Finding lesson plans online
This subject guide will tell you how to find online lesson plans using the electronic databases available at UNE.
Starting your search
The first thing you will need to do before you go looking for lesson plans is to brainstorm a list of words about your subject. Below are some examples of the kinds of keywords you can add to your list.
Search using the ERIC database
- Go to the ‘Recommended Databases’ webpage for Education
- Scroll down and click on the heading ‘ERIC: Educational Resources Information Center (on CSA)’
- Enter your UNE username and password
- Type < lesson plans > on the first line.
- Change the search type from ‘Anywhere’ to ‘Descriptors, DE=’ by using the drop-down menu at the end of the first line.
- Type a keyword to do with your topic on the second line i.e. < poetry >
- Click on the ‘Search’ button.
- Click on the ‘Full-Text’ link below the document reference to download a copy, if offered.
Note: General keywords are best finding your topic; try a number of different words to see what you can find.
Some information about ERIC documents
All ERIC documents have a number at the end of the record that tells you that kind of material the document is. There are two main types of references in ERIC:
- An ED number is an ERIC report (like a lesson plan or a unit outline)
- An EJ number is an ERIC journal document (an article in a journal)
Many ED references can be read online if they were produced after 1993. Click on the ‘Full-Text’ link below the reference to download a copy, if offered.If you cannot read the document online, Dixson Library holds a comprehensive set of ERIC documents in microfiche (a type of film) format.
- You can ask to use the ERIC Microfiche at the Information Desk of Dixson Library if you are an internal student.
- Off-Campus External students can ask to have photocopies of ERIC Microfilm to be posted to them by making a request to the External Students' Library Service.
An EJ reference refers to a journal article. If the Full-Text link is present, click on it to display the article. For other journal article references you will need to see if the University Library owns the journal (either electronically elsewhere or in paper.)- Click the 'Find it' link beneath the reference to run a search to look for the journal at the Library. A separate screen will open and you may find full text is available through another electronic source.
- If the article is not available online, click on the 'Go' button next to: "No online full text available? Check for print holdings in University of New England library catalogue" and a search of the Library for paper journals will be done for you.
Note: ERIC refers to the journal name (title) as the Source.
Search using Google
You can often find lesson plans by doing a Google search.
Google can be the best for locating very specific examples of lesson plan design (for example a lesson plan that is cross-curricula or a lesson plan that applies Gardener’s theory of multiple intelligences.)
- Use the Internet.
- Go to Google at http://www.google.com/
- Click on the link ‘Advanced search’ to the right of the Google search box.
- In the ‘with all of the words’ search box type a keyword on your topic: eg. Harry Potter
- In the ‘with the exact phrase’ search box type: lesson plan
Note: You can change the ‘File Format’ drop-down menu so that Google will only search for Adobe Acrobat PDF documents or Microsoft Word documents.
University Library staff can help you during Library opening hoursPhone 02 6773 2458or Ask a Librarian online