This course provides beginning teachers with a practical, step-by-step foundation for effective lesson and unit planning. Grounded in standards-based instruction and backward design theory, participants will learn how to plan with the end in mind—ensuring alignment between state standards, learning objectives, assessments, and daily instructional tasks.

Teachers will explore how to unpack state standards, design aligned assessments that measure student mastery, and build cohesive lessons that support student learning toward clear outcomes. Emphasis is placed on the importance of instructional alignment, ensuring that every component of a lesson—from objectives to activities—works together to support student success.

Participants will also learn the essential components of a strong lesson plan, including how to anticipate student misconceptions, design meaningful learning tasks, and assess student understanding effectively. By the end of the course, teachers will be equipped to create aligned, standards-based lesson plans that promote clarity, rigor, and measurable student growth.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the principles of standards-based instruction and the importance of using state standards to guide lesson planning.

• Apply backward design theory to create aligned units that connect standards, objectives, assessments, and instructional tasks.

• Develop clear, measurable learning objectives aligned to state standards and desired student outcomes.

• Design aligned assessments that accurately measure student mastery of standards and skills.

• Create structured lesson plans that include essential components such as date, unit, standards, objectives, and tasks.

• Anticipate and address common student misconceptions to improve instructional clarity and responsiveness.

• Plan instructional activities and tasks that support student engagement and progression toward mastery.

• Evaluate alignment across lesson components to ensure coherence between standards, instruction, and assessment.