A goal is what the students should know by the lesson's end. The first thing a teacher does is review the standards for a particular subject for their grade level. Next, a teacher identifies a group of standards that cluster around a similar topic sorting these into a list of what makes sense to teach first, second, third, etc. Then,
An objective, a statement of purpose for the whole lesson. An objective statement itself should answer what students will be able to do by the end of the lesson. The objective, or objectives, come from goals which are directly tied to state or national standards. Harry Wong states that, “Each [objective] must begin with a verb that states the action to be taken to show accomplishment. The most important word to use in an assignment is a verb, because verbs state how to demonstrate if accomplishment has taken place or not." The objective drives the whole lesson; it is the reason the lesson exists.
Care is taken when creating goal/s and objective/s for each day’s lesson as it/they will determine the activities the students engage in. The teacher also ensures that lesson plan goals are compatible with the developmental level of the students. The teacher ensures as well that their student achievement expectations are reasonable.