Which step should come first when designing a lesson plan within a unit?

Concept: Lesson planning follows backward design: first define what learners should know or be able to do. Those objectives then guide the choice of content, activities, resources, and assessment.

Application: For this lesson within the unit, identifying learning objectives establishes the instructional target before teaching materials or assessment procedures are selected.

Contrast:

• Distributing textbooks organizes resources for instruction.

• Assigning grades records an evaluation after evidence has been collected.

• Identifying learning objectives defines the intended learning outcome.

• Administering final tests measures learning after instruction.

Result: identifying learning objectives should come first.