Sample questions in Bloom's taxonomy

Some examples of the various levels of questions, you may see on a multiple choice test in my
Biology classes; further explanation and examples of this hierarchy is available on the WWW. See
links on my web page. This hierarchy of learning is known as 'Bloom's taxonomy.'
Recall --
Organisms in which domain have prokaryotic cells ?
a. Eukarya b. Archaea c. Bacteria d. a, b, and c e. b and c
Actinosphenia elegans is a unicellular, photosynthetic, eukaryotic organism. To which domain does it
belong?
Bacteria Archaea Eukarya Plantae none of these
Translation --
Science itself is NOT capable of _____.
determining the physical causes for physical phenomena
formulating testable hypotheses
explaining naturally occurring events
addressing questions of ethical dilemmas
A hypothesis must be testable to be scientifically valid. Being testable means that _____.
a. some conceivable observation could prove the hypothesis incorrect
b. only a controlled experiment can indicate whether the hypothesis is correct or incorrect
c. the hypothesis has been proven wrong
d. there must be several options in the hypothesis to choose from, one of which is correct
e. if the hypothesis is disproven the experiment was a failure
Interpretation --
While looking at evolutionary trees, answer these questions:
What two taxa share the most recent common ancestor ?
And what characteristics do those two taxa share ?
Which one of the following statements is most clearly inductively derived?
If any animals observed require organic molecules as nutrients, then it can be concluded that all
animals require organic molecules as nutrients.
If all flying animals are birds, then bats are birds.
Because worms lack bones, they are classified as invertebrates.
A paramecium moves by means of the rhythmic motion of its cilia.
An elephant is warm-blooded because it is a mammal.
Which of these is a scientific hypothesis?
My computer is unplugged.
My excessive urination may mean that I have high blood pressure.
There is a God.
Why do I have a headache?
It is dark out.
Application: --
Two garden plots were planted with corn. The soil was similar in each, and equal amounts of water
were applied to each plot. One plot was fertilized, the other was not. The experimenters measured the
yield as bushels of corn from each plot. The plot that did not receive the fertilizer was the _____.
a. experimental plot c. control plot
b. controlled variable d. dependent variable

The best method for determining whether bean plants require sodium is to _____.
measure the amount of sodium in a few bean plants
measure how fast radioactive sodium enters the plant
look for sodium in leaf tissues using autoradiography
analyze root contents for sodium
grow bean plants with and without sodium
Analysis:
Should an experiment test only one variable at a time? Why or why not?
Yes, because otherwise the variables could be confused with the control.
Yes, so that the experimental outcome is clearly due to one identifiable variable.
No, because it takes much longer to do an experiment if you change only one variable at a time.
As long as the experiment is repeated a sufficient number of times, it doesn't matter.
None of the above.
Looking at results of an experiment, and determining what statistiical test to use, how to graph them,
and what the results mean, requires analytical skills.
Synthesis
A pesticide kills 99.9% of a pest population. What will be the result of the continued application of this
pesticide?
Every time the pesticide is applied, it will kill 99.9% of the pest population.
Eventually, all of the pest population will be wiped out.
The pest population will reach an equilibrium point at which the pesticide is 50% effective.
Through time, the pesticide will become less effective at killing the pest.
The pesticide will become resistant to the pest.
Evaluation, e.g. Evaluating the results of an experiment.
Applying values, e.g. should embryonic stem cells be used in research ?
Applying values, e.g., What should the sewage treatment plant do with the sludge they produce ?