Lesson Study

TEMPLATE

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Goals for Today

1. Teachers will understand the Lesson Study

model and how it will promote a greater
understanding of mathematics or science.
2. Teachers will have the necessary materials
and skills to develop research lessons.
3. Teachers will form Lesson Study teams
and collaboratively develop a research
lesson.

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Teachers Activities to
Improve Instruction

Choose curriculum,
write curriculum,
align curriculum,
write local standards

Plan lessons individually

Plan lessons collaboratively

Watch and discuss each others

classroom lessons

U.S. JAPAN
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What is Lesson Study?
Lesson study is a professional
development process that Japanese
teachers engage in to systematically
examine their practice. The goal of
lesson study is to improve the
effectiveness of the experiences that
the teachers provide to their
students.

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A Focus on the Examination
of Lessons

The core activity in lesson study is

for teachers to collaboratively work
on a small number of study
lessons. These lessons are called
study or research lessons because
they are used to EXAMINE what is
happening in the classroom.

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Overview
1. Research and preparation:
The teaching team researches and examines teaching and
learning in their classrooms. After this study the teachers
jointly draw up a detailed plan for the research lesson.

2. Implementation:
A teacher teaches the research lesson in a real classroom
while other group members observe and gather student data
related to learning goals.

3. Reflection:
The group comes together to discuss their observations of the
lesson, the data collected and the student learning.

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Overview continued
4. Improvement:
Using the data the team has collected, the team makes the
appropriate revisions to the research lesson.

5. Second implementation and reflection:

Another teacher teaches the research lesson in a second
classroom while group members observe; this is followed by
the group coming together again to discuss the data and
student learning.

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Getting smart - KWL

Before you watch the video, record

your responses to:

What do you already KNOW about

lesson study?
What do you WANT to know about
lesson study?

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What does it look like?

Lesson Study:
an Introduction

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Getting smart - KWL

Now that you have watched the video, record

your responses to:

What did you LEARN about lesson

study?
What do you still want to LEARN?

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Steps in the Research Lesson Process

1. Define the problem.

2. Plan the Lesson.
3. Teach the Lesson.
4. Evaluate the Lesson and Reflect on Its Effect.
5. Revise the Lesson.
6. Teach the Revised Lesson.
7. Evaluate and Reflect, Again.
8. Share the Results.

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 Figure 1

Lesson Study
Planning Research Post-Lesson
Phase Lesson Activities

Discussion of Lesson
Discuss research lesson.
Discuss Long Term Goals
for Students Academic, RESEARCH Focus on evidence of
whether the lesson
Social and Ethical
Development LESSON promoted the long-term
goals and lesson/unit goals
Actual classroom
Choose Content Area and Unit lesson; attending
Discuss Learning Goals for
Content Area, Unit and Lesson teachers study
Consolidate Learning
student thinking, Write report that includes
student learning, lesson plan, data, and
summary of discussion.
Plan Lessons that Foster student engagement, Refine and re-teach the
Long-Term Goals and lesson if desired. Or select a
Lesson/Unit Goals student behavior, new focus of study.
etc.
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There is no I in School
Lesson Study is a Team Process

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Steps in the Research Lesson Process

1. Define the problem.

2. Plan the Lesson.
3. Teach the Lesson.
4. Evaluate the Lesson and Reflect on Its Effect.
5. Revise the Lesson.
6. Teach the Revised Lesson.
7. Evaluate and Reflect, Again.
8. Share the Results.

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The Lesson Plan is the
Backbone of Lesson Study
The lesson plan supports the lesson study process, by
serving as a:

Teaching tool--it provides a script for the

activities of the lesson.
Communication tool--it conveys to others the
thinking of the teachers who planned the lesson.
Observation tool--it provides guidelines for what
to look for in the lesson, and a place for the
observers to record and share these
observations.

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Tool for PLANNING & DESCRIBING
Research Lessons

The PINK SHEET

Helps you PLAN your Research Lesson
Each section focuses on a particular
aspect of the lesson
Each section has guiding questions
DESCRIBES your Research Lesson to
others

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Four levels of GOALS:
I. LONG-TERM Goals for STUDENT
DEVLOPMENT
II. Broad CONTENT AREA Goals:
STANDARDS
III. Goals specific to the UNIT
IV. Goals specific to the LESSON

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 Tool for Planning and Describing Research Lessons

I. Background information (Research Theme)

A. Goal of the Lesson Study Group (Overarching Goal/Research Theme/Long-term Goal):
B. Narrative Overview of Background Information:
II. Content Area Information (Content Area Goal)
A. How this unit is related to the curriculum:
B. Content area Goal(s)
III. Unit Information (Unit Goal)
A. Name of the unit:
B. Goal(s) of the unit:
C. Instructional sequence for the unit:
Lessons in the unit - Content Points to notice and Materials, strategies
sequence evaluate

IV. Lesson Information (Lesson Goal/s)

A. Name of the Research Lesson:
B. Goal(s) of the research lesson:
C. How this study lesson is related to the research lesson goal:
D. Process of the Research Lesson:
Steps of the lesson: Student activities/ Teachers response to Goals and Method(s) of
learning activities and expected student student reactions / Things evaluation
key questions reactions or responses to remember
(and time allocation)
E. Evaluation 18
What is the PROBLEM here? (I.A.)

Each team will pick an

OVERARCHING
Goal to work on.

Research Theme

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Lesson Study is a
Goal-Driven Activity
Teachers select an overarching goal to
guide their work on all the study lessons.
A school generally works on the same
overarching goal and same content area for 3-4
years.
Every year the overarching lesson study goal is
refined as the groups understanding of this goal
evolves as a result of doing lesson study.
For each study lesson, the teachers also select
lesson-specific goals.

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 Choosing a Lesson Study Theme
Think about the students you serve.
Your Ideals:
What qualities would you like these students to have 5 years from now?

The Actual:
List their qualities now.

The Gap:
Compare the ideal and the actual. What are the gaps that you would most
like to work on?

The Research Theme: (long-term goal)

State positively the ideal student qualities you choose to work on. For
example:
Fundamental academic skills that will ensure students progress
and a rich sense of human rights.

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I.Background
A. Goal of the Research Lesson Group

What kind of learners do we want to see develop at our school?

What kind of learners are actually developing at our school? What evidence
do we have for this?
Why does this gap between our aspirations and reality exist? How can we
close this gap?
How will the research lesson goal we have chosen help us close this gap?
What do students currently understand about this topic?
What do we the teachers currently understand about this topic?
How will we go about exploring our research lesson goal?
What do we know about the Best Practices of teaching this goal?
Transition from Blue handout to PINK Sheet

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I. Background
B. Narrative Overview of Background Information

Puts the lesson into context

Describes the students
Includes your teaching techniques
Describes your classroom situation

This is usually completed just before

the lesson takes place.

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I. Background
B. Narrative Overview of Background Information

What do the observers need to know about my classroom?

Who are my students? What do they already know? What strategies
do they use? What motivates them?
What personal knowledge can I share with the observers so that they
may better understand what is going on with my individual students?
What individual differences will they see?
Why is this content important?
What misconceptions might students have?
What should students know at the end of this unit/ lesson? What else
would I like them to gain from this unit/ lesson?
What do I think I can achieve in this lesson?
Are there any teaching techniques or approaches that are central to
the design of this lesson?

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Steps in the Lesson Study Process:

1. Define the problem.

2. Plan the Lesson.
3. Teach the Lesson.
4. Evaluate the Lesson and Reflect on Its Effect.
5. Revise the Lesson.
6. Teach the Revised Lesson.
7. Evaluate and Reflect, Again.
8. Share the Results.

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Choose a content area
to research that is:

Fundamental to subsequent learning

Persistently difficult for students or disliked
by them
Difficult to teach or disliked by teachers
New to the curriculum
Linked to Standards
Shown by data to need improvement
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Standards Discussion
Teams should discuss the standards
and sub-strands.
The benchmarks are intended to give
you an idea of what each grade level
should be able to do.
Which of the benchmarks would your
students be able to do?
Which would they not be able to be do?
What can be done to assure that every
student can do the benchmarks?
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Minnesota State Standards
Your team should discuss each of the
strands. What is:
Fundamental to subsequent learning
Persistently difficult for students or disliked by them
Difficult to teach or disliked by teachers
New to the curriculum
Linked to Standards
Shown by data to need improvement

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II: Content Area Information (Content Area Goal)
A. How is the content in this unit related to the content
taught in previous and future units?

Use your curriculum maps to place

the unit.
Include only the highly relevant
concepts here.

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II: Content Area Information
A. How this unit is related to the curriculum.

What prior knowledge is necessary (to learn the

content that this unit focuses on)?
What new knowledge can be developed from the
concepts that students will learn in this unit?

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II: Content Area Information
B. Content area Goal(s)

What major theme of this content area are you working

on?
What do students currently understand about the area
of the content that you are working on?
What do teachers currently understand about the area
of the content that you are working on?
Review Standards and Benchmarks

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II: Content Area Information
B. Content area Goal(s)

Review exemplary lessons

Explore Best Practices
Read/study
Content Liaison

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Choose a Unit to Research that is:

Fundamental to subsequent learning

Persistently difficult for students or disliked by them

Difficult to teach or disliked by teachers

New to the curriculum

Linked to Standards

Shown by data to need improvement

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III: Unit Information (Unit Goal)
A. Name of the UNIT
B. Goal(s) of the UNIT

What is the content here?

What do students currently understand about
this topic?
What do teachers currently understand about
this topic?
What should the students know at the end of
this unit?
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III: Unit Information (Unit Goal)
B. Goal(s) of the UNIT

Review exemplary lessons

Explore Best Practices
Read/study
Content Liaison

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III: Unit Information
C. Instructional sequence for the UNIT

Where does the research lesson fall in this unit

and why?
Do any of the research lesson concepts and/or
skills get addressed at other points in the unit?
* See chart

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III: Unit Information
C. Instructional sequence for the UNIT

Lessons in Content Points to Materials,

the Unit - notice and strategies
Sequence evaluate

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Choose a lesson to research
that is:
Fundamental to subsequent learning

Persistently difficult for students or disliked by them

Difficult to teach or disliked by teachers

New to the curriculum

Linked to Standards

Shown by data to need improvement

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IV: GOALS SPECIFIC TO THE LESSON
A. Name of the RESEARCH LESSON
B. Goal(s) of the RESEARCH LESSON

What is the content here?

What should students know at the end of this
lesson?
Are there specific strategies being developed?

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IV: GOALS SPECIFIC TO THE LESSON
C. How this LESSON is related to the RESEARCH
LESSON goal:

How will I explore our groups research

lesson goal through this lesson?
What aspects of my lesson will address the
groups research lesson goal? In what ways?

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IV: GOALS SPECIFIC TO THE LESSON
D. Process of the RESEARCH LESSON

Chart bulk of the lesson plan

Respond to the guiding questions in
the chart to help you plan your lesson
The chart assists observers with
your lesson

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IV. Lesson Information
D. Process of the Research Lesson

Steps of the Student Teachers Goals and

lesson: learning activities/expected responses to Methods(s) of
activities and key student reactions student evaluation
questions, time or responses reactions/Things
allocation to remember

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Steps in the Lesson Study Process:

1. Define the problem.

2. Plan the Lesson.
3. Teach the Lesson.
4. Evaluate the Lesson and Reflect on Its Effect.
5. Revise the Lesson.
6. Teach the Revised Lesson.
7. Evaluate and Reflect, Again.
8. Share the Results.

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Who Should be Invited to
Observe the Lessons?

All team members (required)

Knowledgeable Others
Your Principal
Your Superintendent
Other Teachers
School Board Members

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Hints for Observers
Observe the students, not the
teacher!
This is not YOUR lesson, it is the
TEAMS lesson.
Observers should take notes, but
should not interfere in the lesson or
provide assistance.
Link your observations to lesson
goals.
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Lesson Study Observation and
Debriefing Protocol Yellow

Before the lesson The huddle:

1. Distribute observation sheets and seating charts.
Make sure kids have nametags. (front & back)
2. Review overarching and lesson study goals. What
information should be collected to evaluate
whether the goals are being met?
3. Discuss, and if desired, divide up observation
responsibilities.
4. Remember we are watching the students and how
they respond to the lesson.

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Lesson Study Observation and
Debriefing Protocol

Observing the lesson:

Do NOT interfere or assist with the lesson.
Circulate around the classroom during seat or
group work. Stand to the back and sides of the
classroom during other times.
Note observations on provided observation tools or
the lesson plan. Focus on the goals of the lesson.
Distribute observations among the observers.
Refer to the children by name, initials or number
when discussing observations and sharing
feedback.

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Steps in the Lesson Study Process:

1. Define the problem.

2. Plan the Lesson.
3. Teach the Lesson.
4. Evaluate the Lesson and Reflect on Its Effect.
5. Revise the Lesson.
6. Teach the Revised Lesson.
7. Evaluate and Reflect, Again.
8. Share the Results.

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How do we decide
What kind of data should we collect?

Look at the Goals!

I. Overarching
II. Content Area
III. Unit
IV. Lesson

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Data Collected During Lesson Study
Academic Learning
How did images of heated air change?
Did students shift from simple counting to more flexible method?
Did dramatic role-play spark higher quality and quantity of writing?
In their journals, what did students write as their learnings?
Motivation
Percent of children who raised hands
Body language, aha comments, shining eyes
Social Behavior
How many times do students refer to and build on classmates
comments?
How often do the five quietist students speak up?
Are students friendly and respectful?
Student Attitudes Toward Lesson
What did you like and dislike about the lesson?

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Steps in the Lesson Study Process:

1. Define the problem.

2. Plan the Lesson.
3. Teach the Lesson.
4. Evaluate the Lesson and Reflect on Its Effect.
5. Revise the Lesson.
6. Teach the Revised Lesson.
7. Evaluate and Reflect, Again.
8. Share the Results.

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Reflection Process

Do what I say
and
NO ONE will get HURT!

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What did we learn?
With the data in hand:
EVALUATE and REFLECT
Use the Yellow Sheet.
Also known as:
Lesson Study Protocol

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Lesson Study Observation
and Debriefing Protocol

Preparing for Debriefing/Feedback:

Take a brief break.

Assign roles among the team members:
facilitator, recorder and timekeeper.
If a large number of other teachers or
observers are present, the team should sit
together in a panel formation.

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Lesson Study Observation
and Debriefing Protocol

Debriefing/Feedback Session:

The facilitator begins the session with the teacher

who taught the lesson, followed by team members
and then observers.
The teacher should describe the goals for the lesson,
then comment on what went well, and the difficulties
and learnings from planning and teaching the lesson.
Team members should also address goals and speak
to instructional decisions.
Team members followed by other observers should
present and discuss the student data collected.

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Lesson Study Observation
and Debriefing Protocol

Suggestions for Observers:

Thank the teacher who taught the lesson.
Present and discuss data related to goals.
Ask questions regarding rationale for
instructional decisions.
Share strategies or make suggestions
based on your own knowledge or
experience.
Focus on student learning and
development.

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Steps in the Lesson Study Process:

1. Define the problem

2. Plan the Lesson.
3. Teach the Lesson.
4. Evaluate the Lesson and Reflect on Its Effect.
5. Revise the Lesson.
6. Teach the Revised Lesson.
7. Evaluate and Reflect, Again.
8. Share the Results.

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Revising a Research Lesson
Based on what your team observed
and the data collected, revise the
lesson.
Focus on all four levels of goals.
Record the changes on your pink
sheet using another color, italics, etc.
Remember, this is a research and
learning process.

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Franklin P. Jones

Honest criticism is hard to

take, particularly from a
relative, a friend, an
acquaintance, or a stranger.

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Steps in the Lesson Study Process:

1. Define the problem

2. Plan the Lesson.
3. Teach the Lesson.
4. Evaluate the Lesson and Reflect on Its Effect.
5. Revise the Lesson.
6. Teach the Revised Lesson.
7. Evaluate and Reflect, Again.
8. Share the Results.

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Play it again Sam - RETEACH
Now that the lesson has been revised to
reflect what you have learned, another
member of the team RETEACHES the
lesson.
Team members should view the revised
lesson and collect data.
As a team meet to Evaluate and Reflect.
Are your teams goals being met?
Remember to use the yellow
protocol sheet.
Make notes of your meeting.
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Steps in the Lesson Study Process:

1. Define the problem.

2. Plan the Lesson.
3. Teach the Lesson.
4. Evaluate the Lesson and Reflect on Its Effect.
5. Revise the Lesson.
6. Teach the Revised Lesson.
7. Evaluate and Reflect, Again.
8. Share the Results.

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How about that?

REPORT YOUR FINDINGS

What did you find out?

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Review!

1. Research and preparation:

The teaching team researches and examines teaching and
learning in their classrooms. After this study the teachers
jointly draw up a detailed plan for the research lesson.

2. Implementation:
A teacher teaches the research lesson in a real classroom
while other group members observe and gather student data
related to learning goals.

3. Reflection:
The group comes together to discuss their observations of the
lesson, the data collected and the student learning.

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4. Improvement:
Using the data the team has collected, the team makes the
appropriate revisions to the research lesson.

5. Second implementation and reflection:

Another teacher teaches the research lesson in a second
classroom while group members observe; this is followed by
the group coming together again to discuss the data and
student learning.

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Lesson Study Provides
Opportunities to:
1. Think Deeply About Long-term Goals for Students
2. Carefully Consider the Goals of a Particular
Content Area, Unit, and Lesson
3. Study the Best Available Lessons
4. Plan Lessons that Bring to Life both Short-term
and Long-term goals
5. Deepen Subject Matter Knowledge
6. Develop Instructional Knowledge
7. Build Capacity for Collegial Learning
8. Develop the Eyes to See Students
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