Hitting the Target! Providing Eureka Math Objectives with Purpose

Great lesson planning comes from knowing exactly what you want the students to learn. 

In order to do this in the most efficient way, we use objectives!
 
Your objective will come from the Eureka Math lesson templates and resource planning guides, which are based on the standards. 

Some objectives can be broad, so you may want to narrow them down to be more specific and teach over a few days depending on the individual needs of your students.

Think of your objective as a target to hit!  The students should be aware of what you are going to teach them in the lesson, so they can know if they have learned it.
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Eureka math provides Exit Tickets at the end of each lesson.  These are a great way to know if students have “hit the target” with the objective.
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Learning Targets
 
One way to involve students in the objective is to post it on the board and read it together.  Delve into any new vocabulary and place this as a goal for everyone to reach as a team by the end of the lesson.
 
Students can turn and talk with a partner about what they are going to learn.  Partnerships can discuss the new words and predict some activities they may participate in.
 
You can call your objective a child-friendly term such as today’s Learning Target.  Place an actual picture of a red and white target on the board next to the objective.
 
Students can visually see that a target is involved in a game in which darts are aimed and thrown at a center bullseye. If the bullseye is hit the most points are given and that player may just be the winner!  However, if your dart lands in the areas surrounding the target, that’s still good and you are still working to reach  that target!
 
Providing a specific goal for the students to focus on keeps them engaged and the lesson moving like a sporting event.  The beginning of the lesson when the learning target, or objective is presented is like the “huddle-up.”  We as teachers provide the students with a specific goal to strive for. 
 
Then we provide activities and learning games to motivate and place connections from the learning to the objective.
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​Hit that Target!
 
Finally, we provide an assessment piece for students to know how well they hit the target today.  Students will even use their own language to say things like, “I am still working on____or I am did well with ______, but still need to work on_____.”
 
Involving students in the process of knowing what they need to learn provides such good metacognition strategies and motivation.
 
In this setting, students are aware of what they still need more practice with.  When they are given opportunities in other areas of the day such as centers, they will choose more practice in those areas so they can make it closer to hitting that target next time!
 
At the end of each lesson, draw the students’ attention back to what the objective or learning target was.  Read it again with new eyes.  By this point, students have now had a hands on experience with what that language means.  The second review of the objective will be exciting for students to share their learning of it. 

When Setting Objectives
 

• Be Specific
• Use Student-Friendly Language
• Keep it Brief
• Explain Vocabulary
• Use Pictures and Examples
• Allow Student Participation in Presenting
• Follow Up at the End to Check for Understanding and Mastery

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Why it’s Important
 
At the end of each lesson, students should feel accomplished and proud of what they did.  This is the drive to keep them wanting to learn more.  The energy is contagious and we all want to work as a team and be the best mathletes ever!
 

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I am Stephanie and I have been teaching grades 1-3 for a number of years. I love using Eureka Math to guide my instruction.  I have found this program helpful in making me a more effective math teacher for my students. In my spare time, I enjoy the outdoors and spending time with my family. 
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