Teaching study tools · Free reference and builders
Bloom’s taxonomy verbs, lesson objectives and classroom behavior basics
Browse the verbs for each of the six Bloom’s levels, build a lesson objective, review the four functions of behavior and print a visual schedule. Practice questions at the end. Free, nothing you type is saved or sent, no sign-up needed.
- Verbs for all six levels
- Objective builder: copy it
- Printable visual schedule
- No sign-up needed
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1 · Bloom’s revised taxonomy
Bloom’s taxonomy verbs, level by level
Tap a level to see what it means and the verbs teaching centers list for it. Verbs are shown as listed, so one verb can appear on more than one level.
1. Remember
Retrieve relevant knowledge from memory.
Recalling or recognizing knowledge from long-term memory, such as dates or the parts of a cell.
18 verbs listed
- cite
- define
- describe
- identify
- label
- list
- match
- name
- outline
- quote
- recall
- report
- reproduce
- retrieve
- show
- state
- tabulate
- tell
Which levels list a verb?
The same verb can appear on more than one level in the lists teaching centers publish, so a verb alone does not set the level: the task the student is asked to do does. Listing items shows remembering, not explaining or evaluating.
What the 2001 revision changed
- The original cognitive taxonomy was published in 1956. Anderson and Krathwohl revised it in 2001.
- The revision changed the level names from nouns to verbs.
- It added a knowledge dimension, so a task is described by a process (the level) and a type of knowledge.
The four types of knowledge
- Factual
- The basic elements a student needs to learn or solve problems in the subject.
- Conceptual
- How the basic elements relate to each other within a larger context.
- Procedural
- The methods used in the subject.
- Metacognitive
- Awareness of how learning works in relation to oneself.
2 · Lesson objectives
Write a lesson objective with a Bloom’s verb
A strong objective says what students must be able to do afterward, in a way that can be observed and measured. Pick a level and a verb, then say what they will work with. Nothing you type is saved or sent.
- 1.Decide how complex the thinking should be, which is the level.
- 2.Pick an action verb that matches that level.
- 3.Say what the student will do it with, so the result can be observed and measured.
- 4.Add the standard to meet, such as “with no more than two errors”, where it matters.
Level
Verb
Your objective
Students will explain [what they work with].
Verbs that are hard to observe, such as know, learn, appreciate, be familiar with, become aware of, make an objective hard to measure. Swap them for a verb from the lists above.
3 · Classroom behavior
The four functions of behavior
Classroom management courses separate what a behavior looks like from why it happens. This is a study summary of the Vanderbilt IRIS Center’s page on form and function.
Form
Form is the what: what the behavior looks like.
Function
Function is the why: the purpose the behavior serves, how it pays off through reinforcement.
IRIS gives two students who each need a break. One raises a hand, the other crumples a paper. The forms differ, but both behaviors serve the function of escape.
Function 1
Attention
The student seeks social interaction, recognition or help from others.
Even negative attention from peers or adults can keep a behavior going.
Function 2
Items or activities
The student seeks something tangible (a phone, a snack) or an activity (using technology, playing a game).
The behavior pays off when the item or the activity follows.
Function 3
Escape
The student seeks to change, stop or take a break from a difficult or unpleasant experience.
In a classroom this can mean getting out of hard academic work, a sensory environment or a social situation.
Function 4
Automatic
The behavior produces an internal sensation, such as sensory stimulation.
IRIS lists self-injury, rocking and hand flapping as examples, calls this function very rare, and says to consult other professionals, such as behavior analysts or occupational therapists, if it is suspected.
- IRIS notes that deciding the function can be subjective, and that working as a team helps.
- This is a study summary of one university resource. It is not a way to label a real student.
4 · Visual schedule
Visual schedule template to print
Texas A&M’s NEST describes visual activity schedules as supports for predictability, engagement and independence during routines. Build a word schedule for the day, put the steps in order and print it. Nothing you type is saved or sent.
Add a step
Up to 12 steps.
Today
- 1Arrival
- 2Reading
- 3Math
- 4Lunch
- 5Pack up
- Keep each step to a word or two, so it is quick to read.
- Read the schedule top to bottom, in the order the day will happen.
- Put changes on the schedule before they happen, and tell the class.
- Cross off or check each step as it ends, so everyone can see what is left.
The tips are our own suggestions for a clean schedule, not findings from a study.
5 · Practice questions
12 practice questions
Bloom’s verbs, objectives, functions of behavior and visual schedules, one question at a time. Every answer is explained. Your result is free: no sign-up needed.
Question 1 of 12
Which level of the revised taxonomy is described as retrieving relevant knowledge from memory?
Bonus · unlocks with your email
A printable verb chart, objective frames and an observation sheet
- A one-page Bloom’s verb chart with all six levels and a handful of verbs each, laid out for print.
- Twelve objective frames, two per level, written as examples to copy and adapt.
- A blank observation sheet for practicing form and function, with no names on it.
Enter your email in the box above and the bonus opens right here, and stays open on this browser.
Sources
Where the information comes from
Everything here is written in our own words from these public pages. The visual schedule tips and the objective frames are our own suggestions. Your school or district may use different wording or lists; follow it over this page.
- University of Illinois Chicago, CATE: Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives (the six revised levels, knowledge dimensions, what changed in 2001, writing objectives)
- Colorado College: Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy (the verb list for each level)
- Ohio State University Teaching Resources: Sample Bloom’s Verbs (measurable verbs help write outcomes and assessments)
- Vanderbilt IRIS Center: Behavioral Form and Function (form versus function, the four functions)
- Texas A&M University NEST: Visual Supports resources (visual activity schedules, First–Then boards)
Questions
Common questions
Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate and Create. Anderson and Krathwohl revised the original in 2001, changing the level names from nouns to verbs and adding a knowledge dimension.
Teaching centers publish verb lists, and some verbs fit more than one level. The task the student is asked to do sets the level, so read the whole objective rather than only the verb.
It says what students must be able to do afterward in a way that can be observed and measured, and it matches the level of thinking you want. Verbs such as know or appreciate are hard to observe, so swap them for a verb from the lists.
Form is what the behavior looks like. Function is why it happens, the purpose it serves. Two behaviors can look very different and serve the same function. This page summarizes one university resource and is not a way to label a real student.
It is a study and reference page for anyone learning these ideas, including education students and substitute teachers. It does not cover licensing or school rules, which differ by place: check your state’s education department and your school.
No. What you type in the objective builder and the schedule stays in your browser until you leave the page; nothing is sent anywhere or stored. The only thing you can send from this page is the email address for the bonus, if you choose to enter it.
Yes. The verb lists, the builders, the reference sections and the practice questions need no sign-up. An email unlocks the bonus: a printable verb chart, twelve objective frames and a blank observation sheet, which open on this page right away and stay open on this browser.