Bloom’s Taxonomy

Knowledge Knowledge of terminology or specific facts. Knowledge is (here) defined as the remembering (recalling) of appropriate, previously learned information. Verbs to use in assignments to have students demonstrate knowledge: define; describe; enumerate; identify; label; list; match; name; read; record; reproduce; select; state; view. Source: Teaching and Resource Center at Berkeley;

An Assignment Example: Ask your students to do a free-write in class, in which they identify three causes of the Civil War, or define Progressivism. Use their responses as a starting point for discussion, or have the students discuss their responses in small groups. Source: Teaching and Resource Center at Berkeley;

Comprehension Grasping (understanding) the meaning of informational materials. Verbs to use in assignments to have students demonstrate comprehension: classify; cite; convert; describe; discuss; estimate; explain; generalize; give examples; make sense of; paraphrase; restate (in own words); summarize; trace; understand. Source: Teaching and Resource Center at Berkeley;

An Assignment Example Ask your students to paraphrase an author’s argument, or a part of their lecture notes, in one paragraph. Then divide the students into pairs and ask the students to discuss any gaps or discrepancies in their comprehension and to construct a new and better paragraph together. Source: Teaching and Resource Center at Berkeley;

Application Using previously learned information in new and concrete situations to solve problems that have single or best answers. Verbs to use in assignments so that students can demonstrate their ability to apply: act; administer; articulate; assess; chart; collect; compute; construct; contribute; control; determine; develop; discover; establish; extend; implement; include; inform; instruct; operationalize; participate; predict; prepare; preserve; produce; project; provide; relate; report; show; solve; teach; transfer; use; utilize. Source: Teaching and Resource Center at Berkeley;

An Assignment Example Ask students to relate classroom instruction on the immigrant experience in the United States to primary sources which you provide (or which they collect on their own). Ask the students to use the primary sources to teach a course theme to their peers; or have them report their observations on a threaded discussion list. Source: Teaching and Resource Center at Berkeley;

Analysis Breaking down informational materials into their component parts, examining (and trying to understand the organizational structure of) such information to develop divergent conclusions by identifying motives or causes, making inferences, and/or finding evidence to support generalizations. Verbs to use in assignments so that students can demonstrate their ability to analyze: break down; correlate; diagram; differentiate; discriminate; distinguish; focus; illustrate; infer; limit; outline; point out; prioritize; recognize; separate; subdivide. Source: Teaching and Resource Center at Berkeley;

An Assignment Example In an exam essay question, students may be asked to analyze the reasons for European settlement in the “New World.” Beyond simply identifying the reasons, they are asked to prioritize the reasons in order of significance, and to distinguish between the reasons for settlement in New England vs. Virginia. Source: Teaching and Resource Center at Berkeley;

Synthesis Creatively or divergently applying prior knowledge and skills to produce a new or original whole. Verbs to use in assignments so that students can demonstrate their ability to synthesize: adapt; anticipate; categorize; collaborate; combine; communicate; compare; compile; compose; contrast; create; design; devise; express; facilitate; formulate; generate; incorporate; individualize; initiate; integrate; intervene; model; modify; negotiate; plan; progress; rearrange; reconstruct; reinforce; reorganize; revise; structure; substitute; validate. Source: Teaching and Resource Center at Berkeley;

An Assignment Example In preparation for a research paper, students may be asked to create a prospectus, in which they formulate a hypothesis, compile a bibliography, and plan a research schedule. Source: Teaching and Resource Center at Berkeley;

Evaluation Judging the value of material based on personal values or opinions, resulting in an end product, with a given purpose, without real right or wrong answers. Verbs to use in assignments so that students can demonstrate their ability to evaluate: appraise; compare and contrast; conclude; criticize; critique; decide; defend; interpret; judge; justify; reframe; support. Source: Teaching and Resource Center at Berkeley;

An Assignment Example Have students write a five-page essay in which they compare and contrast two authors’ arguments on a given topic, evaluate their use of evidence, and defend one interpretation over the other. Source: Teaching and Resource Center at Berkeley;

What cognitive levels does this assignment involve? Biology BIOL 3810 Molecular Cell Biology Assignments 1. Students will make diagrams of the methods for their experiments. They will then write a paragraph in their own words describing the protocol. 2. Students will write logical, succinct and specific conclusions for data they have generated in their laboratory experiments. 3. Students will write two complete lab reports for experiments performed in the lab. Rationale #1 Students have a hard time visualizing setting up an experiment, having students make a diagram and write in their own words what they will do before they do it, will help students more critically analyze the experimental approach and logistical issues surrounding performance of experiments. #2 Students feel that there is one "right answer" to the experiments and therefore, they usually write their conclusions accordingly. Thus, we strive to make them more critically analyze their data and make reasonable conclusions based on the data and not on their preconceived notions of what the "right answer" should be. #3 Students do not have many experiences in writing lab reports so they will get the opportunity to critically analyze and synthesize all of the data with what is already known in the field and then suggest future experiments. Source: Georgia State University;

What cognitive levels does this assignment involve? Criminal Justice CRJU 3020 Research Methods in Criminal Justice SAMPLE CRITICAL THINKING THROUGH WRITING ASSIGNMENTS Sample Homework Assignments Category I: Hypotheses formation Assignment 1: Exercises on Writing Hypotheses (Glenn Harper) 1. Rewrite the following statements (see below) into a form which will make each a testable hypothesis. A. Our elderly population is not physically healthy. B. Juvenile delinquency is on the rise. C. Poverty breeds violence. D. Women are underpaid. E. Men make lousy parent. F. Catholics tend to be Democrats. G. Frequent smoking increases the chance of lung cancer. H. Bureaucracy stifles the creativity of law enforcement personnel. I. Correctional treatment programs reduce the chance of re-offending. J. Except for athletes, masculinity is inversely related to the occupational income of males. 2. For each of your testable hypotheses identify, creating where necessary: a. The independent variable and the categories over which it varies b. The dependent variable and the categories over which it varies c. Where appropriate the control variable and its categories 3. Identify the type of relationship expressed in your hypothesis. 4. Sketch a graph which would illustrate data supporting the hypothesis. 5. Identify the negative (deviant) cases for each hypothesis; each hypothesis has two sets of such cases. Source: Georgia State University; Source: Georgia State University;

What cognitive levels does this assignment involve? Political Science POLS 3800 Introduction to Political Research Assignments Political Science 3800 Homework #2 In The Millionaire Next Door, authors Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko argue that any individual can become wealthy simply by spending his or her money frugally. They present evidence in the form of interviews with millionaires, all of whom (claim to) spend their money quite frugally. Read the attached chapter, in which the authors apply their theory to the process of buying a car, examining millionaire purchasing habits. In a 3 page paper, critique the research methods used in the chapter you’ve read. This critique must include the following - Identify the key components of the authors’ research. This includes describing the author’s theory, defining the independent and dependent variables, and describing the author’s research design (i.e., what type of study is it, who are the groups, what’s the treatment, etc.) - For one of the independent variables the authors employ (and there are many used in the chapter), derive a hypothesis which is predicted by the author’s theory. Then, briefly describe a “non-experiment” (as the phrase is used in the class) which would test the hypothesis. When you’re drawing up your research design, you may assume the ability to collect any reasonably observable data, regardless of what is in the chapter. Source: Georgia State University;