Bloom’s Taxonomy is a proven educational framework that teachers, instructors, and curriculum designers use to write clear, measurable, and actionable learning objectives. Writing effective learning objectives is essential for lesson planning, classroom instruction, student assessment, and curriculum alignment. By using Bloom’s Taxonomy, educators can ensure that learning goals are aligned with cognitive levels, ranging from basic knowledge recall to advanced creation and critical thinking.
A strong, measurable learning objective follows this format:
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to [action verb] + [specific task].
Using specific, observable action verbs helps teachers clearly communicate expectations and allows students to understand exactly what success, mastery, or proficiency looks like in any lesson. This approach supports student-centered learning, improves assessment accuracy, and ensures that lesson goals are measurable, achievable, and outcome-focused.
In this comprehensive guide, we provide 180+ Bloom’s Taxonomy action verbs, organized by all six cognitive levels: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create. Each verb comes with ready-to-use, classroom-friendly examples.
Who Can Use this Guide?
This guide is designed for teachers, educators, curriculum developers, and instructional coaches, providing a practical and easy-to-use resource for writing learning objectives that are aligned with Bloom’s framework. Whether you are teaching elementary, middle, or high school, you will find examples that are directly applicable to lesson planning, formative and summative assessments, and student engagement activities.
If you’re just getting started with Bloom’s Taxonomy, you can first check out our 30 Examples of Bloom’s Taxonomy Learning Objectives for Teachers to see a quick reference for everyday classroom use. This article expands that list to 180 action verbs with ready-to-use examples across all six cognitive levels.
By following this guide, you will be able to:
- Craft measurable learning objectives using Bloom’s Taxonomy.
- Select action verbs appropriate for each cognitive level.
- Write clear, actionable, and classroom-ready objectives.
- Align instruction and assessments with specific learning outcomes.
- Enhance student understanding, engagement, and mastery.
1. Remember (Knowledge Recall)
Goal: Recall facts, terms, and basic concepts.
Action Verbs: list, define, identify, label, name, recognize, recall, match, select, state, underline, memorize, quote, outline, describe, enumerate, reproduce, recite, collect, relate, review, arrange, record, highlight, trace, show, tell, choose, mark, locate
Examples:
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to list the continents of the world.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to define the term “photosynthesis.”
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to identify the main parts of the human brain.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to label the layers of the Earth on a diagram.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to name the planets in our solar system.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to recognize common geometric shapes.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to recall the steps of the water cycle.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to match vocabulary words with their definitions.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to select the correct punctuation in sentences.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to state Newton’s three laws of motion.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to underline key terms in a text.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to memorize multiplication tables up to 12.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to quote lines from a poem.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to outline the events of the American Revolution.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to describe the life cycle of a butterfly.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to enumerate the steps in making a scientific observation.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to reproduce a simple circuit diagram.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to recite a poem from memory.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to collect data from a classroom experiment.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to relate historical events to their causes.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to review a list of key terms before a quiz.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to arrange events in chronological order.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to record observations during a lab activity.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to highlight important sentences in a passage.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to trace the path of blood through the human heart.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to show examples of renewable energy sources.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to tell the difference between mammals and reptiles.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to choose the correct answer in a multiple-choice activity.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to mark key points in a diagram.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to locate countries on a world map.
2. Understand (Comprehension)
Goal: Explain ideas or concepts in your own words.
Action Verbs: summarize, explain, describe, classify, interpret, discuss, illustrate, paraphrase, compare, contrast, restate, infer, identify relationships, predict, generalize, report, review, explain reasoning, translate, demonstrate, associate, match, differentiate, organize, explain patterns, outline, analyze meaning, recognize, demonstrate understanding, predict outcomes
Examples:
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to summarize the main idea of a story.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to explain the process of photosynthesis.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to describe the differences between plants and animals.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to classify rocks as igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to interpret information from a line graph.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to discuss the causes of climate change.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to illustrate the water cycle in a diagram.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to paraphrase a paragraph using their own words.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to compare renewable and nonrenewable energy sources.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to contrast the government systems of two countries.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to restate the hypothesis of a science experiment.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to infer conclusions from experimental data.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to identify relationships between cause and effect.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to predict the outcome of a chemical reaction.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to generalize findings from a small experiment.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to report results of a group discussion.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to review a text and summarize key points.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to explain reasoning behind a math solution.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to translate text from Spanish to English.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to demonstrate understanding of geometric shapes.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to associate vocabulary words with definitions.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to match historical events with their dates.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to differentiate between similes and metaphors.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to organize facts into a logical sequence.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to explain patterns observed in a science experiment.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to outline the steps of a scientific method.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to analyze meaning in a poem.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to recognize key elements in a short story.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to demonstrate understanding of fractions.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to predict outcomes of a simple experiment.
3. Apply (Practical Use)
Goal: Use knowledge in real or new situations.
Action Verbs: apply, calculate, demonstrate, illustrate, implement, practice, solve, use, perform, execute, operate, dramatize, manipulate, interpret, produce, experiment, sketch, organize, show, schedule, construct, employ, model, demonstrate skills, adapt, perform tasks, implement procedures, demonstrate techniques, practice skills, complete, participate
Examples:
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to apply the formula for area to solve real-world problems.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to calculate the average of a set of numbers.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to demonstrate proper laboratory safety procedures.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to illustrate the flow of electricity in a circuit diagram.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to implement a simple experiment using vinegar and baking soda.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to practice solving algebraic equations independently.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to solve word problems involving fractions and decimals.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to use a map to plan a travel route.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to perform a science demonstration showing states of matter.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to execute a series of dance steps correctly.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to operate a microscope to observe cells.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to dramatize a historical event for the class.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to manipulate shapes to explore geometric relationships.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to interpret a bar graph to find trends.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to produce a diagram illustrating the water cycle.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to experiment with different mixtures to observe chemical reactions.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to sketch a model of the solar system.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to organize materials for a class project.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to show the correct way to measure liquids in the lab.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to schedule steps to complete a research project.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to construct a simple bridge using craft materials.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to employ a strategy to solve a logic puzzle.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to model a population growth scenario using graphs.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to demonstrate skills in conducting a survey.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to adapt a solution to a problem in a new situation.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to perform tasks involving simple machines.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to implement procedures for a science lab safely.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to demonstrate techniques for measuring angles accurately.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to practice skills for effective team collaboration.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to complete an experiment using proper observation and recording methods.
4. Analyze (Critical Thinking)
Goal: Break information into parts and examine relationships.
Action Verbs: analyze, categorize, compare, contrast, differentiate, examine, infer, investigate, outline, relate, separate, question, test, diagram, detect, distinguish, evaluate parts, identify patterns, dissect, appraise, determine relationships, dissect, troubleshoot, critique, classify, calculate differences, research, interpret data, organize components, deduce
Examples:
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to analyze the differences between two ecosystems.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to categorize animals based on habitat.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to compare two poems to find similarities in theme.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to contrast the viewpoints of two historical figures.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to differentiate between primary and secondary sources.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to examine a case study to identify key challenges.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to infer conclusions from a scientific experiment.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to investigate causes of pollution in a local river.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to outline the sequence of events in a historical battle.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to relate findings from a text to real-world examples.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to separate fact from opinion in a news article.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to question assumptions in a scientific claim.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to test hypotheses in a classroom experiment.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to diagram relationships in a food web.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to detect patterns in weather data.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to evaluate parts of a story for character development.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to identify patterns in a set of numerical data.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to dissect a problem into smaller manageable parts.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to appraise the strengths of different arguments.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to determine relationships between variables in an experiment.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to troubleshoot errors in a circuit experiment.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to critique a peer’s essay for clarity.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to classify books in the library by genre.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to calculate differences between two sets of data.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to research information from multiple sources.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to interpret data from a table and graph.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to organize components of a mechanical system.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to deduce conclusions from observations.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to analyze the structure of a persuasive essay.
5. Evaluate (Judgment & Assessment)
Goal: Make informed judgments, critique ideas, and assess outcomes.
Action Verbs: evaluate, judge, critique, justify, defend, assess, rank, prioritize, recommend, appraise, validate, support, argue, select, compare, review, measure, debate, rate, examine, weigh, analyze outcomes, verify, validate solutions, critique evidence, justify reasoning, defend choices, argue positions, assess effectiveness, evaluate solutions
Examples:
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of a persuasive essay.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to judge the credibility of online sources.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to critique a peer’s lab report for accuracy and clarity.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to justify their choice of solution to a math problem.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to defend a position on a historical debate.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to assess the strengths and weaknesses of an argument.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to rank different energy sources based on sustainability.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to prioritize tasks in a project based on importance.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to recommend improvements to a classroom experiment.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to appraise the value of evidence supporting a claim.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to validate conclusions from a scientific study.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to support their argument with factual evidence.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to argue a position in a classroom debate.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to select the best strategy for solving a real-world problem.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to compare the effectiveness of two different solutions.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to review the findings of a research article.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to measure the success of a project based on set criteria.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to debate the pros and cons of renewable energy.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to rate a peer’s presentation based on clarity and accuracy.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to examine case studies to identify best practices.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to weigh evidence before drawing a conclusion.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to analyze outcomes of a classroom experiment.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to verify calculations in a math problem.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to validate solutions for correctness and efficiency.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to critique evidence used in an argumentative essay.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to justify reasoning for selecting a particular method.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to defend choices in designing a science experiment.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to argue positions logically during a classroom discussion.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to assess effectiveness of a problem-solving strategy.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to evaluate solutions for feasibility and impact.
6. Create (Innovation & Synthesis)
Goal: Produce new ideas, products, or solutions; combine knowledge creatively.
Action Verbs: create, design, compose, formulate, develop, construct, plan, propose, produce, invent, assemble, write, generate, organize, implement, build, design experiments, design projects, formulate hypotheses, design models, develop strategies, design solutions, compose music, plan events, assemble reports, generate ideas, invent tools, produce artwork, construct models, design lessons
Examples:
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to create an original poster explaining a scientific concept.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to design an experiment to test plant growth conditions.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to compose a short story using a given theme.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to formulate a hypothesis for a classroom experiment.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to develop a business plan for a class project.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to construct a model of the solar system.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to plan a classroom event or project timeline.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to propose a solution to reduce classroom waste.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to produce a video presentation on a historical event.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to invent a new tool to solve a simple problem.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to assemble a report summarizing scientific observations.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to write a persuasive essay on a current topic.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to generate innovative ideas to improve classroom learning.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to organize a group project plan efficiently.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to implement a class survey to collect data.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to build a prototype of a simple machine.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to design experiments to test hypotheses.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to design projects to solve environmental problems.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to formulate hypotheses for science investigations.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to develop strategies for effective problem-solving.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to design solutions to real-world challenges.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to compose music inspired by classroom themes.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to plan events for a school-wide campaign.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to assemble reports from collected research data.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to generate ideas for improving classroom participation.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to invent tools to demonstrate scientific principles.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to produce artwork illustrating historical events.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to construct models of cells, molecules, or ecosystems.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to design lessons that teach peers about a chosen topic.
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to create presentations integrating research, visuals, and analysis.
Whether you are searching for Bloom’s Taxonomy action verbs examples, learning objectives for classroom use, teacher-friendly Bloom’s guides, or practical lesson planning resources, this guide contains everything you need to write objectives that meet all cognitive levels and maximize student learning outcomes.