Language & Content Objectives Jill Kerper MoraSan Diego State UniversityA Crash

Course…Ms. Smith 10.2012

Questions About Instructional Objectives (hint: TEST QUESTIONS)

1. Why do we need to write instructional objectives? What are IOs good for?

2. How do instructional objectives relate to the curriculum standards in my content area?

3. Why are the verbs we use in instructional objectives so important? Why does the verb need to be precise?

4. Why do we need to create both language and content objectives?

5. What is the difference between a language objective and a content objective?

Language

Literacy

Content

Academic Needs of All Learners

The Lesson Cycle ( D O N ’ T F R E A K O U T )

Curriculum

Standards

Curriculum

Standards

AnticipatorySet

AnticipatorySet

Presentation

Check forUnderstanding

Presentation

Check forUnderstanding

ClosureClosure

MonitorandAdjust

MonitorandAdjust

IndependentPractice

AssessMastery

IndependentPractice

AssessMastery

Correction(Reteach)

Correction(Reteach)

ExtensionExtension

TaskAnalysis

TaskAnalysis

PlanLesson

PlanLesson

YesYes NoNo

GuidedPractice

CheckMastery

GuidedPractice

CheckMastery

NextObjective

NextObjective AssessAssess

Language & Concept Development

Language provides labels and categories for familiar concepts.

Language provides a means of describing or expressing already learned concepts.

ELL need much more explicit language instruction & support.

Characteristics of Effective Instructional Objectives• Student-oriented: telling what students

will do rather than what the teacher will do.

• Descriptive of learning outcomes: It is the learning outcome, not the learning activity that are described in IO.

• Clear & understandable: IOs are explicit, using a clearly stated action/process verb

• Observable: IOs indicate what behavior(s) demonstrate that students have mastered the objective.

SWBAT (Student will be able to) Verbs are Essential

Vague & unobservable

To knowTo understandTo learnTo appreciateTo studyTo realizeTo valueTo review

Observable actions/products

To analyzeTo predictTo locateTo explainTo summarizeTo selectTo listTo chooseTo classify

Is it Language or is it Content?PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THESE

Language• Key vocabulary• Language functions• Language skills• Sentence structures• Lesson tasks• Language learning

strategies• Academic language

EX: Sythesize, Reflect, Conclude

Content• Factual knowledge

& information about a topic

• Simple or complex concepts

• Concrete or abstract concepts

• Processes, dynamics & systems

• Critical thinking about content

Verbs for Instructional Objectives

Language Objectives

• Listen for• Describe• Edit• Retell• Define• Find the main idea• Compare• Summarize• Paraphrase

Content Objectives• Generalize• Identify• Solve• Investigate• Distinguish• Hypothesize• Create• Select• Draw conclusions

about cause & effect