Adapted from a Presentation

by Denise Tarlinton
The mind is not a vessel
to be filled, but a fire to
be ignited.

(Plutarch)
 Overview
• Bloom’s Taxonomy and higher-order thinking
• Investigate the Revised Taxonomy
– New terms
– New emphasis
• Explore each of the six levels
• See how questioning plays an important role
within the framework (oral language)
 Original Terms New Terms

• Evaluation • Creating

• Synthesis • Evaluating

• Analysis • Analysing

• Application • Applying

• Comprehension • Understanding

• Knowledge • Remembering

(Based on Pohl, 2000, Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn, p. 8)

 BLOOM’S REVISED TAXONOMY
Creating
Generating new ideas, products, or ways of viewing things
Designing, constructing, planning, producing, inventing.

Evaluating
Justifying a decision or course of action
Checking, hypothesising, critiquing, experimenting, judging

Analysing
Breaking information into parts to explore understandings and relationships
Comparing, organising, deconstructing, interrogating, finding

Applying
Using information in another familiar situation
Implementing, carrying out, using, executing

Understanding
Explaining ideas or concepts
Interpreting, summarising, paraphrasing, classifying, explaining

Remembering
Recalling information
Recognising, listing, describing, retrieving, naming, finding
 Remembering
The learner is able to recall, restate and
remember learned information.
– Recognising
– Listing
– Describing
– Identifying
– Retrieving
– Naming
– Locating
– Finding
Can you recall information?
 Remembering cont’
• List
•
• Listen
Memorise
• Relate • Group Recall or
• Show • Choose recognition of
• Locate • specific
• Recite
Distinguish information
• Give example • Review
• Reproduce • Quote
• Quote •
• Record
Repeat
• Label • Match Products include:
• Recall • Select • Quiz • Label
• Know • • Definition • List
• Underline
Group • Fact • Workbook
• Read • Cite • Worksheet • Reproduction
• Write • Sort • Test • Vocabulary
• Outline
 Remembering: Potential
Activities and Products
• Make a story map showing the main events of
the story.
• Make a time line of your typical day.
• Make a concept map of the topic.
• Write a list of keywords you know about….
• What characters were in the story?
• Make a chart showing…
• Make an acrostic poem about…
• Recite a poem you have learnt.
 Understanding
The learner grasps the meaning of information by
interpreting and translating what has been
learned.
– Interpreting
– Exemplifying
– Summarising
– Inferring
– Paraphrasing
– Classifying
– Comparing
– Explaining
Can you explain ideas or concepts?
 Understanding cont’
• Restate • Describe
• Identify • Report Understanding
• Discuss • Recognise of given
information
• Retell • Review
• Research • Observe
• Annotate • Outline
• • Account for
Translate Products include:
• • Interpret • Recitation • Example
Give examples of
• Give main • Summary • Quiz
• Paraphrase • Collection • List
• idea
Reorganise • Explanation • Label
• Estimate
• Associate • Show and tell • Outline
• Define
 Understanding: Potential
Activities and Products
• Write in your own words…
• Cut out, or draw pictures to illustrate a particular event in the story.
• Report to the class…
• Illustrate what you think the main idea may have been.
• Make a cartoon strip showing the sequence of events in the story.
• Write and perform a play based on the story.
• Write a brief outline to explain this story to someone else
• Explain why the character solved the problem in this particular way
• Write a summary report of the event.
• Prepare a flow chart to illustrate the sequence of events.
• Make a colouring book.
• Paraphrase this chapter in the book.
• Retell in your own words.
• Outline the main points.
 Applying
The learner makes use of information in a context
different from the one in which it was learned.

– Implementing
– Carrying out
– Using
– Executing

Can you use the information in another

familiar situation?
 Applying cont’
• Translate • Paint
• Manipulate • Change Using strategies,
• Exhibit • Compute concepts, principles
• and theories in new
• Illustrate Sequence situations
• Show
• Calculate
• Solve
• Interpret • Collect
• Make • Demonstrate Products include:
• Practice • Dramatise • Photograph • Presentation
• • Illustration • Interview
• Apply Construct
• Simulation • Performance
• Operate • Use • Sculpture • Diary
• Adapt
• Interview • Demonstration • Journal
• Draw
Applying: Potential Activities and
Products
• Construct a model to demonstrate how it looks or works
• Practise a play and perform it for the class
• Make a diorama to illustrate an event
• Write a diary entry
• Make a scrapbook about the area of study.
• Prepare invitations for a character’s birthday party
• Make a topographic map
• Take and display a collection of photographs on a particular
topic.
• Make up a puzzle or a game about the topic.
• Write an explanation about this topic for others.
• Dress a doll in national costume.
• Make a clay model…
• Paint a mural using the same materials.
• Continue the story…
 Analysing
The learner breaks learned information into its
parts to best understand that information.
– Comparing
– Organising
– Deconstructing
– Attributing
– Outlining
– Finding
– Structuring
– Integrating

Can you break information into parts to explore

understandings and relationships?
 Analysing cont’
• Distinguish • Compare
• Question • Contrast
• Appraise • Survey Breaking
• Experiment • Detect information down
• Inspect • Group into its component
• Examine • Order
elements
• Probe • Sequence
• Separate • Test
• Inquire • Debate
• Arrange • Analyse Products include:
• Investigate • Diagram • Graph • Survey
• Sift •
• Relate • Spreadsheet • Database
Research • Dissect • Checklist
• • Mobile
Calculate • Categorise
• • Chart • Abstract
Criticize • Discriminate • Outline • Report
 Analysing: Potential Activities
and Products
• Use a Venn Diagram to show how two topics are the same and
different
• Design a questionnaire to gather information.
• Survey classmates to find out what they think about a particular topic.
Analyse the results.
• Make a flow chart to show the critical stages.
• Classify the actions of the characters in the book
• Create a sociogram from the narrative
• Construct a graph to illustrate selected information.
• Make a family tree showing relationships.
• Devise a roleplay about the study area.
• Write a biography of a person studied.
• Prepare a report about the area of study.
• Conduct an investigation to produce information to support a view.
• Review a work of art in terms of form, colour and texture.
• Draw a graph
• Complete a Decision Making Matrix to help you decide which breakfast
cereal to purchase
 Evaluating
The learner makes decisions based on in-depth
reflection, criticism and assessment.
– Checking
– Hypothesising
– Critiquing
– Experimenting
– Judging
– Testing
– Detecting
– Monitoring
Can you justify a decision or course of action?
 Evaluating cont’
• Judge • Choose
• Rate • Conclude
• Judging the value of
Validate • Deduce ideas, materials and
• Predict • Debate methods by developing
• Assess •
• Justify and applying standards
Score • Recommend and criteria.
• Revise •
• Discriminate
Infer • Appraise
• Determine
• • Value
Prioritise • Products include:
• Tell why Probe
• • Argue • Debate • Investigation
Compare • • Panel
• Evaluate Decide • Verdict
• • Criticise • Report • Conclusion
Defend
• Select • Rank • Evaluation • Persuasive
• Measure • Reject speech
 Evaluating: Potential Activities
and Products
• Write a letter to the editor
• Prepare and conduct a debate
• Prepare a list of criteria to judge…
• Write a persuasive speech arguing for/against…
• Make a booklet about five rules you see as important.
Convince others.
• Form a panel to discuss viewpoints on….
• Write a letter to. ..advising on changes needed.
• Write a half-yearly report.
• Prepare a case to present your view about...
• Complete a PMI on…
• Evaluate the character’s actions in the story
 Creating
The learner creates new ideas and
information using what has been previously
learned.
– Designing
– Constructing
– Planning
– Producing
– Inventing
– Devising
– Making
Can you generate new products, ideas, or
ways of viewing things?
 Creating cont’
• Compose • Formulate
• Assemble
• Improve Putting together ideas
• Organise or elements to develop
• Invent • Act a original idea or
• Compile engage in creative
• Predict thinking.
• Forecast
• Devise • Produce
• Propose • Blend
• Construct Products include:
• • Set up
Plan • Film • Song
• Prepare • Devise • Story • Newspaper
• Develop • Concoct • Project • Media product
• Originate • Plan •
• • Compile
Imagine • New game Advertisement
• Generate • Painting
 Blooming Questions
• Questioning should be used purposefully to
achieve well-defines goals.
• Bloom's Taxonomy is a classification of thinking
organised by level of complexity. It gives
teachers and students an opportunity to learn
and practice a range of thinking and provides a
simple structure for many different kinds of
questions and thinking.
• The taxonomy involves all categories of
questions.
• Typically a teacher would vary the level of
questions within a single lesson.
 Lower and Higher Order
Questions
• Lower level questions are those at the
remembering, understanding and lower level
application levels of the taxonomy.
• Usually questions at the lower levels are
appropriate for:
• Evaluating students’ preparation and
comprehension
• Diagnosing students’ strengths and
weaknesses
• Reviewing and/or summarising content
www.oir.uiuc.edu/Did/docs/QUESTION/quest1.htm
 Lower and Higher Order
Questions
• Higher level questions are those requiring
complex application, analysis, evaluation or
creation skills.
• Questions at higher levels of the taxonomy are
usually most appropriate for:
• Encouraging students to think more deeply
and critically
• Problem solving
• Encouraging discussions
• Stimulating students to seek information on
their own
www.oir.uiuc.edu/Did/docs/QUESTION/quest1.htm
 Questions for Remembering
• What happened after...?
• How many...?
• What is...?
• Who was it that...?
• Can you name ...?
• Find the definition of…
• Describe what happened after…
• Who spoke to...?
• Which is true or false...?
(Pohl, Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn, p. 12)
 Questions for Understanding
• Can you explain why…?
• Can you write in your own words?
• How would you explain…?
• Can you write a brief outline...?
• What do you think could have happened next...?
• Who do you think...?
• What was the main idea...?
• Can you clarify…?
• Can you illustrate…?
• Does everyone act in the way that …….. does?
(Pohl, Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn, p. 12)
 Questions for Applying
• Do you know of another instance
where…?
• Can you group by characteristics such
as…?
• Which factors would you change if…?
• What questions would you ask of…?
• From the information given, can you
develop a set of instructions about…?
(Pohl, Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn, p. 13)
 Question for Analysing
• Which events could not have happened?
• If. ..happened, what might the ending have been?
• How is...similar to...?
• What do you see as other possible outcomes?
• Why did...changes occur?
• Can you explain what must have happened when...?
• What are some or the problems of...?
• Can you distinguish between...?
• What were some of the motives behind..?
• What was the turning point?
• What was the problem with...?
(Pohl, Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn, p. 13)
 Questions for Evaluating
• Is there a better solution to...?
• Judge the value of... What do you think about...?
• Can you defend your position about...?
• Do you think...is a good or bad thing?
• How would you have handled...?
• What changes to.. would you recommend?
• Do you believe...? How would you feel if. ..?
• How effective are. ..?
• What are the consequences..?
• What influence will....have on our lives?
• What are the pros and cons of....?
• Why is ....of value?
• What are the alternatives?
• Who will gain & who will loose?
(Pohl, Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn, p. 14)
 Questions for Creating
• Can you design a...to...?
• Can you see a possible solution to...?
• If you had access to all resources, how would
you deal with...?
• Why don't you devise your own way to...?
• What would happen if ...?
• How many ways can you...?
• Can you create new and unusual uses for...?
• Can you develop a proposal which would...?

(Pohl, Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn, p. 14)

 Bloom on the Internet
• Bloom's(1956) Revised Taxonomy
http://rite.ed.qut.edu.au/oz-teachernet/training/bloom.html
An excellent introduction and explanation of the revised Taxonomy by Michael Pole on the oz-TeacherNet site written for
the QSITE Higher order Thinking Skills Online Course 2000. Pohl explains the terms and provides a comprehensive
overview of the sub-categories, along with some suggested question starters that aim to evoke thinking specific to
each level of the taxonomy. Suggested potential activities and student products are also listed.

• Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy

http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/articles/bloomrev/index.htm
Another useful site for teachers with useful explanations and examples of questions from the College of Education at San
Diego State University.

• Taxonomy of Technology Integration

http://education.ed.pacificu.edu/aacu/workshop/reconcept2B.html
This site compiled by the Berglund Center for Internet Studies at Pacific University, makes a valiant effort towards linking
ICT (information and communication technologies) to learning via Bloom's Revised Taxonomy of Educational
Objectives (Anderson, et. al., 2001). The taxonomy presented on this site is designed to represent the varying
cognitive processes that can be facilitated by the integration of ICT into the teaching and learning process.

• Critical and Creative Thinking - Bloom's Taxonomy

http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic69.htm
Part of Eduscape.com, this site includes a definitive overview of critical and creative thinking as well as how Bloom’s
domains of learning can be reflected in technology-rich projects. Many other links to Internet resources to support
Bloom’s Taxonomy, as well as research and papers on Thinking Skills. Well worth a look.
 Bloom on the Internet
• http://www.tedi.uq.edu.au/Assess/Assessment/bloomtax.html
•
• http://www.acps.k12.va.us/hammond/readstrat/BloomsTaxonomy2.html
•
• http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/researchskills/dalton.htm
•
• http://www.officeport.com/edu/blooms.htm
•
• http://www.quia.com/fc/90134.html
•
• http://www.utexas.edu/student/utlc/handouts/1414.html Model questions and keywords
•
• http://schools.sd68.bc.ca/webquests/blooms.htm
•
• http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/bloom.html
•
• http://caribou.cc.trincoll.edu/depts_educ/Resources/Bloom.htm
•
• http://www.kent.wednet.edu/KSD/MA/resources/blooms/teachers_blooms.html
•
• http://www.hcc.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/questype.ht
m
•
• http://www.nexus.edu.au/teachstud/gat/painter.htm Questioning Techniques that includes
reference to Bloom’s Taxonomy.
•
• http://scs.une.edu.au/TalentEd/EdSupport/Snugglepot.htm
 Print Resources
• Clements, D.; C. Gilliland and P. Holko. (1992). Thinking in
Themes: An Approach Through the Learning Centre. Melbourne:
Oxford University Press.
• Crawford, Jean (ed.) (1991). Achieveing Excellence: Units of
Work for levels P-8. Carlton South, Vic.: Education Shop, Ministry
of Education and Training, Victoria.
• Crosby, N. and E. Martin. (1981). Don’t Teach! Let Me Learn.
Book 3. Cheltenham, Vic.: Hawker Brownlow.
• Dalton, Joan. (1986). Extending Children’s Special Abilities:
Strategies for Primary Classrooms. Victoria: Department of
School Education, Victoria.
• Forte, Imogene and S. Schurr. (1997). The All-New Science Mind
Stretchers: Interdisciplinary Units to Teach Science Concepts
and Strengthen Thinking Skills. Cheltenham, Vic.: Hawker
Brownlow.
• Fogarty, R. (1997). Problem-based learning and other curriculum
models for the multiple intelligences classroom. Arlington
Heights, IL: IRI/Skylight Training and Publishing, Inc.
• Frangenheim, E. (1998). Reflections on Classroom Thinking
Strategies. Loganholme: Rodin Educational Consultancy.
 Print Resources
• Knight, BA., S. Bailey, W. Wearne and D. Brown. (1999). Blooms
Multiple Intelligences Themes and Activities.
• McGrath, H and T. Noble. (1995). Seven Ways at Once: Units of
Work Based on the Seven Intelligences. Book 1. South
Melbourne: Longman.
• Pohl, M. (2000). Teaching Complex Thinking: Critical, Creative,
Caring. Cheltenham, Vic.: Hawker Brownlow.
• Pohl, Michael. (1997). Teaching Thinking Skills in the Primary
Years: A Whole School Approach. Cheltenham, Vic.: Hawker
Brownlow Education.
• Pohl, Michael. (2000). Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn:
Models and Strategies to Develop a Classroom Culture of
Thinking. Cheltenham, Vic.: Hawker Brownlow.
• Ryan, Maureen. (1996). The Gifted and Talented Children’s
Course: Resolving Issues, Book 13- 7-8 Year Olds. Greenwood,
WA: Ready-Ed Publications.