Bloom’s Taxonomy Meets Interstellar
In 1956, psychologist Benjamin Bloom developed a hierarchy of learning concept and, for over half a century, it has provided teachers
worldwide with a framework for the development of intellectual skills. The theory’s goal is to move students from lower-order thinking
levels of knowing, comprehending and applying to higher-order thinking levels of analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing or creating.
Note, for example, how Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning applies to the way lower-order thinkers and higher-order thinkers perceive a film
like Paramount’s 2014 release of Interstellar.
The Lower-Order Thinker--
The Higher-Order Thinker--
Knows the characters’ names and
summarizes the events in the film in
chronological order.
Analyzes the events in the film and raises questions:
Comprehends that conflicts exist in
a literal sense:
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Weather changes have led to
a food shortage.
Economic decline has
impacted the characters’
opportunities.
A child is at odds with her
father for leaving her.
Circumstances in the film
have caused the daughter to
age while her father remains
a young man.
Applies the literal conflicts to his or
her own life:
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
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How accurately does this film reflect the
technological possibilities in the near future?
Could we face an agricultural disaster of this
magnitude?
What year does the film take place?
In what years were Matthew McConaughey
and John Lithgow’s characters born?
Do black holes exist?
What message does this film present?
Evaluates the value of the film by exploring and
researching the questions raised through analysis.
Synthesizes conclusions and new meaning:

In spite of the careful choices an individual
makes, his or her future will be impacted to
an extent by the decisions of others or by
Mother Nature, for example.


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Concludes that high
temperatures and lack of rain
must mean global warming
and similar disaster is ahead,
just as the film depicts.
Explains that economic
downturn has impacted him/
her or family/ friends.
Unresolved conflicts with
family may lead to hard
feelings and heartache.

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Certain measures must be put in place now to
prepare the earth for the growing population.
There are measures one can take to increase
his or her chances of living a contented and
fulfilling life.
Many college students struggle with the higher-order thinking. For instance, Isaac Rae has chosen a family camping trip as the focus of his
analysis through narrative essay. In his first of three drafts he simply titled “Camping,” his thesis statement for his paper lies in an
underdeveloped paragraph that attempts to make a judgment about what he learned from his experience.