Skip to content

Bloom's Taxonomy Action Verb Wheel

Run the Bloom Wheel MicroSim Fullscreen

About This MicroSim

This interactive wheel helps instructional designers and educators select appropriate action verbs when writing learning objectives. The wheel is organized by Bloom's Taxonomy cognitive levels, from lower-order thinking skills (Remember) to higher-order thinking skills (Create).

How to Use

  1. Explore the wheel - Hover over any section to see the Bloom's level description
  2. Click a verb - Select any action verb to see its context and an example learning objective
  3. Generate Template - Click the button to create a fill-in-the-blank learning objective template
  4. Random Verb - Use this button to practice identifying appropriate verbs for different learning goals

Bloom's Taxonomy Levels

Level Color Description Cognitive Complexity
Remember Blue Recall facts and basic concepts L1 - Lowest
Understand Green Explain ideas or concepts L2
Apply Yellow Use information in new situations L3
Analyze Orange Draw connections among ideas L4
Evaluate Pink Justify a decision or course of action L5
Create Purple Produce new or original work L6 - Highest

Action Verbs by Level

Remember (L1)

list, define, recall, identify, name, recognize, locate, describe

Understand (L2)

explain, summarize, interpret, classify, compare, contrast, exemplify, infer

Apply (L3)

use, execute, implement, solve, demonstrate, calculate, apply, practice

Analyze (L4)

differentiate, organize, attribute, compare, contrast, examine, deconstruct, distinguish

Evaluate (L5)

judge, critique, assess, justify, prioritize, recommend, validate, defend

Create (L6)

design, construct, develop, formulate, compose, produce, invent, generate

Embedding This MicroSim

You can include this MicroSim on your website using the following iframe:

1
<iframe src="https://dmccreary.github.io/automating-instructional-design/sims/bloom-wheel/main.html" height="662px" scrolling="no"></iframe>

Lesson Plan

Learning Objective

Given a learning goal, students will be able to select appropriate action verbs that match the desired cognitive complexity level.

Activities

  1. Verb Matching (5 minutes) - Use the Random Verb button to generate a verb, then identify which Bloom's level it belongs to before revealing the answer

  2. Objective Writing (10 minutes) - Select verbs from different levels and use the Generate Template feature to write learning objectives for your own course content

  3. Level Alignment (5 minutes) - Review existing learning objectives and use the wheel to verify the verbs match the intended cognitive level

Assessment

  • Can students correctly identify the Bloom's level of given action verbs?
  • Can students write learning objectives using appropriate verbs for specified cognitive levels?
  • Can students explain why certain verbs indicate higher or lower cognitive complexity?

Technical Notes

  • Built with p5.js for responsive, interactive graphics
  • Animation pauses when mouse leaves the canvas to save resources
  • Supports keyboard accessibility for future enhancements
  • Template generation copies to clipboard for easy use

Reminder: Create a screenshot named bloom-wheel.png for social media previews.