Most B. Ed students write their first lesson plan in a panic — borrowing a format from a senior's file, filling in blanks without understanding why each section exists. That approach gets you through internship week one. It does not make you a teacher.
A lesson plan for B. Ed is more than a submission requirement. It is your rehearsal script, your pedagogical argument, and your first real act of professional decision-making as an educator. Get the structure right, and the classroom follows. Get it wrong, and 35 students lose 40 minutes they will never recover.
This guide walks through the complete format recognized across Indian universities, compares the two dominant planning models, and provides subject-wise templates aligned to NCERT and CBSE standards for Grades 6–10.
What a Lesson Plan for B. Ed Actually Does
A lesson plan specifies what students will learn, how the teacher will teach it, what materials will be used, and how learning will be assessed — all within a fixed time period.
In B. Ed programs across India, the lesson plan serves an additional function: it demonstrates that the pupil-teacher understands pedagogical theory and can translate it into practice. Your teacher educator will evaluate not just what you plan to teach, but whether your objectives are measurable, your methods are appropriate, and your assessment aligns with your stated goals.
The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023 and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 together signal a significant shift in what that document should look like. Where earlier frameworks emphasized content delivery and rote recall, NCF 2023 explicitly calls for competency-based learning outcomes, experiential learning, and critical thinking. Your lesson plan needs to reflect that shift.
NEP 2020 calls for moving away from "textbook culture" toward learning how to learn. For B. Ed students, this means lesson plans can no longer treat the teacher as the sole knowledge source. Student-led inquiry, discussion, and hands-on activities must appear inside your presentation steps, not as afterthoughts.
Core Components of a B. Ed Lesson Plan
While formats vary across universities and states, and there is no single mandated format from CBSE or NCERT that applies universally, most Indian B. Ed programs follow a structure built around these sections:
General Information: Subject, class, section, topic, date, duration, and the pupil-teacher's name. Some institutions require the supervisor's name as well.
General Objectives (GOs): Broad, long-term aims of the subject or unit. These come from the curriculum, not from you: "To develop scientific temper and curiosity in students." They are not lesson-specific.
Specific Objectives (SOs): Measurable outcomes for this particular lesson, written using Bloom's Taxonomy verbs. "Students will understand photosynthesis" is not a specific objective. "Students will explain the role of chlorophyll in converting sunlight to glucose" (comprehension level) or "students will construct a labeled diagram of a chloroplast" (application level) are.
Clear objective-setting is widely recognized as one of the most important foundations of effective lesson planning — the lesson plan is not bureaucracy, it is the frame that holds the lesson together.
Previous Knowledge Test (PKT): A brief activity or twoto three oral questions that surface what students already know. This informs how much scaffolding you need to provide and signals to evaluators that you understand diagnostic assessment.
Teaching Aids and TLM: List every Teaching-Learning Material you will use — blackboard, charts, models, digital projector, realia. Be specific. "A chart showing the nitrogen cycle with labeled stages" is better than "charts."
Presentation: The main body of the lesson, divided into sequential steps. This is where your chosen model shapes the structure.
Recapitulation: Oral questions or a short activity to consolidate learning before the bell rings.
Home Assignment: One or two tasks that extend the lesson without being punitive. A worksheet, a short observation task, or a diagram to complete at home.
Evaluation: Name the method and state which specific objective it assesses.
The Herbartian Model vs. the 5E Model: Choosing Your Approach
B. Ed students in India are taught two planning frameworks. Understanding the difference, and when each applies, matters for your internship evaluation and your long-term classroom practice.
The Herbartian Five- Step Method
Developed by Johann Friedrich Herbart and adapted for Indian teacher education over decades, the Herbartian model structures a lesson into five sequential steps:
- Preparation (Set Induction): Connect the new topic to students' existing knowledge through a question, story, or demonstration.
- Presentation: Deliver new content through explanation, demonstration, or discussion, moving from known to unknown, simple to complex.
- Association (Comparison): Help students connect the new concept to related ideas already in memory.
- Generalization: Students arrive at a rule, principle, or definition from the examples discussed.
- Application: Students use the new knowledge in a fresh context — solving a problem, completing an exercise, or creating something.
The Herbartian model works well for content-heavy lessons where students need to acquire specific knowledge before applying it. It remains the dominant format in most Indian B. Ed internship files, and many teacher educators evaluate against it by default.
The 5E Model
Developed by Roger Bybee and colleagues at BSCS (Biological Sciences Curriculum Study), the 5E model is built on constructivist principles:
- Engage: Hook student curiosity with a provocative question, a discrepant event, or a short clip.
- Explore: Students investigate through hands-on or minds-on activities before formal instruction begins.
- Explain: The teacher formalizes concepts after students have had a chance to build their own understanding.
- Elaborate: Students apply and extend understanding to new situations.
- Evaluate: Assessment runs throughout the cycle, not just at the end.
The 5E model aligns directly with what NEP 2020 describes as experiential and inquiry-based learning. It suits science, mathematics, and social science lessons where discovery should precede explanation.
If your teacher educator follows a traditional evaluation rubric and your subject is language or literature, the Herbartian format is expected and easy to assess against. If you have flexibility, particularly for science or mathematics, the 5E model demonstrates stronger alignment with NCF 2023 values. Check with your institution — some universities now accept both, and a growing number actively encourage the 5E approach.
The RCEM Approach
Some universities, particularly those affiliated with NCERT-linked programs, reference the RCEM (Romiszowski's Classification of Educational Materials) framework. In practice, this means categorizing your teaching aids by the type of learning they support (cognitive, affective, or psychomotor) and selecting methods that match your specific objectives. If your university guidelines mention RCEM, apply this classification during the "Teaching Aids and Methods" section of your plan.
Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Your B. Ed Lesson Plan Here is a practical walkthrough, in the order you write it.
Step 1 — Select your topic and identify the NCERT chapter. Confirm the Grade, Chapter, and specific sub-topic. Narrow is better: "Photosynthesis" is too broad for 40 minutes; "The role of sunlight in photosynthesis — Class 7, Chapter 1, NCERT Science" is workable.
Step 2 — Write your General Objectives first. Pull these from the NCERT teacher's manual or your syllabus document. They are given by the curriculum, not invented by you.
Step 3 — Write 3–5 Specific Objectives using Bloom's verbs. Aim for at least two cognitive levels. A weak plan has three "knowledge" objectives. A strong plan includes recall, comprehension, and application — in that order.
Step 4 — Plan your Previous Knowledge Test. Write two to three oral questions that you will ask at the start of class. These should lead naturally into the new topic.
Step 5 — List your Teaching Aids. Be specific about every material. If you are using a PowerPoint, note the number of slides. If you are using a model, describe it precisely.
Step 6 — Write your Presentation in detailed steps. Use a three-column format: Teacher Activity | Student Activity | Teaching Point. This lets your evaluator see the interaction happening, not just content being delivered.
Step 7 — Write your Recapitulation questions. Three to five oral questions that directly test your specific objectives — distinct from the PKT questions used at the start.
Step 8 — Assign homework. One meaningful task. Avoid lifting exercises verbatim from the textbook — design something that requires students to apply what they learned in a new context.
Step 9 — Write your Evaluation. Name the assessment method and state which specific objective it addresses.
Subject-Wise Model Lesson Plan Formats (NCERT Aligned, Grades 6–10)
The table below outlines the recommended approach for each subject area during B. Ed teaching practice, with a sample topic drawn from NCERT textbooks.
| Subject | Recommended Model | Key Teaching Methods | Sample Topic (NCERT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Herbartian | Three-stage reading, communicative activities, role play | "The Fun They Had" — Class 9, Beehive |
| Mathematics | 5E or Herbartian | Problem-solving, discovery learning, concept mapping | Polynomials — Class 9, Chapter 2 |
| Science | 5E | Inquiry, demonstration, lab activity | Photosynthesis — Class 7, Chapter 1 |
| Social Science | Herbartian | Narration, discussion, map work | The French Revolution — Class 9, History |
| Hindi | Herbartian | Explanation, recitation, comprehension | Kabir ke Dohe — Class 9, Sparsh |
For each subject, your specific objectives should reference the NCERT Learning Outcomes document for that grade level. NCERT publishes subject-specific learning outcome frameworks that are freely available on the ncert.nic.in portal — use these to ensure your objectives are curriculum-aligned, not invented.
"Students will appreciate the beauty of poetry" cannot be assessed in 40 minutes. Write assessable objectives: "Students will identify three literary devices in the poem and explain their effect on meaning." Appreciation may follow — but only after comprehension, and only if you can observe it.
Integrating ICT and Inclusive Education in Your Lesson Plan
Teacher educators increasingly expect B. Ed lesson plans to include two sections that older formats routinely omit: ICT integration and inclusive education adaptations.
ICT Integration
You do not need a smart classroom to include technology. Specifying a pre-downloaded video clip (for schools without reliable internet), a digital quiz via Google Forms, or a PowerPoint with embedded diagrams qualifies. Name the specific tool, state how you will use it, and explain how it supports the learning objective.
"I will show a video" is incomplete. "I will show a 3-minute NCERT animation on the water cycle to visualize evaporation before the class discussion" is purposeful. Evaluators want to see that the technology serves the objective, not the other way around.
Inclusive Education Adaptations
Under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and the direction of NEP 2020, schools are expected to accommodate students with diverse learning needs. Your lesson plan should describe at least two modifications:
- For students with visual impairments: Tactile models, verbal descriptions of all visuals, large-print handouts.
- For students with learning disabilities: Simplified vocabulary, chunked instructions, peer-buddy systems.
- For gifted learners: Extension questions, independent research prompts, leadership roles in group activities.
Three to four sentences per modification is sufficient for internship file purposes. The goal is to demonstrate that you have thought about who is in the room, not that you have written a full Individualized Education Plan.
Time Management for a 40- Minute Period
Poor time management is one of the most common failures in teaching practice: 30 minutes on introduction, two minutes of rushed application, and homework explained in the corridor after the bell. Below is a recommended allocation for a standard period.
| Phase | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Set Induction / Previous Knowledge | 5 min | Oral questions or brief activity to activate prior knowledge |
| Presentation (Teaching Steps) | 25 min | Main content in 3–4 sequential steps, with student interaction between each |
| Recapitulation | 5 min | 3–5 oral questions directly testing specific objectives |
| Evaluation and Home Assignment | 5 min | Brief written or verbal task; assign and explain homework |
The 25-minute presentation block should itself be divided into sub-steps of six to eight minutes each, with a short student activity between them. A single unbroken block of "teacher explains" in your presentation column tells evaluators the lesson will be a lecture. Three or four interaction points tell them it will be a lesson.
What This Means for Your Teaching Practice File
Your internship file will typically contain 20–40 lessons across subjects and grades. Evaluators read dozens of files each semester. The ones that stand out share common features: specific and measurable objectives, visible evidence of student interaction in the presentation steps, and evaluation methods that match what was actually taught.
A few practical notes for file preparation:
- Follow your university's prescribed format, not a generic one downloaded from the internet. Formats vary across institutions and affiliating universities.
- Date each lesson accurately. Files where every lesson carries the same date signal copying.
- Your PKT questions should be distinct from your recapitulation questions. They serve opposite functions — one activates prior knowledge before teaching, the other consolidates new learning after it.
- Where a "Blackboard Summary" column is required, write the exact diagram or key points that will appear on the board, not a placeholder description.
It is also worth acknowledging what remains genuinely uncertain: implementation of NEP 2020's competency-based vision varies widely across Indian states and universities. Some B. Ed programs have substantially revised their lesson plan requirements; others continue using formats unchanged for decades. The framework in this guide reflects best practice and NCERT alignment — your institution's specific rubric takes precedence.
Conclusion
A lesson plan for B. Ed is where theory first meets practice. Written with intention, it forces explicit decisions about what matters, in what order, and how you will know if learning happened. Treated as a form-filling exercise, it produces a neat file and an unprepared teacher.
The direction set by NEP 2020 and NCF 2023 asks for more: competency-based objectives, experiential activities, technology woven into the lesson, and adaptations for diverse learners. These are not optional additions for progressive institutions. They represent what a lesson plan for B. Ed in India should now contain — and what the classrooms you will eventually lead will require.
Write one plan with the full level of detail described here. Teach it. Reflect on what you skipped or rushed. Revise. That cycle is what transforms a B. Ed student into a teacher who can actually explain why they did what they did.
