How should objective alignment be reflected in lesson design to target higher-order thinking?

• A. Disconnect content from assessment
• B. Use higher-order verbs (analyze, evaluate, create) and connect content and assessment to those verbs.
• C. Focus only on time management
• D. Use only memorization verbs

Answer: (B)

Aligning objectives, activities, and assessments to require higher-order thinking means your lesson asks students to do more than remember facts. The best approach is to use higher-order verbs such as analyze, evaluate, and create in your learning goals and to connect the content and the assessment to those verbs. When the goals specify those kinds of cognitive tasks and every task in the lesson is designed to require them, students practice reasoning, justification, and the ability to generate new ideas.

For example, in science you might have students analyze data, evaluate competing explanations, and design a follow-up experiment, then justify their conclusions in writing or discussion. In history or social studies, they could compare sources, evaluate credibility, and craft an argument supported by evidence. In math, they would explain their reasoning, critique alternative solution strategies, and construct a solution method or real-world application.

Disconnecting content from assessment derails alignment and makes it hard to push for higher-level thinking. Focusing only on time management misses the cognitive demand, and using memorization verbs keeps tasks at recall level.