1. Bloom’s Taxonomy Investigating Cognitive Complexity
Heartland AEA
Curriculum Network
January 8, 2010

2. Bloom’s KUD Know Understand Do
6 levels of cognitive processes of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy
4 knowledge dimensions of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy
Understand
Achieving complexity in questions and tasks is essential to deeper, more durable learning. Do
Apply Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy ICC Concepts and Skills
For those who have worked with differentiation, this concept should be familiar. It is important to begin with a clear picture of what we want students to know, understand, and be able to do as a result of a learning experience.

3. Discuss at your table…
What makes a task, question or objective “good”?
Why is it important for teachers to meet these criteria in their instruction?
What are the consequences when they don’t?
What would you see and hear in a classroom where higher-order thinking and questioning are occurring?
What would happen to student learning if teachers and students functioned at higher-order levels?
At your table, discuss one or more of these questions as they relate to your school or district, Iowa Core Curriculum, increasing cognitive complexity/demand, etc.

4. What are the 6 levels of Bloom’s?
We want to focus our conversation today on Bloom’s Taxonomy as a way to address the concept of cognitive complexity in student outcomes, classroom questions, and instructional tasks.
This is the original Bloom’s – It was revised in 2001.
Can you put them in order - low to high?

5. Revision At-a-Glance
In their revision, Anderson and Krathwohl did two things. First they renamed the levels, changing the labels from nouns to verbs/gerunds and reversed the order of the top two levels.
See Bloom’s article p. 213 for original Taxonomy, p. 215 for revised cognitive processes structure, and p. 214 for knowledge dimension structure.

6. UNDERSTANDINGS
These are conceptual objectives for students that
Represent big ideas that have enduring value beyond the classroom
Reside at the heart of the discipline and are worthy of exploration
Require “uncoverage” rather than coverage (of abstract or often misunderstood ideas)
Offer potential for engaging students
--Wiggins & McTighe, UbD, 1998
One clarification that needs to be made is in the use of the word “understanding.” The “rules” for curriculum mapping advise that this word should not be used because it isn’t specific enough; however, if we look at Wiggins & McTIghe’s definition, the merit in the term becomes clearer. We can see links to differentiation (Tomlinson and Strickland) and to the intent of the Iowa Core Curriculum. What also becomes clear is that students must demonstrate their understanding.

7. Six Facets of Understanding
When we truly understand we
Can explain
Can interpret
Can apply
Have perspective
Display empathy
Have self-knowledge
--Tomlinson & McTighe, 2006, p. 67
If we compare this list to the Knowledge Dimensions on p. 214 and the cognitive dimensions on p. 215 the connection between Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy and these facets of understanding becomes apparent.

8. The Knowledge Dimension
Factual
Terminology
Details & Elements
Conceptual
Classifications & Categories
Principles & Generalizations
Theories, Models, & Structures
Anderson and Krathwohl also added what is termed as the Knowledge Dimension. As you see there are four categories including the newly added metacognitive knowledge.

9. The Knowledge Dimension
Procedural
Subject-specific skills & algorithms
Subject-specific techniques & methods
Criteria for determining when to use appropriate procedures
Metacognitive
Strategic knowledge
Contextual & conditional knowledge
Self-knowledge

10. The Taxonomy Table
When the two dimensions are combined, the result is this Taxonomy Table which can be used to chart the cognitive complexity of an objective. It can serve as an organizer to ensure that written, enacted, and assessed curriculum are aligned.
2 minutes to process

11. Modeling
Here is an example of how the Taxonomy Table can be used.

12. Example
Generate criteria to judge the quality of a question and use those criteria to critique a given set of questions.
Here’s an example.

13. How it works… Apply S(ubject) V(erb) O(bject) format
Generate criteria to judge the quality of a question and use those criteria to critique a given set of questions.
Apply S(ubject) V(erb) O(bject) format
S = student (often implied)
V = generate (create)
O = criteria to judge the quality of a question
V = critique (evaluate)
O = a set of questions

14. Think Aloud 1
Generate criteria to judge the quality of a question and use those criteria to critique a given set of questions. 2
Talk for 3 minutes about the implications of this. What am I really after? Are we, across classrooms, working toward the same thing? What conversation might this generate as you engage in curriculum analysis with grade level and/or department teachers?

15. Science As Inquiry grades 6-8
Essential concept/skill
Design and conduct different kinds of scientific investigations
Detail
Students use appropriate safety procedures when conducting investigations
This is from the ICC
Focus on the detail

16. Students use appropriate safety procedures when conducting investigations.
As you discuss this, think about the questions your teachers would have and how you would respond. Would you place this detail in the same cell I did? If not, why not? The important thing is the conversation you have around the placement. Ultimately, it’s about getting to the heart of what we’re asking kids to do.

17. At Your Table: Decide on a content area, discipline, and grade span from the ICC. Chart one of the details on the Taxonomy Table.
Take some time to

18. Reflecting
In what ways will the lens of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy impact Iowa Core Curriculum work in your school/district?

19. The following slides chart the level of Bloom’s for each of the questions at the beginning of the session today. One important take-away is that a lesson doesn’t need to begin with low-level questions and/or tasks. Beginning with greater cognitive complexity establishes higher expectations.
Your thinking about the level of cognitive complexity for each of the questions may be different from mine. The most important question is, “What is it I’m really asking students to do/think about?”

20. What’s the Bloom’s Level?
What makes a task, question or objective “good”?
Why is it important for teachers to meet these criteria in their instruction?
What are the consequences when they don’t?
What would you see and hear in a classroom where higher-order thinking and questioning are occurring?
What would happen to student learning if teachers and students functioned at higher-order levels?
Number off by 10.

21. What makes a task, question or objective “good”?

22. Why is it important for teachers to meet these criteria in their instruction?

23. What are the consequences when/if they don’t?

24. What would you see and hear in a classroom where higher-order thinking and questioning are occurring?

25. What would happen to student learning if teachers and students functioned at higher-order levels?

26. Web Resources
This site provides an overview and graphic of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy.
This is a site rich in Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy examples across subject areas. Many of the handouts you’ve seen today came from this site.
This site offers a side-by-side comparison of the original and revised versions of Bloom’s Taxonomy.