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Bloom's Taxonomy Questions

Question Stems to Help Apply Bloom's Taxonomy
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byMelissa Kelly
Updated March 01, 2018

What are the progression steps for learning?

That was the question answered in 1956 by American educational psychologist

Benjamin Samuel Bloom. In 1956, Bloom Taxonomy of educational objectives: the
classification of educational goals, which outlined these steps. In this first volume,
Bloom devised a way to categorize reasoning skills based on the amount of critical
thinking and reasoning involved.

With Bloom's Taxonomy, there are six levels of skills ranked in order from the most
basic to the most complex. Each level of skill is associated with a verb, as learning is an
action.

As teachers, we should ensure that questions we ask both in class and on written
assignments and tests are pulled from all levels of the taxonomy pyramid.

Objective assessments (multiple choice, matching, fill-in the blank) tend to focus only
on the two lowest levels of Bloom's Taxonomy: knowledge and comprehension.
Subjective assessments (essay responses, experiments, portfolios, performances) tend to
measure the higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy: analysis, synthesis, evaluation).

The following list was created as an aid for teachers to incorporate into lessons.
Different levels of Bloom's Taxonomy should be represented daily in a lesson, and those
lessons at the end of a unit should incorporate the highest levels of the taxonomy.

Each category provides the verb, a question stem, and a series of examples from across
the disciplines for each level.

01
 of 06

Knowledge Verbs and Question Stems

Andrea Hernandez/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0

The Knowledge level forms the base of the Bloom's Taxonomy pyramid. Because it is of
the lowest complexity, many of the verbs are themselves question stems as can be seen
with the list below.

 What do you remember about _____?

 How would you define_____?
 How would you identify _____?
 How would you recognize _____?

Teachers can use these level of questions to ensure that specific information was learned
by the student from the lesson.

 DefineExample: Define mercantilism.

 Who
Example: Who was the author of Billy Budd.
 WhatExample: What is the capital of England?
 NameExample: Name the inventor of the telephone.
 List
Example: List the thirteen colonies.
 LabelExample: Label the capitals on this map of the United States.
 LocateExample: Locate the glossary in your textbook.
 MatchExample: Match the following inventors with their inventions.
 Select
Example: Select the correct author of War and Peace from the following list.
 Underline
Example: Underline the noun.

02
of 06

Comprehension Verbs and Question Stems

At the Comprehension level, we want students to show that they can go beyond basic
recall by understanding what those facts mean.

 How would you generalize_____?

 How would you express _____?
 What can you infer from _____?
 What did you observe_____?
These verbs should allow teachers to see if students understand the main idea in order
to Interpret or summarize the ideas in their own words.
Example question:

 Explain
Example: Explain the law of inertia using an example from an amusement park.
 InterpretExample: Interpret the information found in this pie chart.
 Outline
Example: Outline the main arguments for and against year-round education.
 DiscussExample: Discuss what it means to use context to determine the
meaning of a word.
 TranslateExample: Translate this passage into English.
 RestateExample: Restate the steps for a bill to become a law in your own words.
 Describe
Example: Describe what is happening in this Civil War picture.
 IdentifyExample: Identify the correct method for disposing of recyclable trash.
 Which
Example: Which statements support implementing school uniforms.
 Summarize
Example: Summarize the first chapter of To Kill a Mockingbird.

03
of 06

Application Verbs and Question Stems

At the Application level, students must show that they can apply the information that
they have learned.

 How would you demonstrate ____?

 How would you present ____?
 How would you change ____?
 How would you modify ____?

Ways that they can do this include solving problems and creating projects.

 SolveExample: Using the information you have learned about mixed numbers,
solve the following questions.
 UseExample: Use Newton's Laws of Motion to explain how a model rocket
works.
 PredictExample: Predict whether items float better in fresh water or salt water.
 ConstructExample: Using the information you have learned about
aerodynamics, construct a paper airplane that minimizes drag.
 PerformExample: Create and perform a skit which dramatizes an event from
the Civil Rights era.
 DemonstrateExample: Demonstrate how changing the location of the fulcrum
affects a tabletop lever.
  ClassifyExample: Classify each observed mineral based on the criteria learned in
class.
 Apply
Example: Apply the rule of 70 to determine how quickly $1000 would double if
earning 5% interest.

04
of 06

Analysis Verbs and Question Stems

The fourth level of Bloom's Taxonomy is Analysis. Here students find patterns in what
they learn.

 How can you sort the parts _____?

 What can you infer_____?
 What ideas validate _____?
 How would you explain _____?

Students move beyond simply understanding and applying knowledge. Instead, they
begin to have a more active role in their own learning. Example question: Illustrate the
difference between a moth and a butterfly.

 What...?
 Example: What is the function of the liver in the body.
 Example: What is the main idea of the story "The Tell-Tale Heart."
 Example: What assumptions do we have to make when discussing
Einstein's Theory of Relativity?
 Analyze
Example: Analyze President Lincoln's motives for delivering the Gettysburg
Address.
 IdentifyExample: Identify any biases that might exist when reading an
autobiography.
 ExamineExample: Examine the results of your experiment and record your
conclusions.
 InvestigateExample: Investigate the propaganda techniques used in each of the
following advertisements.
 Identify
Example: Identify the point of view of each of the main characters in Hamlet.

05
of 06

Synthesis Verbs and Question Stems

At the synthesis level, students move beyond relying on previously learned information
or analyzing items that the teacher is giving to them.

 What alternative would you suggest for ___?

 What changes would you make to revise___?
 How would you generate a plan to ___?
 What could you invent___?

Instead, they move beyond what they have learned to create new products, ideas, and
theories.

 CreateExample: Create a haiku about a desert animal.

 InventExample: Invent a new board game about Industrial Revolution
inventors.
 ComposeExample: Compose a new piece of music that includes chords in the
key of C Major.
 ProposeExample: Propose an alternative way to get students to clean up after
themselves in the lunchroom.
 PlanExample: Plan an alternative meal to serve vegetarians during
Thanksgiving.
 DesignExample: Design a campaign to help stop teenage smoking.
 FormulateExample: Formulate a bill that you would like to see passed through
Congress.
 Develop
Example: Develop an idea for a science fair project that focuses on the effect of
pollution on plant life.

06
of 06

Evaluation Verbs and Question Stems

Evaluation means that students make judgments based on the information they have
learned and their own insights.

 What criteria would you use to assess _____?

 What data was used to evaluate _____?
 How could you verify _____?
 What information would you use to prioritize _____?

This is often the hardest question to create, especially for an end-of-the-unit exam.
Example question: Evaluate the accuracy of the Disney movie Pocahontas.

 Evaluate
Example: Evaluate the accuracy of the movie The Patriot.
 FindFind the errors in the following math problem.
 SelectExample: Select the most appropriate action that you should take against a
school bully. Justify your answer.
 DecideExample: Decide on a meal plan for the next week that includes all the
required servings according to the Food Guide Pyramid.
 JustifyExample: Are the arts an important part of a school's curriculum? Justify
your answer.
 Debate
Example: Debate the pros and cons of school vouchers.
 Judge
Example: Judge the importance of students reading a play by Shakespeare while
in high school.

How to Use Bloom's Taxonomy in Your Classroom

Does Bloom's Taxonomy Improve Higher-Level Thinking?

How to Teach Levels of Reasoning With Bloom's Taxonomy Assessment

Synthesis Is a High Level Thinking Skill

Bloom's Taxonomy - Application Category and Examples


 Bloom's Taxonomy: Analysis Category

Bloom's Taxonomy: The Incredible Teaching Tool

What Is the HOTS Concept in American Education Reform?

Bloom's Taxonomy - Evaluation Category

How to Understand a Stem and Leaf Plot Diagram

Find out What Depth of Knowledge Is

How to Create Effective Fill-in-the-Blank Questions

Why Instruction Methods Should Be Tailored to Each Student

 

Hot to Create Effective Lesson Objectives

Lesson Plan Helping Lower Level Students Ask Questions

Questions and Suggested Answers for Teacher Interviews

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