Three Models of Lesson Planning

A lesson plan is not built in a vacuum. Three different models have shaped how teachers write lesson plans. Each model emphasizes different things. A teacher who knows all three can pick the model that fits a given lesson, or combine elements from each.

Tyler’s model

Ralph Tyler’s model dates to 1949. It is the foundation of modern curriculum and lesson design. The same four steps apply at the lesson level.

Step 1: Define the purpose (objectives). At the curriculum level, this means the broad goals of education. At the lesson level, this means the lesson’s instructional objectives. What will students be able to do by the end of the lesson?

Step 2: Plan learning experiences. What activities, demonstrations, or tasks will help students reach the objectives? At the lesson level, this means the activities students will do during class.

Step 3: Organize the learning experiences. Activities cannot happen in random order. They need a sequence. At the lesson level, this means the order of activities within the 40-50 minute period.

Step 4: Evaluate against the objectives. How will the teacher know students reached the objectives? At the lesson level, this means the assessment.

A Tyler-based lesson plan starts with objectives, plans experiences to meet them, sequences the experiences, and evaluates against the original objectives. The criterion for evaluation is always the objective.

Tyler’s rationale has been criticized over the years (it can feel mechanical, it does not always account for students’ diverse needs). But it is still the foundation of how most lesson plans are structured. Tyler’s logic underlies almost every template a teacher will use.

Bloom’s model

Benjamin Bloom’s taxonomy, covered earlier, classifies cognitive learning into six levels: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation.

A Bloom-based lesson plan uses these levels to set objectives. Sample objectives at different levels:

1. Knowledge: “Students will be able to list three differences between solid and liquid.”
2. Comprehension: “Students will be able to describe the difference between solid and liquid in their own words.”
3. Application: “Students will be able to classify five given materials as solid, liquid, or gas.”
4. Analysis: “Students will be able to explain why a solid melts when heated.”
5. Synthesis: “Students will be able to design an experiment to test whether a given substance is solid, liquid, or gas.”
6. Evaluation: “Students will be able to evaluate which form of matter is most useful for a given purpose.”

A teacher using Bloom’s model deliberately writes objectives at the appropriate level. Over a unit, lessons move up the taxonomy. The first lessons might be Knowledge level. The middle lessons reach Application. The final lessons reach Synthesis or Evaluation.

Bloom’s model shapes both objective writing (the verb names the level) and assessment (the assessment must reach the same level).. The earlier point applies: writing an objective at Synthesis level and assessing it with a multiple-choice quiz fails the matching principle.

A Bloom-based lesson plan also includes the basic Tyler structure (objectives, experiences, organization, evaluation). The Bloom model adds level-awareness to each piece.

Gagné’s model

Robert Gagné developed a model with nine specific instructional events. Each event corresponds to an internal mental process the student goes through.

For now, the key features:

1. Nine events. Far more granular than Tyler’s four steps or Bloom’s level-based view.
2. Internal processes paired with external events. Each event the teacher provides triggers a specific mental process in the student.
3. Sequenced. The events happen in order. Skipping events breaks the sequence.

Gagné’s nine events:

1. Gain attention.
2. Inform learners of objectives.
3. Stimulate recall of prior knowledge.
4. Present the stimulus (new content).
5. Provide learning guidance.
6. Elicit performance.
7. Provide feedback.
8. Assess performance.
9. Enhance retention and transfer.

For now, note that the model is highly prescriptive. A Gagné-based lesson plan walks through all nine events in order.

What the three models share

Despite their differences, the three models share three core ideas.

1. Clear objectives at the start. All three models begin with objectives. Tyler defines them as the first step. Bloom shapes their cognitive level. Gagné includes them as the second of nine events.

2. Sequenced experiences. All three models recognize that activities must be ordered. Tyler calls it “organizing the learning experience”. Bloom moves up taxonomy levels. Gagné explicitly orders nine events.

3. Evaluation against the objectives. All three models close with checking whether the objectives were met. Tyler calls this evaluation. Bloom matches assessment to taxonomy level. Gagné includes “Assess performance” as event 8.

A teacher who works with any one of the three models will produce a lesson plan that has objectives, sequenced activities, and evaluation. The differences are in how detailed each piece is and what specific structure it follows.

Choosing among the models

A teacher does not have to pick one model and stick with it. Each model fits different situations.

Tyler’s model works well for general planning. Most lesson plan templates use Tyler’s four steps as the underlying structure.

Bloom’s model works well when the teacher wants to develop higher-order thinking deliberately. Writing objectives at specific levels and matching assessment to those levels keeps the lesson cognitively rigorous.

Gagné’s model works well for skill-focused lessons or for new teachers learning to plan in detail. The nine events provide a checklist that ensures nothing important gets skipped.

Many teachers combine elements. A lesson plan might use Tyler’s four-step skeleton, write objectives at Bloom-level specificity, and structure the procedure following Gagné’s nine events. The combination produces a strong plan.

Flashcard

What three core ideas do Tyler, Bloom, and Gagné's lesson planning models share?

Tap to reveal

Answer

Clear objectives, sequenced experiences, evaluation against objectives

All three start with clear objectives.

All three recognize that experiences must be ordered.

All three close with evaluation against the original objectives.

The differences are in how detailed each piece is and what specific structure it follows.