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SIOP Lesson Plan Template

Plan a sheltered instruction lesson for English learners with content and language objectives and the eight SIOP components. Free, editable and printable.

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The standards the lesson addresses: Common Core or state standard codes, with a short description.

Lesson preparation

What students will learn about the subject, in student-friendly words.

How students will use language: read, write, speak or listen, with a language function (explain, compare…).

Words students need to understand and use.

Visuals, realia, sentence frames, bilingual glossaries, graphic organizers.

Teaching

Links to students' experiences and past learning; key vocabulary introduced.

Slower, clear speech, gestures, modeling, visuals.

Learning strategies, scaffolds and higher-order questions.

Grouping and structured chances for students to talk.

Hands-on activities that use all four language skills.

Lesson delivery (sequence and pacing)

Steps with timings that keep students engaged.

Review key vocabulary and concepts; check both content and language objectives.

Support, extension, English learners, IEP/504 accommodations. Describe groups and needs, not named students.

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    Plans appear on the day set in their Date box. Click a plan to open it.

    What is the SIOP model?

    SIOP stands for the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol. It is a framework for teaching grade-level content to English learners while developing their academic English, with eight components: lesson preparation, building background, comprehensible input, strategies, interaction, practice and application, lesson delivery, and review and assessment.

    The model was developed by researchers Jana Echevarría, MaryEllen Vogt and Deborah Short. It began as an observation tool and became a planning and teaching model with 30 features across the eight components.

    Content and language objectives

    The heart of a SIOP plan is two kinds of objective, posted and discussed with students:

    • Content objective: what students will learn about the subject. "Students will explain how the Nile River helped Egyptians farm."
    • Language objective: how students will use English to show it, with a language function and a skill. "Students will orally describe cause and effect using because and so."

    Planning each component

    • Building background: link to students' experiences and past learning; pre-teach key vocabulary.
    • Comprehensible input: clear speech, gestures, visuals and modeling.
    • Strategies: scaffolds, graphic organizers and higher-order questions.
    • Interaction: structured chances for every student to talk, such as think-pair-share or numbered heads.
    • Practice and application: hands-on tasks that use reading, writing, speaking and listening.
    • Lesson delivery: pacing that supports both objectives.
    • Review and assessment: review vocabulary and concepts; check both objectives.

    Worked example: SIOP lesson plan

    Here is a complete example made with the maker above. Use it as a model, or load it into the form and change it to suit your class.

    SIOP lesson plan

    Life along the Nile

    SubjectSocial studiesGrade6
    DateLength55 minutes

    Standards

    State social studies standard on early river civilizations.

    Lesson preparation

    Content objectives

    Students will explain how the Nile River helped ancient Egyptians farm, trade and travel.

    Language objectives

    Students will orally describe cause and effect using "because" and "so", and write two cause-effect sentences.

    Key vocabulary

    flood, silt, fertile, irrigation, delta, trade

    Supplementary materials

    Map of the Nile, photos of flood season, cause-effect graphic organizer, sentence frames, bilingual glossary

    Teaching

    Building background

    Students share a time weather changed their plans. Connect to how the yearly flood shaped Egyptian life. Pre-teach vocabulary with pictures.

    Comprehensible input

    Slow, clear speech; gestures for "flood" and "flow"; map projected while reading; key words written on the board as they are used.

    Strategies

    Cause-effect graphic organizer; think-aloud while reading the first paragraph; higher-order question: "What might have happened if the Nile did not flood?"

    Interaction

    Pairs read and fill in the organizer together; numbered heads for sharing; each student speaks at least twice.

    Practice and application

    Pairs label a blank map with farmland, the delta and a trade route, then explain it to another pair using the sentence frames.

    Lesson delivery (sequence and pacing)

    TimeActivity
    8 minBuilding background and vocabulary
    12 minShared reading with map
    15 minPair work: organizer and map
    12 minPair-to-pair explanations
    8 minReview and exit writing

    Review and assessment

    Review the six vocabulary words with gestures. Exit task: two cause-effect sentences about the Nile (checks content and language objectives).

    Differentiation and accommodations

    Newcomers: picture-supported organizer and frames in home language where available. Advanced: add a third effect and a "so what?" sentence.

    Planned time: 55 minutes of 55

    Frequently asked questions

    What does SIOP stand for?

    Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol. It is a research-based model for making grade-level content understandable for English learners while building their academic English.

    What are the 8 components of SIOP?

    Lesson preparation, building background, comprehensible input, strategies, interaction, practice and application, lesson delivery, and review and assessment.

    What is a language objective?

    A statement of how students will use English in the lesson, combining a language function (explain, compare, describe) with a skill (reading, writing, speaking or listening), for example "Students will write two cause-and-effect sentences using because."

    Is SIOP only for ESL teachers?

    No. It was designed for content teachers (science, math, social studies) who have English learners in their classes, as well as ESL teachers.

    Other lesson plan models

    5E modelEngage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate. The inquiry model for science.Madeline HunterThe classic seven-step plan for direct instruction.UDLUniversal Design for Learning: plan for every learner from the start.edTPACentral focus, academic language and planned supports for student teachers.UbD / backward designBackward design: results, then evidence, then the learning plan.DanielsonMapped to Domain 1 of the Framework for Teaching for observations.ASCA (school counselor)Mindsets & Behaviors standards with a plan for participation and outcome data.