This is a guide to finding some initial resources for lesson planning.
Books
Search the QUT Library Catalogue to find books on your topic.
(a) Examples of useful keywords:
- lesson plan(s)
- "lesson planning"
- teaching unit(s)
- thematic unit(s)
- thematic activities
- classroom activities
- "unit of instruction"
- "unit of work"
- "unit of study"
Once you have found an item that looks relevant, you can then use the subject headings assigned to that record to find other items. Examples of some useful subject headings:
(b) To find resources for teaching on a certain topic or subject, use the KEYWORD search option in the Library Catalogue. Type in the subject/topic/followed by the phrase study and teaching. You can add the grade level if desired. For more specific activities, try using the word activity after the grade to see if there are any activity programs available.
| Search examples | Finds |
| mathematics and "study and teaching" | Finds resources on the topic of teaching mathematics |
| mathematics and "study and teaching" and primary and lesson plan* | Finds lesson plans for teaching mathematics in primary schools |
| mathematics and "study and teaching" and primary and activity | Finds resources on the topic of teaching mathematics activities in primary schools |
| mathematics and "study and teaching" and primary and length | Finds resources on the topic of teaching length in mathematics in primary schools |
| oceans and "juvenile literature" | Finds non fiction resources on oceans |
| oceans and "juvenile fiction" | Finds fiction resources on oceans |
Hint: You may use the above strategies to search for articles in the databases, but use the word teaching instead of the phrase "study and teaching". See below for information on Finding journal articles.
Browsing journals
Journals are a valuable source of curriculum resources and ideas for lesson plans.If you want to browse through journals in your subject area, then you are able to search the library catalogue. Most of the journals are now available online. However, some journals may only be available in print and will be located on level 3 of the Kelvin Grove Library in the Periodicals Collection. For a list of titles relevant to a particular subject area, search the Library Catalogue using the SUBJECT option, and add the phrase Study and Teaching Periodicals as illustrated below.
Example:
Finding journal articles
To find journal articles on a topic, you will need to search journal databases, and not the library catalague. The key to finding suitable articles is to use the appropriate keywords and search strategy. More information about searching databases is available at : Finding and obtaining journal articles
Some useful databases:
| Database | Description |
|---|---|
| A+ Education (via Informit Search) | The core Australian education database, covering all levels of education. |
| ERIC (via EBSCOHOST) | The core international education database, covering all levels of education. |
| MAS Ultra | International database covering popular, high school magazines. |
| Primary Search | International database covering popular, elementary school magazines. |
| Professional Development Collection (via EBSCOHOST) | International database covering all levels of education. |
| ProQuest Education Journals | International database covering all levels of education. |
| The Learning Federation Available only to QUT staff and students |
High quality online curriculum content for years P-10 in two formats: interactive multimedia learning objects and digital resources. |
For more recommended databases, see the Databases Subject Guide Education
Internet resources
The Internet provides access to a large range of resources. However, the quality of the resources varies, and as part of your research process, you will need to evaluate each web site. There are guidelines for evaluating information which can help you with the evaluation process.
Australian websites
| Website | Location / Description |
|---|---|
| ABC Education Resources | Resources for lesson planning. |
| Edna Online | An Australian gateway to resources and services for education and training. |
| EdResearch Online | A searchable database of educational materials, including articles on lesson planning and lesson plans. When searching the database, use & instead of the Boolean AND to connect the main concepts, and / in place of the Boolean OR to connect alternative terms. Whilst some documents are available free of charge online, others can be purchased for a fee. Before paying for an article, first check the QUT Library Catalogue to see if the Library holds the journal. |
| Education Resources | Lesson plans, curriculum activities developed by the Education Services Unit of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in conjunction with leading Australian school teachers. |
| Free Lesson Plans | Lesson plans developed by the Curriculum Corporation for the primary and secondary grades. |
| Lesson Plan Ideas | A collection of ideas published by InnovatED for educators working with students in years 5-9 . The resources are designed to integrate with the Australian curriculum. Allows browsing and also searching of lesson plans by Key Learning Area, subject, and grade. |
Other websites:
| Website | Location / Description |
|---|---|
| The Educator's Reference Desk | This collection contains more than 2000 lesson plans which were written and submitted by teachers from all over the United States and the world. Also has a guide on how to write a lesson plan. |
| Gateway to Educational Materials (GEM) | A searchable database, providing quick and easy access to lesson plans, curriculum resources, etc. |
| Lesson Planning Archives | The archive contains more than 300 Lesson Planning articles written by the editors of Education World. |
| Useful Lesson Plans | Features lesson plans and resources across a wide range of subject areas. |
| Welcome to A to Z Teacher Stuff Lesson Plans | Has a searchable database for lesson plans, teaching resources, themes and thematic units for subjects like literature,math, science, social studies, computers, reading, writing, etc. |
Related guides and information
Curriculum documents can also be sources of information when writing lesson plans. You may find the subject guide Finding Curriculum Documents useful.
When using children's literature in lesson planning, publishers' sites often include lesson plan resources. The subject guide on Children's Literature has some examples.
Other useful guides : Early Childhood and Curriculum Collection.