Lesson

A lesson or class is a structured period of time where learning is intended to occur. ^{[citation needed]} It involves one or more students (also called pupils or learners in some circumstances) being taught by a teacher or instructor. Generally, a lesson is defined as "a piece of instruction; a reading or exercise to be studied by a pupil; or a division of a course of instruction."

A lesson may be either one section of a textbook (which, apart from the printed page, can also include multimedia) or, more frequently, a short period of time during which learners are taught about a particular subject or taught how to perform a particular activity. Lessons are generally taught in a classroom but may instead take place in a situated learning environment.

In a wider sense, a lesson is an insight gained by a learner into previously unfamiliar subject-matter. Such a lesson can be either planned or accidental, enjoyable or painful. The colloquial phrase "to teach someone a lesson", means to punish or scold a person for a mistake they have made in order to ensure that they do not make the same mistake again.^{[citation needed]}

Lessons can also be made entertaining. When the term education is combined with entertainment, the term edutainment is coined.

The potential format and speaks to one or more people in the same room or space. This may be supplemented with gestures and tools. A lesson may range from a lecture, to a demonstration, to a discussion or a blend of some of these common presentation methods.

Some lessons may involve work by the student. Traditionally this might include reading and writing or creating something, perhaps when the instructor is not present. The student may work independently or collaborate with others.

In the Japanese educational system, lessons have been subject to "standardization", but since 2020 has become reformed. Education in the United States has traditionally been subject only to local control of lessons, but since Common Core was developed, lessons have become more "rigorous" and subject to "standards [that] emphasize literacy across the curriculum." Likewise, mathematics education has also become subject to changes in lesson study and planning.

More recent technologies have expanded the way a lesson can be delivered. For example: film strips, pre-recorded audio and video tapes, television programs and podcasts are some ways to deliver or add to a lesson. Crash Course has become an important lesson delivery tool for history and science education, featuring Hank Green, his brother John Green, and Sabrina Cruz.