“RPM” Objectives are Rigorous, Purposeful, and Measurable. Like RPMs in cars, which represent acceleration, RPM objectives can help accelerate student learning. This section gives a quick overview. If you would like an in-depth workshop to train your staff on how to create these objectives, please contact Sarah Tantillo at sarahtantillo@literacycookbook.com.
RIGOROUS:
Use Bloom’s Taxonomy to push for higher levels of rigor.
- http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learning/exams/blooms-taxonomy.html (Website on Bloom’s Taxonomy)
- Elements of Bloom’s Taxonomy
PURPOSEFUL:
Use the key phrase “in order to.” Students need to know WHY they’re doing this work. And so do you.
MEASURABLE:
Your objectives should imply the use of assessment. For example, “Students will draw inferences from chapter 6 of The Kite Runner in order to determine key traits of the main characters” implies that students will be recording those character traits in some fashion—possibly on a graphic organizer. Or perhaps they will write paragraphs or essays analyzing the main characters. In any case, you can explain to students WHY they are going to draw these inferences so that they will do so with a greater sense of purpose.
Here are more examples of RPM objectives:
- Math: SWBAT apply knowledge of finding the areas of quadrilaterals, triangles, and circles in order to find the area of irregular figures having missing dimensions.
- English: SWBAT identify and analyze details about Willy Loman from Death of a Salesman in order to draw conclusions about his character.
- English: SWBAT draw inferences about the characters in chapter 1 of The Kite Runner in order to make predictions about the plot.
- History: SWBAT to describe features of the economy in pre-Civil War South in order to explain how economic factors influenced Southerners to participate in the war.
- History: SWBAT list and analyze the causes of the Civil War in order to explain what motivated the North and the South to continue fighting in spite of the bloodiness of many battles.
- Science: SWBAT observe and record cloud patterns in order to explain the relationship between cloud formations and the weather.
Check out my BLOG entry "How to Avoid Kidnapping Your Students" for more on the rationale for RPM Objectives. For additional entries on RPM objectives, click HERE.
For sample lessons using RPM objectives, go to TEMPLATES FOR LESSONS & UNITS.
For more information on written assessments such as graphic organizers and essays, check out READING and WRITING. For oral assessments, check out ORAL FLUENCY.
IN THE DOWNLOAD ZONE for RPM Objectives: