Assessment and differentiation with Bloom’s Taxonomy Developing thinking skills through RE Cognitive and affective learning

Levels of knowledge and thinking

The levels of thinking: Remembering Recall of information Understanding Understanding the meaning of this information and stating it in one’s own words Applying Using this information in a new situation or context. Analysing breaking the ideas into parts to explore understanding and relationships Evaluating Making judgments about ideas, choosing a course of action and justifying this. Creating Generating new ideas or a new product, eg story, song or play, based on the information given.

Questions . . . . . . . . according to levels

Blooming Questions Your questioning should be purposeful with well-defined goals. Blooms Taxonomy is a classification of skills arranged in levels of complexity. The taxonomy involves all categories of questions. Typically you would use all levels of question in a single lesson.

Lower and Higher Order Questions Lower level questions are those at the remembering and understanding and simpler application levels. Lower level questions would be used for: Evaluation preparation and comprehension Diagnosing pupils’ strengths and weaknesses Reviewing and/or summarising lesson content

Lower and higher Order Questions Higher order questions require complex application, analysis, evaluation or creation skills. Higher order questions are useful for: Encouraging pupils to think more deeply and critically Problem solving Encouraging discussions Stimulating pupils to seek more information for themselves.

Remembering - recall, restate and remember Recognising Listing Describing Identifying Retrieving Naming Locating Finding

Remembering questions What happened after? How many? What is? Who was it that? Can you name? Find the definition of . . . Who spoke to . . ? Which is true or false . . ? (Pohl, Learning to think, learning to learn p12)

Remembering activities Make a story map Make a timeline of a typical school day List the keywords that you know about this topic Make an acrostic about . . . Recite a poem you have learned. Label an illustration

Understanding – explaining ideas Research Annotate Give examples of . . Paraphrase . . . Label . . Report . . Recognise . . .

Understanding questions How would you explain . . ? What was the main idea of this story? Why were they told. . . .? Why did they want to . . . .? What kind of person was . . . .? What might have happened next? Who do you think . . ? (Pohl, Learning to think, learning to learn p12)

Understanding - activities Write in your own words . . Make a colouring book about . . . Write and perform a play based on this story Make a cartoon strip showing the events Compare characters Decide why an event happened

Applying – using information in a new situation Skills include: Manipulating information Interviewing Carrying out Suggest alternatives Suggest changes

Applying - questions Do you know another example of . . ? Can you group the characters by . . ? Which factors would you change if. . ? What questions would you ask if . . ? From the information given can you develop a set of instructions for . . ? (Pohl, Learning to think, learning to learn p13)

Applying - activities Write a diary entry Make up a puzzle or game about the topic Continue the story Make a model to demonstrate . . . Explain the topic to your friend Interview a character

Analysing – breaking down information Compare Contrast Investigate Criticize Group Sequence Survey

Analysing - questions Were all the events possible? How is . . . similar to . . . ? What were other possible outcomes? What was the problem with . . ? Can you distinguish between . . ? Why did . . . . changes occur? If . . . what might the ending have been? What were the motives? (Pohl, Learning to think, learning to learn p13)

Analysing - activities Use a Venn diagram to show similarities and differences Classify the actions of the characters Write a biography collect information to support a particular view Write a review that explains . . . Prepare a report about . . . .

Evaluating – organise thoughts and ideas Predict Infer Prioritise Defend Justify Debate Recommend Rank Criticise

Evaluating - questions Is there a better solution to . . ? What was the value of . . .? Do you think . . is a good or bad thing? What are the alternatives? What are the benefits or disadvantages of. . ? What would the consequences be if. . ? (Pohl, Learning to think, learning to learn p14)

Evaluating - activities Debate Investigate Persuade Make a puppet out of one of the characters. Using the puppet, act out his/her part in the story. Make a diorama of the place where the story took place.

Creating Designing Planning Constructing Producing Inventing Making Imagine Set up

Creating - questions Why don’t you think of a way to . .? What would happen if . . . ? How many ways can you . . . ? Can you create a new way to . . . ? What could be a new use for . . . ? What do you think the different people learned? What else could they have learned if. . ? (Pohl, Learning to think, learning to learn p14)

Creating - activities Make a film about . . . Write about your feelings in relation to . . . Write a newspaper article to be read by . . . Devise a way to . . . Design a DVD cover for . . . Write a jingle to persuade . . .

The story of Siddhartha Remember – Where did Siddhartha grow up? Who did he live with? What did his father do? Who was Channa? How old was Siddhartha when he left the palace for the first time? How many palaces did Siddhartha have?

Prince Siddhartha Understanding Why did his parents not want him to leave the palace? What kind of person was Siddhartha? What does the story tell us about? Why had he not seen anyone old or sick?

Prince Siddhartha Applying Why did Siddhartha want to see the world outside his palace? How did Siddhartha feel when he saw the old man? How did Channa know the answer to Siddhartha’s questions? Do you know another time when . . . ? What questions would you ask Siddhartha?

Prince Siddhartha Analysing How did Siddhartha react when he saw unhappiness? How do you react when people you know are unhappy? What about when people you do not know are unhappy? How might Channa have felt when Siddhartha asked to go outside? What was the problem now Siddhartha knew about suffering?

Prince Siddhartha Evaluating Do you know any other stories about someone witnessing suffering? How was Siddhartha like an ordinary person? How was he different from an ordinary person? What were his choices when he saw suffering? How might this story influence us?

Prince Siddhartha Creating Write the conversation between Siddhartha and Channa. Write a short play to show what happened next. List the truths that Siddhartha learned. Write a definition of ‘truth’ In what ways could Siddhartha help old and sick people?

What is higher order thinking? Information and ideas are transformed Facts and ideas are combined and explained Information is manipulated to solve problems and gain meaning analysing evaluating creating

Higher order questions . . Encourage children to think more deeply Encourage problem solving Encourage discussion Stimulate children to seek more information independently www.oir.uiuc.edu/Did/docs.QUESTION/quest1.htm

Different Ways of Using Blooms All children work through remembering and understanding and then select an activity from another level according to ability group Different groups work at different levels Some activities are tagged essential while others are optional Children select tasks from any level

Based on a presentation by Denise Tarlington, 2003 http://www.kurwongbss.eq.edu.au/thinking/Bloom/bloomspres.ppt