Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom's Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy provides an important framework for teachers to use to focus on higher order thinking. By providing a hierarchy of levels, this taxonomy can assist teachers in designing performance tasks, crafting questions for conferring with students, and providing feedback on student work.

This resource is divided into different levels each with Keywords that exemplify the level and questions that focus on that same critical thinking level. Questions for Critical Thinking can be used in the classroom to develop all levels of thinking within the cognitive domain. The results will be improved attention to detail, increased comprehension and expanded problem solving skills. Use the keywords as guides to structuring questions and tasks. Finish the Questions with content appropriate to the learner. Assessment can be used to help guide culminating projects. 

The six levels are: 

• Level I Knowledge
• Level II Comprehension
• Level III Application
• Level IV Analysis
• Level V Synthesis
• Level VI Evaluation

Bloom's Level I: Knowledge

Exhibits memory of previously learned material by recalling fundamental facts, terms, basic concepts and answers about the selection.

Assessment:

• Match character names with pictures of the characters.
• Match statements with the character who said them.
• List the main characteristics of one of the main characters in a WANTED poster.
• Arrange scrambled story pictures and/or scrambled story sentences in sequential order.
• Recall details about the setting by creating a picture of where a part of the story took place. 

Blooms Level II: Comprehension 

Demonstrate understanding of facts and ideas by organizing, comparing, translating, interpreting, giving descriptors and stating main ideas. 

Assessment:

• Interpret pictures of scenes from the story or art print.
• Explain selected ideas or parts from the story in his or her own words.
• Draw a picture and/or write a sentence showing what happened before and after a passage or illustration found in the book.  (visualizing)
• Predict what could happen next in the story before the reading of the entire book is completed.
• Construct a pictorial time-line that summarizes what happens in the story.
• Explain how the main character felt at the beginning, middle, and /or end of the story. 

Blooms Level III: Application 

Solve problems in new situations by applying acquired knowledge, facts, techniques and rules in a different, or new way. 

Assessment: 

• Classify the characters as human, animal, or thing.
• Transfer a main character to a new setting.
• Make finger puppets and act out a part of the story.
• Select a meal that one of the main characters would enjoy eating: plan a menu, and a method of serving it.
• Think of a situation that occurred to a character in the story and write about how he or she would have handled the situation differently.
• Give examples of people the student knows who have the same problems as the characters in the story. 

Blooms Level IV: Analysis 

Examine and break information into parts by identifying motives or causes. Make inferences and find evidence to support generalizations. 

Assessment:

• Identify general characteristics (stated and/or implied) of the main characters.
• Distinguish what could happen from what couldn't happen in the story in real life.
• Select parts of the story that were the funniest, saddest, happiest, and most unbelievable.
• Differentiate fact from opinion.
• Compare and/or contrast two of the main characters.
• Select an action of a main character that was exactly the same as something the student would have done. 

Blooms Level V: Synthesis 

Compile information together in a different way by combining elements in a new pattern or proposing alternative solutions. 

Assessment: 

• Create a story from just the title before the story is read (pre-story exercise).
• Write three new titles for the story that would give a good idea what it was about.
• Create a poster to advertise the story so people will want to read it.
• Use your imagination to draw a picture about the story.
• Create a new product related to the story.
• Restructure the roles of the main characters to create new outcomes in the story.
• Compose and perform a dialogue or monologue that will communicate the thoughts of the main character(s) at a given point in the story.
• Imagine that you are the main character. Write a diary account of daily thoughts and activities.
• Create an original character and tell how the character would fit into the story.
• Write the lyrics and music to a song that one of the main characters would sing if he/she/it became a rock star and perform it.

Blooms Level VI: Evaluation

Present and defend opinions by making judgments about information, validity of ideas or quality of work based on a set of criteria. 

Assessment: 

• Decide which character in the selection he or she would most like to spend a day with and why.
• Judge whether or not a character should have acted in a particular way and why.
• Decide if the story really could have happened and justify reasons for the decision.