This document outlines a lesson plan for a workshop targeting professors and instructors. The workshop aims to teach participants how to incorporate higher-level thinking skills based on Bloom's taxonomy into their instruction. During the workshop, participants will complete graphic organizers to reflect on their current teaching practices and identify higher-level thinking verbs. They will also view a presentation on writing instructional objectives and then collaborate to design an activity for their course emphasizing analysis, synthesis or evaluation skills. After the workshop, participants will submit a proposal for their designed activity to their dean.

1. Tiffany A Simmons
Strayer University
June 14, 2011

2. Content Analysis
 Target Population: professors/instructors in a post-secondary/adult
education environment.
 Organizing Concept Statement: the professors/instructors taking part in the
lesson will learn to move past lecture and memorization and provide
opportunities to develop learners’ critical thinking skills.
 Major concepts: Bloom’s taxonomy, knowledge, comprehension, application,
analysis, synthesis, evaluation.
 Major Ideas
 Bloom’s taxonomy explains the level of learning that occurs with learners
(Writing Objectives, 2011).
 Knowledge, comprehension, and application and considered “lower-level”
thinking skills.
 Analysis, synthesis, and evaluation are considered “higher-level” skills.
 The goal is to gear instruction toward the higher-level thinking skills.
 Planning with the higher-level thinking skills in mind.
 Integrating higher-level thinking skills into the coursework to maximize
student engagement.

3. Learning Objectives
 Based on your understanding of Bloom’s taxonomy,
distinguish between lower-level and higher-level thinking
skills with 100% accuracy.
 After viewing the presentation “Writing Instructional
Objectives: Beginning with the End in Mind,” identify
three key verbs for each level (higher-level skills only)
with 100% accuracy.
 After discussion on higher-level thinking skills and key
verbs, design an activity that emphasizes higher-level
thinking skills using the correct verbs
 After designing the activity, compose a proposal for the
activity to be included in the course syllabus to be
submitted to dean before the end of the semester.

4. Learning Objectives with
Associated Learning Activities
 Learning Objectives  Learning Activities
 Based on your understanding of  “Where am I teaching” graphic
Bloom’s taxonomy, distinguish organizer
between lower- and higher-level  This organizer will ask the following:
skills with 100% accuracy. what level am I teaching my
students? Why? How can I teach
them at a higher level? What do I
need to know to get them there?
 Learners will share their
perspectives.
 After viewing the presentation
“Writing Instructional Objectives:  Identify key verbs as presented in
Beginning with the End in Mind,” the presentation.
identify three key verbs for each  “Teaching at a higher level”
level (higher-level only) with graphic organizer.
100% accuracy  What key verbs should I use to signal
that I am teaching at a higher level?
What can I expect from my students?
 Discuss expectations when
teaching at the higher levels.

5. Learning Objectives with
Associated Learning Activities,
Cont’d.
 Learning Objectives  Learning Activities
 After discussion on  Activity design: an in-class
higher-level thinking activity designed to
skills and key verbs, emphasize the higher-
design an activity that level thinking skills and to
emphasizes higher-level be a basic structure of a
thinking skills using the proposal to be submitted
correct key verbs to the dean.
 After designing the  Proposal form. This
activity, compose a activity will take place
proposal for the activity to outside the learning
be included in the course environment.
syllabus to be submitted
to dean before the end of
the semester.

6. Lesson Plan
Instructional Content Instructor Activities Student Activities
Based on your understanding of Bloom’s The facilitator will discuss lower-level and Professors and instructors will be asked to
taxonomy, distinguish between lower-level higher-level thinking skills by showing a complete the graphic organizer (supplied
and higher-level thinking skills with 100% sample pyramid of Bloom’s taxonomy on an with workshop materials), entitled “Where
accuracy overhead transparency. The complete order am I teaching?”
will be listed on the transparency. The Professors and instructors use ten minutes to
question will be asked “which skills are complete the graphic organizer and,
currently being used in your classrooms? afterward, will volunteer to share responses.
What needs to be done so that the higher- The purpose of this activity is to bridge the
level skills are being used more often?” gap between what they want their learners to
learn and what the learners are actually
learning. This activity is designed to help
professors and instructors see what they can
do to improve the learning in their
classrooms.
After viewing the presentation “Writing Before the presentation, the facilitator will Another graphic organizer, entitled “Teaching
Instructional Objectives: Beginning with the render a brief overview of the presentation at a higher level,” will focus on the key verbs
End in Mind,” identify three key verbs for and the purpose, so that the relevance of the and how to incorporate them into
each level (higher-level only) with 100% material can be established immediately. instruction. The following questions will be
accuracy. Show the presentation, using a laptop listed: What key verbs should I use to signal
computer or a technology-ready television. that I am teaching at a higher level? What
Post-presentation, ask question: what main can I expect out of my students when I use
points were covered in the slide presentation? these verbs?
How can professors and instructors write
better instructional objectives, targeting the
higher-level thinking skills? What were the
key verbs that were highlighted in the
presentation? How can professors and
instructors use them to improve the quality of
their instruction?

7. Lesson Plan Continued
Instructional Content Instructor Activities Student Activities
After discussion on higher-level The facilitator will sum up what was Professors and instructors will need a
thinking skills and key verbs, design an discussed and learned, and ask pen or pencil and paper to complete
activity that emphasizes higher-level professors to think of an activity that is this activity. They will design an
thinking skills using the correct key relevant to their course(s) and requires activity that is appropriate for higher-
verbs. higher-level thinking skills. Each level thinking skills. This activity
professor or instructor will design an should be done collaboratively, as
activity (complete with learning input from other professors and
objectives) that utilizes higher-ordered instructors lends balance and
thinking skills, using the appropriate perspective to planning.
verbs.
After designing the activity, compose a The facilitator will advise each Proposal forms will be available on the
proposal for the activity to be included professor and instructor to continue college’s intranet, under the
in the course syllabus to be submitted work on the activity outside the instructor’s portal. The activity that
to the dean before the end of the classroom environment. A final was initially begun in the class should
semester. proposal for the activity will be due to be finalized on the form.
the dean by the end of the semester.

8. References
 Winegarden, B. J. (2003). Writing Instructional
Objectives. Retrieved May 19, 2011, from
http://meded.ucsd.edu/faculty/writing_inst ructional_obje
.
 Writing Learning Objectives (2011). Retrieved May 19,
2011, from
http://ww.oucom.ohiou.edu/fd/writingobjectives.pdf.