Which planning step best ensures that lesson objectives align with unit…

Concept

Instructional alignment means that learning goals at different planning levels form a coherent hierarchy.

A lesson objective should directly support a broader unit outcome; activities, assessments, and materials are then chosen to serve those aligned goals.

Application

The planning action that explicitly checks the relationship between the two levels is mapping each lesson objective to the unit outcome it supports.

Contrast

• Sequencing activities determines when learning tasks occur, but it does not itself document the objective–outcome relationship.

• Assessing prior knowledge establishes learners’ starting points and prerequisites.

• Selecting materials identifies suitable resources for instruction.

Cross-check

If every lesson objective can be traced to a unit outcome, the alignment is visible and auditable; the other planning steps can then be organized around that map.

Result

Therefore, mapping objectives to outcomes is the step that best ensures alignment.