DIY Homeschooler

The Evaluating or Evaluation level (Bloom’s Taxonomy) reflects the ability to apply judgment, determine the value of something, or justify a position. A student understands how something works and is able to make decisions or recommendations.

We often see this when our children have studied a subject in depth, questioned the way things have been done in the past, and now offer up their own ideas and solutions.

There are a variety of ways to encourage evaluation. In verb form:

• Appraise.
• Defend.
• Choose.
• Justify.
• Support.
• Select.
• Revise.
• Decide.
• Recommend.

Here are a variety of activities you can use for the Evaluating or Evaluation level:

• Determine how a different set of actions would have led to a different outcome regarding a historical event.
• Justify the motives of a character from a book you have read.
• Create a list of criteria on which to judge the success of a science project.
• Revise a complicated sentence from a book in your current reading list to reflect an easier-to-understand style.
• Defend a Biblical principle.
• Recommend a book that is similar in theme or idea to others you have read.
• Appraise an artist’s work point by point.
• Support an action that led to a particular outcome in a recent situation or current news story.

The Natural Application

When allowed the time to spend with a favorite interest, many young people will naturally come up with their own ideas, solutions, and recommendations where their subject is concerned.

Now that you have determined your child’s interest, provided him with books on his favorite subject, asked him to tell you about his subject in his own words, watched him apply what he has learned, and had him deconstruct his interest, it is time for him to evaluate what he has learned.

What would he do differently? How can a problem he has run across be solved? How would he choose between options? Where does he see value? What recommendations would he make to those with a similar interest?

Up next: Creating

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