Bloom’s Taxonomy, Revised for 21st-Century Learners

Benjamin Bloom led a team of researchers in the 1950s to establish behaviors

associated with learning; the outcome of this study was Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning
(1956). Forty years later, one of his students, Lorin Anderson, revised the taxonomy to
accommodate progressions in pedagogy. The revised taxonomy has altered categories and
now includes verbs associated with each of the six aspects of cognition.
The graph demonstrates the six aspects of learning, Remembering,
Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating, in combination with a
brief explanation of the process, and verbs teachers can use to get students to think on
these levels. Here, Bloom’s Taxonomy is situated in the four types of knowledge, Factual
Knowledge of terminology and details, Conceptual Knowledge of relationships among
pieces of concepts or theories, Procedural Knowledge of processes and methods of
theories and problems, and Metacognitive Knowledge of learning strategies and
processes. This chart starts with factual knowledge and remembering and builds in
complexity as it moves clockwise. A comprehensive lesson will require students to apply
multiple types of knowledge and cognitive skills.

Faculty Center, MILB 1705 • J. Willard Marriott Library • (801) 581-7597 • ctle.utah.edu
 BLOOM’S REVISED TAXONOMY
Level Verbs & Sample Objectives Discussion Questions
Remember Arrange, Define, Describe, Detail, Draw, Duplicate, Identify, Indicate, • Who was…?
Inventory, Label, List, Locate, Match, Name, Outline, Pick, Point, • What is…?
Be able to recall
Pronounce, Quote, Recall, Recite, Recognize, Record, Relate, Repeat, • When was…?
information such as
Reproduce, Restate, State, Underline
dates, events, places,
ideas, definitions, • Label the parts of the heart.
formulas, and theories. • Outline the steps in the writing process.
• Recite the Gettysburg Address.

Understand Classify, Confirm, Contrast, Convert, Decipher, Defend, Designate, • Can you name…?
Be able to grasp the Differentiate, Equate, Estimate, Examine, Express, Extend, Extrapolate, • What is an example
meaning of the Generalize, Give Examples, Group, Infer, Interpret, Order, Paraphrase, of…?
information, express it Predict, Rephrase, Rewrite, Sort, Specify, Substitute, Tell, Translate • Where does…differ
in own words, and/or • Defend your position about flat taxes. from…?
cite examples. • Give an example of an adjective.
• Specify the role of project management in an organization.

Apply Add, Allocate, Alter, Apply, Calculate, Change, Choose, Complete, • How does…explain…?
Compute, Conduct, Coordinate, Demonstrate, Determine, Direct, • Examine the graph and
Be able to apply
Discover, Divide, Dramatize, Draw, Employ, Formulate, Gather, Graph, tell me…?
knowledge or skills to
Make, Manipulate, Model, Multiply, Operate, Perform, Present, Provide, • Which events led to…?
new situations. Use
Recount, Report, Schedule, Show, Sketch, Subtract, Use, Utilize
information and
knowledge to solve a • Choose criteria to assess change readiness.
problem, answer a • Demonstrate the proper technique for drawing blood.
question, or perform • Graph the results of the market analysis.
another task.
Analyze Analyze, Appraise, Associate, Break Down, Criticize, Discern, Diagram, • What is the relationship
Be able to break down Discriminate, Dissect, Distinguish, Elect, Establish, Explain, Expound, between…and…?
knowledge into parts Illustrate, Inspect, Profile, Question, Refute, Separate, Simplify, • What caused…?
and show and explain Subdivide, Summarize, Test • How does…apply to…?
the relationships • Explain the ramifications of sexual harassment in the workplace. • Why does…work?
among the parts. • Appraise potential suppliers according to organizational needs. • How does…relate to…?
• Distinguish between ethical & unethical behavior. • What distinctions can be
made about…and…?
Evaluate Argue, Assess, Attack, Compare and Contrast, Conclude, Critique, • How does…meet criteria
Be able to judge or Debate, Decide, Deduce, Diagnose, Evaluate, Forecast, Improve, Judge, for…?
assess the value of Justify, Measure, Prioritize, Prove, Rank, Rate, Recommend, Resolve, • What judgments can you
material and methods Revise, Select, Solve, Support, Value, Verify, Weigh make about…?
for a given purpose. • Support the value of diversity in a project team. • Can you compare and
• Recommend course of action for comprehensive organizational contrast…criteria for…?
change. • Is there a better solution
• Resolve ethical issues that plague researchers conducting to…?
experiments on animals.

Create Assemble, Assimilate, Categorize, Collect, Combine, Compile, Compose, • What would happen if…?
Be able to pull Condense, Construct, Create, Design, Derive, Develop, Devise, Elaborate, • Can you compile the data
together parts of Expand, Generate, Guide, Hypothesize, Integrate, Invent, Manage, to…?
knowledge to form a Modify, Organize, Plan, Prepare, Prescribe, Produce, Propose, • How can we solve…?
new whole and build Rearrange, Reconstruct, Reorganize, Rework, Set Up, Synthesize, • How many ways can
relationships for new Theorize, Transform, Write you…?
situations. • Devise a plan to deal with violence in your community. • What hypotheses can you
• Design an instructional unit to meet the needs of online students. make?
• Modify the training process for a business or organization. • Why?

Reference:
Table adapted from: Anderson, L.W., & Krathwohl, D.R. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing, abridged edition.
Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Wheel adapted from: Edutechalogy. Retrieved from http://eductechalogy.org/swfapp/blooms/wheel/engage.swf
Faculty Center, MILB 1705 • J. Willard Marriott Library • (801) 581-7597 • ctle.utah.edu