Integrated lesson plan
For this assignment you will plan in-depth lessons for ch
Integrated lesson plan
For this assignment you will plan in-depth lessons for children that not only integrates multiple curriculum
domains, developmentally-appropriate practice, and teaching strategies, but also demonstrates your ability to
integrate your curriculum design skills in your practice. If you can complete lesson planning adequately, you
will be ready to create and implement effective, intentional, and appropriate curriculum in any early childhood
program!
This lesson plan assesses your skill in utilizing planning, integrating multiple areas of development and content
standards, and planning for in-depth studies of topics and/or literature.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Read through these instructions carefully. Then, make sure you read the grading rubric
and ask questions early so you understand expectations.
STEP ONE: Choose a topic. You will submit a topic and receive instructor approval to proceed before you
begin working on the project. This will ensure that you have chosen a quality topic. (NAEYC standard 5a)
If you get stuck, here are some ideas for getting started:
Use the families and children (ages birth-eight): Observe the children closely. You may discover an
interest that would be worthy of pursuing as a lesson of study. Pay attention to the children at play.
What patterns and themes do you see emerging? Why do you think the children are playing in this
way? What big ideas are they processing through their play?
Remember that a lesson plan could also center around one piece of quality literature–a book, story,
poem, or song. If you are using literature as your springboard, identify the key concepts in the
literature. For example, The Three Bears may contain the following concepts: three (3), bears,
respecting other people’s belongings, family, sizes (big, medium, small), textures (hard, soft), cooking,
the woods, and the idea of “just right.”
STEP TWO: Curriculum Framework Reflect on the overarching curriculum or approach you are using to frame
this lesson such as Montessori, Creative Curriculum, Reggio-Emilia, Head Start, Project Approach, and so on.
Make sure to make note of your approach on the appropriate section of the lesson plan template (NAEYC
standard 5c, 4c)
STEP THREE: Brainstorm Two simple ways to do this step are with a curriculum web or sunburst, which are
simply graphic organizers for our thinking. We typically use a graphic way to organize our planning so that we
can easily make connections between big ideas. It’s usually a better approach than making a list. (NAEYC
standard 5b)
Here are the components to include when you are creating a sunburst or a web:
1. In your brainstorming document, include your name and the age group for which you are creating this
plan.
2. List the study topic in a central location. If you are using a storybook or piece of literature, place the
title in this location.
3. Include the big ideas related to this topic.
4. Include at least one activity title for each content area included in the sunburst template in our
textbook. It is common to find that some content areas are easy to assign multiple activities to, while
others feel more like a stretch.
STEP FOUR: Write the lesson plan: Using the lesson plan template, delete the red directions as you complete
your template.
STEP FIVE: Teach your lesson (NAEYC standards 4c, 5a, 5c)