BLOOMS TAXONOMY FOR HIGH LEVEL THINKING AND QUESTIONING

In the 1950s, educator Dr. Benjamin Bloom began categorizing the kinds of thinking that
students needed, moving from less abstract to more abstract. Familiarize yourself with these
categories. When you are asked to create questions for class discussions, literature circles,
and/or online book discussions, write questions that require complex thinking and move UP the
ladder. When you need to memorize facts for quizzes, create knowledge questions.
Knowledge: recognize or recall information
Key Words: choose, define, find, label, list, match, name, recall, relate, tell, what, when, where,
which, who, why
Questions:
What is?
How is?
Where is?
When didhappen?
How did.happen?
How would you explain?
Why did?
How would you describe?
When?
Can you recall?
How would you show?
Can you select?
Who were the main?
Can you list the three?
Which one?
Who was?
Comprehension: demonstrate sufficient understanding to organize and arrange material
mentally
Key Words: classify, compare, contrast, demonstrate, explain, extend, illustrate, infer, interpret,
outline, relate, rephrase, show, summarize, translate, describe, rephrase
Questions:
How would you classify the type of?
Which statements support?
How would you compare? Contrast?
Can you explain what is happening?
Interpret in your words
What is meant by?
How would you rephrase the meaning? What can you say about?
What facts or ideas show?
Which is the best answer?
What is the main idea of?
How would you summarize?
Application: apply previously learned information to reach an answer. Solving math word
problems is an example.
Key Words: apply, build, choose, construct, develop, experiment with, identify, interview, make
use of, model, organize, plan, select, solve, utilize
Questions:
How would you use?
What approach would you use to?
What examples can you find to?
How would you apply what you learned to
develop?
How would you solveusing what
What other way would you plan to?
youve learned?
What facts would you select to show?
How would you organizeto show? What would result if?
How would you show your
Can you make use of the facts to?
understanding of ?

Analysis: higher order questions that require critical and in-depth thinking
Key Words: analyze, assumption, categorize, classify, compare, conclusion, contrast, discover,
dissect, distinguish, divide, examine, function, inference, inspect, motive, simplify, survey, take
part in, test for, theme
Questions:
What are the parts or features of?
Can you identify the different parts?
How is related to ?
What evidence can you find?
Why do you think?
What is the relationship between?
What is the theme?
Can you make a distinction between?
What motive is there?
What is the function of?
Can you list the parts?
What ideas justify?
What inference can you make?
Identify the motives, reasons, and/or
causes for a specific occurrence?
What conclusions can you draw?
Consider and analyze available
information to reach a conclusion,
inference, or generalization based on
this information?
How would you classify?
How would you categorize?
Synthesis: higher order questions that require original and creative thinking
Key Words: adapt, change, combine, compile, compose, construct, create, design, develop,
discuss, elaborate, estimate, formulate, invent, maximize, minimize, modify, originate, plan,
predict, propose, solve, solution,, suppose, test, theorize
Questions:
What changes would you make to
How would you improve?
solve?
What would happen if?
Can you elaborate on the reason?
Can you propose an alternative?
Can you invent?
How would you adapt___to create a
How would you change/modify the
different?
plan/plot?
What could be done to
What way would you design?
minimize/maximize?
What could be combined to
Suppose you could___.What would you
improve/change?
do?
How would you test?
Can you formulate a theory for?
Can you predict the outcome if?
How would you estimate the results
for?
What facts can you compile?
Can you construct a model that would
change?
Can you think of an original way for
Produce original communications. (Write
the?
a letter to the editor on a social issue of
concern to you.
Evaluation: judge the merit of an idea, a solution to a problem, an aesthetic work, or defend an
opinion on an issue
Key Words: agree, appraise, assess, award, choose, compare, conclude, criteria, criticize,
decide, deduct, defend, determine, disprove, dispute, estimate, evaluate, explain, importance,
interpret, judge, justify, prioritize, prove, rate, recommend, rule on, select, support, value
Questions:
Do you agree with the actions? With
How would you prove? Disprove?
the outcome?
What is your opinion of?
Can you assess the value or importance
of?

Would it be better if?

What would you recommend?
What would you cite to defend the
actions?
How could you determine?
What would you select?
What judgment would you make
about?
What information would you use to
support the view ?
What data was used to make the
conclusion?
How would you prioritize the facts?

Why did they (the character) choose?

How would you rate the?
How would you evaluate?
What choice would you have made?
How would you prioritize?
Based on what you know, how would you
explain?
How would you justify?
Why was it better that?
How would you compare the ideas?
People?