M12: Revisiting Language and Content Objective Writing
At this point, it is important for us to revisit the concept of writing language and content objectives. We covered this in an earlier module and in the SIOP model, but now that we are moving into lesson planning for the content areas, it warrants a deeper look and application. As a teacher, you will be expected to write language and content objectives.
Language Objectives:
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Promote student academic language growth.
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Include the use of either receptive (listening and reading) and/or productive language skills (speaking and writing)
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Connect clearly with the lesson topic or lesson activities
Essential Question to Ask Yourself when Planning a Lesson: Which of the four domains (listening, speaking, reading, writing) will the students use to accomplish the content objective?
Language objectives can be process oriented: explore, listen to, recognize, discuss, express, practice OR performance oriented: define, write, paraphrase, argue, complete, read and respond.
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Category |
Example |
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Key vocabulary refers to the technical terms, concept words, and other words needed to discuss, read, or write about the topic of a lesson |
Students will be able to define the terms . . . .orally and in writing |
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Language Functions refer to the ways students use language in the lesson. |
Students will be able to formulate questions and generate hypotheses |
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Language Skills are the reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills students need to learn. |
Students will read and determine a main idea. Students will write an explanation. . . |
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Grammar or Language Structures can be taught when they are prevalent in the written or spoken discourse of the class. |
Students will use adverbs when drafting their report. Students will recognize imperative sentences |
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Lesson Tasks involve identifying language that is embedded in a single lesson and turning it into explicit instruction in language. |
Students will be able to read and summarize a text passage with peers and then teach the main information to another student. |
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Language Learning Strategies may include corrective strategies (reread confusing text), self-monitoring strategies (make and confirm predictions), pre-reading strategies (relate to personal experience), or language practice strategies (repeat or rehearse phrases, visualize). |
Students will be able to confirm their responses to text questions with a peer. Students will be able to represent data graphically. |
Bloom's Taxonomy is a great resource for identifying potential actions that your students will use while they learn (click here to see a diagram of Bloom's Verbs). Download click here to see a diagram of Bloom's Verbs).Bloom described different levels of thinking, so these verbs are listed according to the type of thinking you want students to do.
The following list of action verbs are aligned with the 4 components of language - listening, speaking, reading, and writing, so you can see the kinds of things you might want to use to describe your language objectives. These words are also on the Bloom's document; they are simply presented here by potential language objectives.
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Listening |
Speaking |
Reading |
Writing |
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act arrange distinguish duplicate categorize choose copy follow directions identify indicate label listen match order point recognize role play show sort tell
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agree/disagree answer/ask converse debate define describe discuss explain express give instructions identify name predict pronounce rehearse repeat rephrase respond restate share summarize tell use vocabulary |
discover explore find find specific info identify infer interpret locate make connections match preview predict read read aloud skim |
ask and answer questions brainstorm classify collect compare/contrast create describe edit evaluate explain illustrate journal label list order/organize record revise state & justify opinion summarize support write/take notes |