In preparation for the Common Core State Standards I did a lot of research, and I started with the CCSS website. I found this overview of the CCSS to be very important...
The Common Core State Standards:
Are aligned with college and work expectations
Are clear, understandable and consistent
Include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills
Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards
Are informed by other top performing countries, so that all students are prepared to succeed in our global economy and society
Are evidence-based
As you can see I bolded, "Include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills," this in turn, inspired me to learn more about Webb's Depth of Knowledge & The Revised Bloom's Taxonomy. Below is a summary of each, and a comparison of the two.
Taken from: http://www.corestandards.org
DOK-1 - Recall & Reproduction - Recall of a fact, term, principle, concept, or perform a routine procedure
DOK-2 - Basic Application of Skills/Concepts - Use of information, conceptual knowledge, select appropriate procedures for a task, two or more steps with decision points along the way, routine problems, organize/display data, interpret/use simple graphs
DOK-3 - Strategic Thinking - Requires reasoning, developing a plan or sequence of steps to approach problem; requires some decision making and justification; abstract, complex, or non-routine; often more than one possible answer
DOK-4 - Extended Thinking - An investigation or application to real world; requires time to research, problem solve, and process multiple conditions of the problem or task
Taken from: What exactly do “fewer, clearer, and higher standards” really look like in the classroom? Using a cognitive rigor matrix to analyze curriculum, plan lessons, and implement assessments Karin K. Hess, Dennis Carlock, Ben Jones, and John R. Walkup
Remembering: can the student recall or remember the information?
Define, duplicate, list, memorize, recall, repeat, reproduce state
Understanding: can the student explain ideas or concepts?
Classify, describe, discuss, explain, identify, locate, recognize, report, select, translate, paraphrase
Applying: can the student use the information in a new way?
Choose, demonstrate, dramatize, employ, illustrate, interpret, operate, schedule, sketch, solve, use, write
Analyzing: can the student distinguish between the different parts?
Appraise, compare, contrast, criticize, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, examine, experiment, question, test
Evaluating: can the student justify a stand or decision?
Appraise, argue, defend, judge, select, support, value, evaluate
Creating: can the student create a new product or point of view?
Assemble, construct, create, design, develop, formulate, write
Bloom's Taxonomy categorizes the cognitive skills required of the brain to perform a task, describing the “type of thinking processes” necessary to answer a question.
Depth of knowledge, on the other hand, relates more closely to the depth of content understanding and scope of a learning activity, which shows in the skills required to complete the task from the beginning to the end (e.g., planning, researching, drawing conclusions).
Taken from: What exactly do “fewer, clearer, and higher standards” really look like in the classroom? Using a cognitive rigor matrix to analyze curriculum, plan lessons, and implement assessments Karin K. Hess, Dennis Carlock, Ben Jones, and John R. Walkup
Almost every unit, lesson or activity I create is written with the CCSS in mind. I use Bloom's Taxonomy and the DOK to be sure my lessons are rigorous and tap higher-order thinking skills. Stay tuned for example lesson plans on how I incorporate Bloom's Taxonomy and the DOK to enhance balanced literacy!
In the meantime, download my Bloom's Taxonomy Ladder & Webb's DOK Reference Charts.