Unit Plans vs Lesson Plans

Unit Plan vs Lesson Plan: What's the Difference?

Lesson plans a small components that make up the entire unit. Lesson are a day to day occurrence while a unit plan is administered over the a long period of time that includes many lessons. Another way to put it is that a unit plan is very broad and can cover a wide range of topics while a lesson is pinpointed to a specific aspect of what the unit is abut.


 

Unit Plans

A good unit plan must have many components

(Abruscato, DeRosa, 2015, p. 58)

Tips for Unit Plans

My biggest tip for Unit planning is to make use of your resources. I huge help would be textbooks because they give structured, systematic information that can benefit you in oyur planning. Also make use of premade science kits that can, not only aid it providing good lesson, but also remove the stress of preparing for a lesson. As long as you familizrize yourself with the material, a simple kit can go a long way. Finally, my biggest tip, is to know your stuff. Do not teach what you don't know. Understandbly, there mught be a topic we aren't sting in and that's okay, no one is perfect. There may be gaps in your knowledge, it happens. What is not okay if spreading misinformation. When you aren't strong in a topic, research it, take a crash course, become the expert (or expert enough) so that your students are benefitting from your lesson and not suffering from your lack of knowledge.

Lesson Plans 

Lesson Plans are one of teachers most important jobs. Lesson plans are a daily occurrence and need to be well though out. With practice they become second nature, but sometimes they can become less meaningful. My honest opinion is to always check yourself and make sure that the lesson is meaningful and is benefitting your current students. Lesson Plans are to teachers as filing taxes is to an accountant, it is our job. An accountant must do their taxes to the upmost perfection because that is their job. A teacher needs to make their lesson to the upmost perfection because that is our job.

As I continue through my master program, I have become more confident in lesson planning (and planning in my daily life as well). At first I was so scared and nervous of failure, now it has become almost second nature. Mount St. Mary has provided us the tools to be effective teachers. At first I thought it was hard and tedious, but that difficulty has made planning so much easier and I am grateful for it. Now, when I need to make lessons on the fly, I am able to with ease. By making lesson planning harder at first, it made practical lesson planning easier in the future.