Behavioral Objectives Let’s be SMART!

What are behavioral objectives? Why do teachers write them?

Behavioral Objectives Behavioral objectives tell you and your students exactly what they should be able to DO after your lesson that they could not do before. They are based on content standards. They are NOT expectations about appropriate classroom behavior. Properly written objectives will help you align your assessments with your lessons

Behavioral Objectives By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to: Define the term “behavioral objective” Describe the importance of behavioral objectives Write three correct behavioral objectives for a given standard Critique behavioral objectives written by others with 90% accuracy

Be SMART! Good behavioral objectives are SMART: Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant (to standards) Time-bound (generally by end of class, lesson, or unit)

Which of the following are SMART objectives? 1. (By the end of this lesson) The student will be able to understand the causes of the French Revolution. 2. (By the end of this lesson) The student will be able to sit quietly and listen while others speak. 3. (By the end of this lesson) The student will be able to list Muslim countries. 4. (By the end of this lesson) The student will be able to describe three effects of the Alien & Sedition Acts. 5. (By the end of this lesson) The student will be able to earn 100% on the quiz. 6. (By the end of this lesson) The student will be able to label African countries on an outline map with 90% accuracy.

Formula (time) + TSWBAT + action verb + number/degree + topic (TSWBAT: the student will be able to) Emphasis on displayable, measurable, action verb– we are measuring BEHAVIORS not KNOWLEDGE.

Examples (By the end of this lesson) The student will be able to list five inventions of the 1880s. (By the end of this lesson) The student will be able to describe three results of the Mexican-American war. (By the end of this lesson) The student will be able to compare the battle strategies employed by Germany in World War I and World War II with 85% accuracy. (By the end of this lesson) The student will be able to debate the role of the U.S. government in regulating the housing market with 90% accuracy.

Verb Quality All verbs used must be action verbs– observable behaviors– you can not use verbs like know, think, understand, etc. because they are not measurable Remember that we always want our students to utilize higher thinking skills whenever possible. In any lesson/unit, we want at least 75% of our objectives to be higher-order skills. Refer to Webb’s Depth of Knowledge or Bloom’s Taxonomy for help.

Higher-order thinking   Actions Products Learning Activities Creating (Putting together ideas or elements to develop an original idea or engage in creative thinking) Designing Constructing Planning Producing Inventing Devising Making Film Story Project Painting Plan Song New game Media product Advertisement Evaluating (Judging the value of ideas, materials and methods by developing and applying standards and criteria) Checking Hypothesizing Critiquing Experimenting Judging Testing Detecting Monitoring Debate Verdict Panel Conclusion Report Evaluation Investigation Persuasive speech Analyzing (Breaking information down into its component elements) Comparing Organizing Deconstructing Attributing Outlining Structuring Integrating Survey Chart Database Outline Mobile Graph Abstract Spreadsheet Checklist Lower-order thinking Applying (Using strategies, concepts, principles and theories in new situations) Implementing Carrying out Using Executing Illustration Diary Simulation Journal Sculpture Demonstration Presentation Interview Performance Understanding (Understanding of given information) Interpreting Exemplifying Summarizing Inferring Paraphrasing Classifying Explaining Recitation Summary Collection Explanation Show and tell Example Quiz List Label Outline Remembering (Recall or recognition of specific information) Recognizing Listing Describing Identifying Retrieving Naming Locating Finding Quiz List Definition Test Fact Worksheet Workbook Reproduction

Webb’s Depth of Knowledge http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/sia/msip/DOK_Chart.pdf

Practice Time Working with a partner, please write three SMART behavioral objectives for the following standard: SS.912.A.2.1: Review causes and consequences of the Civil War.

Alignment Now remember that your objective, class activities and assessment must all be aligned—if you use higher order thinking verbs in your objectives they must be practiced in class and demonstrated on the assessment! If your objectives are to analyze, defend, create, etc– can these be assessed on a multiple choice test?

Judging Objectives Students will be able to identify people associated with the Civil Rights Movement. Students will better understand what segregation means. Students will be able to compare the Civil Right Movement time period to today’s society. Students will be able to discuss rights that were fought for during the Civil Rights Movement. Students will create self-portraits that will be displayed to show the diverse community in our classroom.

Judging Objectives The students will chronologically order the events in the story using pictures from the story in 10 minutes. The students will chronologically order what they do after school using time related terms including at least 5 items. The students will analyze their day at school to determine at least 3 events that occur and what order they occur in chronologically. Students will be able to locate the states. Students will be able to make a list of characteristics of states and regions of the United States.