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Graduate Teaching Certificate Program
Lesson Plans Template
Please use the following template for each of the lesson plans you include in your portfolio. Ensure that
your lesson plans are clear, offering concrete objectives and activities. Feel free to insert visual
representations—such as a map, chart, or power point—of your lesson plan. Ensure that you have
clearly addressed each of the following.
TITLE OF LESSON PLAN: Information Processing & Memory
LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND GOALS (What do you want students to learn?):
1. Understand three basic memory processes (encoding, storage, retrieval) and associated
terminology, processes, and applications.
2. Understand strategies for improving memory.
3. Gain practice explaining the utility of memory strategies.
OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES (What do you want students to do? What activities have you planned to meet
you learning objectives? How much time will you dedicate to each activity? Are there specific issues
you will emphasize as you’re leading students through the activities? Be as concrete as possible.):
1. Introduction to memory (10 Minutes):
a. Activity: Students are asked to recall the names of seven dwarfs.
b. In lecture/discussion format, review sources of difficulty with this task (i.e., encoding
failure, storage decay, retrieval failure).
2. In lecture/discussion format, review Module 20 (20 Minutes):
a. Overview of memory terminology and basic concepts associated with strategies for
improving memory.
b. Discuss three stores of memory (i.e., sensory, working, long-term memory): Student
examples will be elicited through discussion questions.
c. Activity: Two student volunteers will be sought (one with no musical expertise & and one
with musical expertise). Students will be instructed to write down as many words they
can generate in one minute when seeing a piece of sheet music projected on the
classroom screen.
d. Review processes operating behind expertise and memory.
e. Four multiple choice iclicker questions will be used to assess students’ understanding of
course material.
3. Video: “The Women Who Couldn’t Forget” (10 minutes)
a. Watch Video.
b. In discussion format, discuss what it would be like to never forget anything. Discuss
potential benefits and drawbacks.
4. In-class “mini-writing” reflection assigned and collected (10 Minutes)
a. Elicit a list of all memory improvement strategies discussed in class.
b. Display prompt as follows for student reflection writing: “You have a friend who is
struggling in a class. Now that you know so much about memory, identify 2 effects that
we have learned about in class that pertain to memory that could help him. Explain each
effect and how each effect would improve his test performance”.
RATIONALE FOR SEQUENCING AND PACING ACTIVITIES (How you are sequencing (building upon skills
and knowledge students have already developed) activities? How does your pacing of activities reflect
good time management? How will sequencing and pacing this lesson ensure student engagement?):
The lesson is structured as such to first engage the students with an activity, second to review
concepts and terminology, and third to emphasize the real-life application of course material. Students
are instructed to read the book before class. Thus, students will have a basic understanding of course
concepts before lecture. Activities, videos, and review can be implemented to further strengthen
students’ grasp of course material. Pacing reflects good time management as ample time is available for
student responses to discussion questions, videos, and activities. Further, sufficient time is allotted for
the in-class reflection mini-writing in order to allow students to successfully complete this assessment.
Finally, sequencing and pacing are used strategically to engage students from very beginning to the end
of class. Specifically, activities and videos are built into the lesson at various points in order to enhance
the excitement surrounding course material.
ASSESSMENT (How will you assess the success of the lesson? What outcomes will illustrate that
students have met the goals and objectives of this lesson?):
Objective #1: Understand three basic memory processes (encoding, storage, retrieval) and associated
terminology, processes, and applications.
1. Iclicker questions will be used to assess that basic memory processes are understood.
2. Instructor will elicit informal questions from students.
3. Instructor will elicit student examples of every-day memory examples.
4. Students will understand memory processes and applications.
Objective #2: Understand strategies for improving memory.
1. Iclicker questions will be used to assess that strategies are understood.
2. Instructor will elicit informal questions from students.
3. In-class mini-writing will be collected and graded (on a 5 point scale) to assess understanding.
4. Students will understand strategies for improving memory.
Objective #3: Gain practice explaining the utility of memory strategies.
1. In-class mini-writing will be collected and graded (on a 5 point scale) to assess understanding.
2. Students will be able to accurately identify and explain two strategies for improving memory.
Students will also be able to describe the utility of these strategies.
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS (Include any additional materials, such as citations for reading materials,
assignments, transparencies, power point pages, etc., that will be used in the lesson plan):
Appendix: “Lesson Plan 1_Memory PowerPoint”
Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoxsMMV538U&feature=related