You can gather information as you find sources, or get a bunch together and do it all at once. If you're having trouble finding sources, click here for a few suggestions.

For each source, jot down a brief summary of what subjects are covered, in what order, and in how much depth (ie how many pages or sections are devoted to it). You're looking for a quick comparison of how other people choose to present the material - this will correspond roughly to the table of contents, but doesn't have to be an exact copy. Feel free to compress several chapters on similar subjects into one entry, make three entries for a chapter that covers what you consider separate information, and omit anything that you're sure you won't be teaching.

With this information from several sources side-by-side, making a basic lesson outline is a snap. Just write out the common elements

You'll also notice several variations from the norm; check the introduction and see if the author gives a reason for his unique approach. After you've decided which (if any) of these extras to include in your lesson plan, you can begin putting together actual content.

The next page's advice assumes you are putting together all of the course material yourself. You may be considering basing your course more or less on a textbook, or referring students to a webpage for material that you don't have time to cover in the course. Click here for tips on evaluating sources for general consumption.