Bloom’s Taxonomy: Using Questions to Promote Understanding of Your Reading
Name: ______Date:______Period:____
Directions: Benjamin Bloom was a man who created a system to organize questions and tasks to promote a more critical, thoughtful understanding of school learning tasks. This system, known as Bloom’s Taxonomy, has six categories that address different levels of understanding.
Knowledge Level questions are usually the easiest to answer, such as who, what when, where questions. Ask these questions when you aren’t clear on basic information in the text, such as the definition of a word or a concept with which you aren’t familiar.
Examples: Who is Cinderella?
What did Cinderella lose?
Comprehension Level questions require that you interpret or show your understanding of a reading passage. The answer cannot be found in the text alone. You must infer from what you have read. Sometimes you must look in more than one place to show your understanding of the question.
Examples:Why did Cinderella’s stepmother mistreat her?
Summarize the story of Cinderella.
Predict what will happen in the next scene.
Describe Cinderella’s first meeting with the prince.
Application Level questions require that you take something you have learned previously and apply it to a different scene, situation, or character.
Examples: Have you seen any movies that are similar to Cinderella?
Do you know any modern-day Cinderellas?
How would you apply the lessons Cinderella learned to your own life?
Analysis Level questions require that the learner break something into parts so that he or she can study it closely. These questions require the reader to see hidden parts or patterns. Classifying, comparing, and contrasting fall into this category.
Examples: What events led to Cinderella’s decision to go to the ball?
Analyze Cinderella’s reasons for not telling the Prince her true identity.
Contrast Cinderella with one of her stepsisters.
Synthesis Level questions require that the learner combine all of the knowledge he or she has gained for a specific purpose. When a learner synthesizes information, he or she is pulling it all together. Often times, the learner is asked to use old ideas to create new ones.
Examples: What is the theme of Cinderella?
What is the author’s purpose in this passage?
What would happen if Cinderella had not lost her shoe?
Evaluation Level questions require that the student use the information contained in the text and his or her own values and beliefs in creating a response.
Examples:Was Cinderella right to deceive the Prince?
What would you do if you lived with someone like Cinderella’s stepmother?
Justify your position on the issue.