LEARN NC

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Web Publishing & Collaboration Guide

For LEARN NC partners

1.3 Lesson plan publication standards

Content standards

Content standards ensure that the plan is educationally sound and meets an established need.

  1. Consistency. Activities and assessments are consistent with the learning outcomes.
  2. Curriculum alignment. The learning outcomes are consistent with goals of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study.
  3. Instructional approaches. The instructional approaches prescribed in the lesson plan are consistent with those recommended by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, with LEARN NC policy, or with current education research.
  4. Uniqueness. The lesson plan makes a unique contribution to the collection.
  5. Timeliness. The instructional value of the lesson plan extends beyond the duration of a specific event.
  6. Web links. Websites referenced from the plan are valid, credible, and provided by a reliable source. The author has provided titles and explained their use in the lesson. If intended for use by students, websites are developmentally appropriate.

Developmental standards

Developmental standards ensure that the plan is appropriate for the intended audience.

  1. Developmental appropriateness. The instruction does not place demands on learners inappropriate to their age, grade level, and/or developmental level.
  2. High standards for student achievement. The activities and assessment challenge learners beyond their current abilities and understanding.
  3. Safety. The lesson does not pose a physical danger to the teacher or students.
  4. Sensitivity. The lesson is not insensitive to differences in culture, race, or gender.

Implementation standards

Implementation standards ensure that the plan can be successfully replicated as written.

  1. Clarity and detail. The lesson plan, its attachments, and linked resources provide sufficiently clear and detailed instructions that an experienced teacher can implement it without significant additional research or planning.
  2. Time. The lesson can be completed in the time indicated. Time requirements are consistent with the demands of the curriculum and are justified by the learning outcomes.
  3. Copyright. If copyrighted material is included in or attached to the lesson plan, permission for use is documented.
  4. Attachments. Files attached to the plan are referenced from within the text of the plan and their purpose clearly explained. Attached files meet all other relevant standards for lesson plans, including clarity, spelling and grammar, developmental appropriateness, and sensitivity. Whenever possible, files are submitted in formats that require no special software for viewing or use (plain text, rich text format, HTML, GIF, or JPEG). When this is not possible, files are submitted in formats accessible by commonly available proprietary software.