong> to better understand where your students are starting — a snapshot or baseline if you will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n