Lesson Plan

• Describe the purpose of a software development life‑cycle.
• Compare at least three life‑cycle models and identify situations where each is appropriate.
• Select a suitable model for a given project scenario and justify the choice.
• Explain how risk, requirements clarity, and stakeholder involvement influence model selection.

• Projector and screen
• Whiteboard and markers
• Printed handout of the model comparison table
• Worksheet with project scenarios for group work
• Laptops (optional) with IDE for quick demo
• Sticky notes for Agile sprint activity

Begin with the analogy of building a house: just as architects follow a plan, programmers need a structured life‑cycle. Recall students’ previous experience planning a simple program and ask what could go wrong without a clear process. Explain that by the end of the lesson they will be able to choose the most suitable life‑cycle for any project.

1. Do‑Now (5’) – Students list steps they think are needed to create a basic calculator program; quick share to gauge prior knowledge.
2. Mini‑lecture (10’) – Define a development life‑cycle and discuss why it is essential (risk, communication, reliability).
3. Model Overview (15’) – Present the five models (Waterfall, Incremental, Prototyping, Spiral, Agile) using the comparison handout; highlight decision factors.
4. Group Activity (15’) – In pairs, analyse Project A (payroll system) and Project B (social‑networking app); decide on a model and record justification on a worksheet.
5. Class Debrief (10’) – Groups present choices; teacher clarifies misconceptions and links back to decision factors.
6. Exit Ticket (5’) – Individually write one project characteristic that would make Agile the preferred model.

Summarise that no single life‑cycle fits every project and that selecting a model depends on requirements clarity, risk, size, and stakeholder involvement. Collect exit tickets to assess understanding, and assign homework: research a real‑world software product and identify which development life‑cycle it most likely follows, providing a brief justification.