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Creating Engaging Units of Study For Your Students – Write Learning Objectives

30th July, 2009 - Posted by Meggin - No Comments

To create powerful units of study for your students, you will invest a great deal of thought and energy. Your energy is not wasted, however, when you see your students learning and growing because of your efforts.

One of the earliest steps when creating a unit is to write your learning objectives. When you are writing your objectives, it’s best to word them as follows:

 “Students will be able to…” (SWBAT).

It is important when you write your objectives to use “measurable” terms following the word ‘to’.  For example, “SWBAT state the reasons for….” instead of “SWBAT know the reasons….”  After you write each objective, ask yourself ‘Is this measurable?’

Although I do not like to give a specific number of objectives, I am always asked, so I will try to give a range. Approximately 5-20 objectives is reasonable for a unit that is going to last a week or more. The objectives may include some narrow, rather specific ones as well as some that are more broad and rather general. You may think of (and ultimately use) these objectives both as overall objectives for the unit as well as daily objectives or lesson objectives.

As you are drafting your unit objectives, answer the following questions:

1. Are there at least 5?
2. Look at the content outline you have developed. Is each aspect of the content outline reflected in the objectives?
3. Are the objectives worded “Students will be able to….” i.e, SWBAT…?
4. Is the word following “Students will be able to….” measurable?”
5. Can you provide an overall justification for what you have written?
6. Are your objectives clearly reflective of  your district’s, state’s, or professional organization’s Standards?

Once – and only once – you have written the unit learning objectives can you begin to do the rest of your unit planning.  These are your goals, your learning targets, and the only way you can determine how to plan the individual learning experiences for your students.  And learning is the one and only reason for (and outcome of) good teaching.

You are invited to download multiple free resources to support your teaching. You’ll find many at both of the following websites, which you are welcome to access:

** http://www.PumpernickelPublishing.com

** http://www.OwningWordsforLiteracy.com

 © 2009 Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., The Ph.D. of Productivity(tm).