What Is Learning Objective?
A clear, measurable statement of what students should know or be able to do by the end of a lesson, using specific action verbs.
A learning objective (also called a learning target or instructional objective) is a clear statement of what students should know, understand, or be able to do by the end of a lesson or unit. Well-written objectives are specific, measurable, and aligned to standards.
The most common format is SWBAT (Students Will Be Able To) followed by an action verb from Bloom's Taxonomy and the specific content. Example: 'Students will be able to compare and contrast the causes of the American and French Revolutions using primary source evidence.'
Good objectives drive everything else in the lesson — the activities, the assessment, and the differentiation should all be aligned to the objective. If you can't assess whether students met the objective, it's not specific enough.
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Bloom's Taxonomy
A hierarchical framework of six cognitive levels — Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create — used to classify learning objectives and assessments.
Rubric
A scoring guide that defines criteria and quality levels for evaluating student work, making expectations transparent and grading consistent.
Backward Design
A curriculum planning approach that starts with desired learning outcomes and assessments, then designs instruction to achieve those outcomes.
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