1. 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 Bloom’s Taxonomy which focuses on six
levels for the students to practice.
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•
•
•
•
•
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.

2. Bloom’s 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
?

3. 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
.
.
.
?
.

4. Bloom’s 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
Understand “learned” facts.
Comprehension: Translate,
interpret, explain, describe,
summarize, extrapolate.
- In your own words,
explain photosynthesis.
Application
Apply what has been learned
to new situations.
Application: Apply, solve,
experiment, show, predict.
- Which character in this
story is most like someone
you know?
Analysis
“Take apart” information to
examine different parts.
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
Create or invent something;
bring together more than one
idea.
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
.
Evaluation
Consider evidence used to
support conclusion.

5. Bloom’s Taxonomy
Questioning Clue Words
KNOWLEDGE
COMPREHENSION
APPLICATION
ANALYSIS
SYNTHESIS
EVALUATION
Define
Explain
Demonstrate
Organize
Compare
Judge
Who
Conclude
Use it to solve
Why do you
support
Create
Argue
When
Compare
How can you use
it
What are the
causes
Suppose
Will it work
Where
Summarize
Illustrate
List the
problems
Imagine
Defend your
position
Name
Reconstruct
In what ways
Arrange
Devise
Rate in order of
preference
Tell
Organize
Where does it
lead you
How would
you start
Form a new
How many
Tell why
Tell the
consequences
Explain
How many
new ways
What
Conclusion
List
Tell in your
own words
What other
reasons
Distinguish
between
Plan
Decide which
Identify
Describe
What would
happen if
Analyze
Propose
Rate
State
Translate
Interpret
Examine
Design
Assess
Does
Restate
Apply
Question
Formulate
Choose
Locate
Discuss
Employ
Solve
Construct
Evaluate
Recognize
Use
Relate
Set up
Select
Express
Dramatize
Categorize
Prepare
Report
Differentiate
Develop
What does it mean
Compare
and contrast
What reasons
What was
the purpose
What is the difference

6. Bloom’s 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 doesn’t 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
What’s 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
What’s the theme, main idea,
subordinate idea
What inconsistencies, fallacies
What literary form is used
What persuasive technique
What relationships between

7. 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