Higher Order Thinking Skills Using Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy is a hierarchical ordering of cognitive skills developed by Benjamin Bloom in 1956. It is a framework for categorizing these skills along a continuum from simple to complex, and concrete to abstract. Higher levels of learning are dependent on attaining the knowledge and skills at lower levels. For instance, before you can understand a concept you first need to remember it.  Before you can apply a concept you need to understand it, etc.

This scaffolding approach systematically trains students to think analytically and creatively. Use Bloom’s Taxonomy to motivate students to develop higher order thinking skills in any subject area, including Limudei Kodesh (see example below).

Bloom’s Taxonomy: cognitive skills listed from lowest to highest:

• Remember–memorizing and recalling:  
  E.g., Students recall the halachos for preparing food on Shabbos and the halachos for preparing food on Yom Tov.
• Understand–classify, describe and summarize concepts learned:
  E.g., Students take a list of halachos to summarize and classify whether they pertain to Shabbos and/or Yom Tov.
• Apply–use the information to implement:
  E.g., Students are given a vegetable peeler, knife and cucumber. They demonstrate how to peel and cut a cucumber on Shabbos for a salad.
• Analyze–break down the information into components to be able to compare: 
  E.g., Students examine the halachos of boreir and determine which halachos apply to only Shabbos and which apply to Yom Tov, as well.
• Evaluate–judge and defend your conclusions: 
  E.g., Students are given 3 scenarios; 1 of chilul Shabbos but not chilul Yom Tov, 1 where it is both chilul Shabbos and chilul Yom Tov, and 1 in which it is neither. They determine which are, and which aren’t, chilul Shabbos and/or Yom Tov, explaining their reasoning.
• Create–take the information you have learned to create something new:
  E.g., Students create a salad recipe, and instructions, that will not be considered boreir to make on Shabbos. They explain in detail, including how close to the seuda the salad should be made and what size pieces the food should be cut, etc.

This powerful tool is exceedingly versatile. Use when teaching simple lessons such as the one above or even more complex Mishnayos and Gemara, remembering to teach the basic skills first, before expecting students to advance to more complex thinking.