Higher Level Thinking Skills Bloom's Taxonomy It is essential that the teaching of language arts incorporates the use

of higher level thinking skills. One model of thinking skills is Blooms Taxonomy which focuses on six levels for the students to practice. Knowledge Recall or locate information Comprehension Understand learned facts Application Apply what has been learned to new situations Analysis Take apart information to examine different parts Synthesis Create or invent something; bring together more than one idea Evaluation Consider evidence to support conclusions

In order to teach the standards of the curriculum framework, teachers, as a matter of course, cover the knowledge, comprehension and application skills. They are encouraged to incorporate the skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation in their language arts lessons/activities. The following pages are a resource for teachers to enable them to better teach these skills to students.

Blooms Taxonomy
Sentence Skeletons
Level 1, Knowledge
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. What is the definition for Trace the pattern Review the facts Name the characteristics of List the steps for ? . . . .

Level 2, Comprehension
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Tell why these ideas are similar. In your own words retell the story of Classify these concepts. Relate how these ideas are different. What happened after Tell some examples. Make a model of Take notes on Draw a picture to Give the proper sequence for If A is related to B, then X is related to Act out what happened .

? . . . . . .

Level 3, Application
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Graph the data. Demonstrate the way to Which one is most like Practice Act out the way a person would Use whatever means necessary to Calculate the Complete the solution for Use the technique of . ? . . . . . to solve the problem.

Level 4, Analysis
1. What are the component parts of 2. Which steps are important in the process of 3. If , then 4. What other conclusions can you reach about mentioned? 5. The difference between the fact and the hypothesis is 6. The solution would be to 7. What is the relationship between and 8. What is the pattern of 9. How would you make a 10. Which material is the most valuable in enabling ? ? . that have not been . . ? ? ? to ?

Level 5, Synthesis
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Create a model that shows your new ideas . Devise an original plan or experiment for . Finish the incomplete Make a hypothesis about . Change so that it will . Propose a method to Prescribe a new way to Give a book a new title. Speculate on questions that experts in the field need to answer to solve the problem of .

. .

Level 6, Evaluation
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. In your opinion Appraise the chances for Grade or rank the What do you think will be the outcome What solution do you favor and why? Which systems are best? Worst? Rate the relative value of these ideas to . . . ?

Blooms Taxonomy Definitions/Examples

Knowledge Definition Recall or locate information. Sample Activity Knowledge: Define, recognize, recall, identify, label, understand, examine, show, collect. - What is the definition of a cell? Comprehension: Translate, interpret, explain, describe, summarize, extrapolate. - In your own words, explain photosynthesis. Application: Apply, solve, experiment, show, predict. - Which character in this story is most like someone you know? Analysis: Correct, relate, differentiate, classify, arrange, check, group, distinguish, organize, categorize, detect, compare, infer. What other conclusions can you reach about ? that have not been mentioned? - What steps are important in the process of ? Synthesis: Produce, propose, design, plan, combine, formulate, compose, hypothesize, construct. - Change so that it will . - Propose an alternative for . Evaluation: Appraise, judge, criticize, decide. - What do you think will be the outcome? - In your opinion .

Comprehension

Understand learned facts.

Application

Apply what has been learned to new situations.

Analysis

Take apart information to examine different parts.

Synthesis

Create or invent something; bring together more than one idea.

Evaluation

Consider evidence used to support conclusion.

Blooms Taxonomy Questioning Clue Words

KNOWLEDGE Define Who COMPREHENSION Explain Conclude APPLICATION Demonstrate Use it to solve ANALYSIS Organize Why do you support What are the causes List the problems Arrange SYNTHESIS Compare Create EVALUATION Judge Argue

When

Compare

How can you use it Illustrate

Suppose

Will it work

Where

Summarize

Imagine

Defend your position Rate in order of preference

Name

Reconstruct

In what ways

Devise

Tell

Organize

Where does it lead you Tell the consequences What other reasons What would happen if Interpret Apply Employ Use Dramatize

How would you start Explain

Form a new

How many

Tell why

How many new ways Plan

What Conclusion Decide which

List

Tell in your own words Describe

Distinguish between Analyze

Identify

Propose

Rate

State Does Locate

Translate Restate Discuss Recognize Express Report What does it mean

Examine Question Solve Relate Categorize Differentiate Compare and contrast What was the purpose

Design Formulate Construct Set up Prepare Develop

Assess Choose Evaluate Select

What reasons

What is the difference

Blooms Taxonomy Model Questions & Key Words to Use in Developing Questions
1. Knowledge (eliciting factual answers, testing recall and recognition)
Who What Why When Where How How much What does it mean Describe Define Match Select Which one What is the one best Choose Omit

2. Comprehension (translating, interpreting, and extrapolating)

State in your own words What does this mean Give an example Condense this paragraph State in one word What part doesnt fit What restriction would you add What exceptions are there Which is more probable What are they saying What seems to be What seems likely Classify Judge Infer Show Indicate Tell Translate Outline Summarize Select Match Explain Represent Demonstrate Which are facts, opinions Is this the same as Select the best definition What would happen if Explain what is happening Explain what it means Read the graph, table This represents Is it valid that Which statements support the main idea Show in a graph, table

3. Application (to situations that are new, unfamiliar, or have a new slant for students)
Predict what would happen if Choose the best statements that apply Select Judge the effects What would result Explain Identify the results of Tell what would happen Tell how, when, where, why Tell how much change there would be

4. Analysis (breaking down into parts, forms)

Distinguish Identify What assumptions What conclusions Make a distinction What is the premise What ideas apply, not apply Implicit in the statement is the idea of What is the function of Whats fact, opinion What statement is relevant, extraneous to, related to, not applicable What does author believe, assume State the point of view of What ideas justify conclusion The least essential statements are Whats the theme, main idea, subordinate idea What inconsistencies, fallacies What literary form is used What persuasive technique What relationships between

5. Synthesis (combining elements into a pattern not clearly there before)

Write (according to the following limitations) Create How would you test Tell Propose an alternative Make Solve the following Do Plan Dance Design Choose Make up Compose Formulate a theory How else would you State a rule Develop

6. Evaluation (according to some set of criteria, and state why)

Appraise Judge Criticize Defend Compare What fallacies, consistencies, inconsistencies appear Which is more important, moral, better, logical, valid appropriate, inappropriate Find the errors