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Inquiry learning.
The verbs and the
thinking tools
(task and topic)
Eric Frangenheim
Biography
BA (Hons), UED, BEd, all from The University
of Natal, South Africa
Eric Frangenheim started teaching in 1970
and has been a history teacher, head of
department and deputy principal. He has
been an educational consultant since 1989
and author committed to providing teachers
with the skills and strategies to create
thinking classrooms and engaging learning
environments.
Eric presents workshops to educators,
government departments and private
companies throughout Australia, New
Zealand, India, South Africa, Singapore,
Indonesia, PNG, Abu Dhabi, USA and the
Republic of Nauru to assist with thinking
strategies for the classroom, staff meetings,
staff planning days, team teaching, board
meetings and more. Eric offers classroom
teaching demonstrations for teachers. He is a
presenter at state, national and international
conferences, focusing on the promotion of
effective thinking and learning strategies.
34 March 2014 ACCESS
Eric has published such books as Reflections
on Classroom Thinking Strategies, now in its
10th edition and 13th print, and is co-author
of the innovative teachers companion, a
diary for early years, primary and secondary
teachers that incorporates a vast range of
educational ideas and literature on classroom
practice (now in its 1st year). He was a co-
author of History Alive, a history textbook for
Year 9 Students in South Africa (198190) and
is also the author of The Reconciliation of
Goldilocks and the Three Bears, a teaching
unit demonstrating the infusion of cognitive
and collaborative thinking tools into the daily
curriculum. Until December 2010, he was a
member of the National Speakers Association
of Australia and has the CSP designation.
Eric is co-director of ITC Publications, which
promotes thinking in learning throughout
Australia, New Zealand and several other
countries.
www.itcpublications.com.au
eric@itcpublications.com.au
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This article is based on Erics presentation at the ASLA XXIII Conference in Hobart
on 29 September 2013.

For many students, understanding the purpose behind an assignment or a piece of

assessment is a mystery. If given the assignment, Antarctica could polar bears live
there? many students see the words polar bear and Antarctica and think, Ill Google it!
to gain as much information as possible. As a result, they may simply respond to the topic,
which isnt the recipe for successful inquiry learning.

A more positive scenario would see students decode or understand the purpose of their
assignment by realising there are two parts to the question. The most important part is
not the topic but the task. This is determined by the verb or implied verb. Often students
underachieve, not because they are incapable but mainly because they do not understand
the question, the purpose or the task within an assignment or inquiry learning. Teachers
can improve student outcomes by explaining and focusing on the verb or the implied verb
within any assignment.

For example, in the assignment above, Antarctica could polar bears live there? the topic
is clear but not the task. There is no explicit verb that guides students to understand the task.
Blooms Thinking Skills Framework gives students the tools they need to achieve higher
order thinking. By using the Framework, teachers are saying, Which picture or Blooms
The itc Thinking Skills Framework
icon am I asking my students to act like?
This is determined by the verb or implied
verb and is explained in the Blooms Level Blooms Level Verbs
column. Calculate
Compile
Acting to apply Complete
If we take the foundation levels of Blooms new skills, rules Demonstrate
and concepts to Dramatise
taxonomy of the cognitive domain, it is related and new Edit
clear that the task does not reside here. situations Operate
Foundation thinking skills

Practise
Solve
The question cannot be addressed by Classify
Comprehend
giving information (Remember, acting Acting like an Discuss
expert, showing
like an internet database with verbs of understanding of
Explain
Interpret
words, concepts,
listing, telling), showing understanding cause and effect
Outline
Recognise
such as cause and effect and reasons and reasons for
Summarise (basic)
for something occurring (Understand Translate
Define
acting like an expert or AHA bubble Find
with verbs of classifying, explaining, Acting like Label
an internet List
summarising) nor solely at the Apply database to recall Match
level (acting like a formula showing How information, facts
and data
Memorise
Quote
To and solution making with verbs of Recall
Repeat
calculating, demonstrating). Granted that

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The itc Thinking Skills Framework

a large part of the assignment will depend
Blooms Level Verbs Starters
on the information collected onTools polar bears
Acting like
Create
Extrapolate
and the Arctic where they live and also of
MAS (p.248)
1:4:P:C:R (p.134)
an inventor, Improve the Antarctic but to really make (p.290)
Word Association students
experiencing light Invent Y-Chart/Split Y-Chart (p.296)
bulb moments
Modify
succeed, a skilled teacher realises that
PCQ Extension (p.260)
to generate new
products, ideas
Predict students have to understand the task verb.
Program
or ways of doing
things Propose
skills

Synthesise
So where does this assignment ask the
Argue (for/against) Extent Barometer (p.212)
Assess student to focus their fiDecision-Making
nal efforts? MatrixIs it at
(p.194)
thinking

Acting like the

scales of justice
Conclude
Critique
the Analyse level (acting like a magnifying
Judge Jury (p.146)
PCQ Extension (p.260)
to weigh up
Decide glass looking at all the component
Elimination Draw (p.206) parts

the evidence to
Judge Human Continuum (p.224)
make and justify
Justify of the topic or proposition with verbs such
a decision
Higher-order

Prioritise as discussing, exploring, investigating)?

Recommend
Argue (about) Not quite though this isPCQ
a major part of the
Extension (p.260)

Acting like a
Debate process. Attribute Listing Organiser (p.170)
Deconstruct Double Bubble Maps (p.200)
magnifying Differentiate Decision-Making Matrix (p.194)
glass to identify
In this case, the assignment task requires
the component
Discuss
Distinguish
T-Charts (p.284)
Fishbone Diagram (p.218)
parts of an issue,
that students work at the fifth Blooms
situation or object
Identify Y-Chart/Split Y-Chart (p.296)
Investigate Icon Prompt (p.230)
Level: Evaluate. At the Evaluate level,
Summarise (complex) SWOT Analysis (p.278)
teachers are asking students to act like the
Scales of Justice (as depicted in the graphic icon for Evaluate) where the students assess
the analysed information in order to make a decision using verbs such as argue, assess,
decide, justify, determine, etc.

Note that the assignment does not ask them to work at the Design level (acting like an
inventor, modifying or improving or creating something).

The assignment as it is presented above may be clear to some or many students but it is
skills

not clear to all students and our duty is to create clarity and explicitness in our classrooms.
As a result, we need to ask ourselves if our language is clear for all students, and if it is
not, then we have to reveal the implied verb or verbs and explain this is the task or major
Foundation thinking

purpose of the assignment/assessment.

Therefore, to ensure all students understand the assignment, a better question would be:
Antarctica argue that polar bears could live there; or Antarctica justify how polar
bears could live there or Antarctica decide if polar bears could live there. Immediately,
students are clear they are being given the task to judge, assess or determine whether or
not the polar bear could adapt to Antarctic conditions. Once students realise they have to act
like the Scales of Justice and make a decision as well as support that decision with material
they have gathered and analysed relating to the topic (the transferability of polar bears to
the Antarctic), there is a greater chance that all students will experience greater success.

To ensure even greater clarity of research and expression and persuasion, students can

also be encouraged to employ appropriate thinking tools or graphic organisers to assist

36 March 2014 ACCESS

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Thinking Skills Framework

them. Taken from Blooms Thinking Skills Framework, teachers can clearly see which tools
they can use for different cognitive levels. Lets look at the levels of Analyse and Evaluate,
since this is where most of the activity will take place. Teachers can use thinking tools from
the tools column to assist students in organising their thinking and processing of the task
or issue or problem. The major tools to be used will be the Double Bubble Map to compare
the two continents, a SWOT analysis to look at the polar bears situation and then the Extent
Barometer to decide to what extent the polar bear has a chance of adapting and living in
Antarctica.

We now will look at a possible sequence of thinking tools to assist the students in addressing
this assignment.

Using multiple thinking tools

The following is taken from our latest resource, innovative students companion, Assessment:
where to start and how to succeed! and is written for students.

Background
Sometimes an assignment task may not be as simple as using one thinking tool to complete
the task. For example, the assessment task may be to, Discuss the relationships between
parents and children in Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet. You could use the PCQ Extension

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(thinking tool to match the Discuss verb) for this but prior to this, you also may want to
Compare the relationships with a Double Bubble Map. In most of your major assignments
you will need to use a number of thinking tools.

Case study
Science: Discuss the chances of a polar bear surviving in Antarctica. Justify your response.

Step 1: Compare the Arctic and Antarctica

Polar bears live in the Arctic (the North Pole) not Antarctica (the South Pole). So, to begin
this assignment, you will need a deep understanding of the two regions by comparing the
two.

Step 1

Step 2: List the characteristics of the polar bear

Now we need to look at all the characteristics or the attributes of the polar bear: How fast
can it run and swim? What does it eat? How does it defend itself? We need also to look at
the attributes of some of the other animals in Antarctica, as many will be a food source or
a potential predator to the polar bear.

Step 3: Analyse the polar bear

It is now time to carefully examine the polar bear. What are the polar bears strengths and
weaknesses? What possible opportunities and threats are there in Antarctica for the polar
bear?

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Step 2

Step 3

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Step 4: The decision and justification

Finally, it is time to reflect on all of the research contained in your different thinking tools
and decide on the chances of a polar bear living in Antarctica.
Double Bubble Map What are the major characteristics of the two regions and are they
so similar that it would not make any difference whether the polar bear lives in the Arctic
or Antarctica?
Attribute Listing Organiser What are some influential characteristics of the polar bear
in comparison to those of its major competitors? Is the polar bear fast enough to hunt
food in Antarctica? Can it defend itself from potential predators?
SWOT analysis Delving more deeply into the polar bear itself, does the polar bear have
what it takes to survive in Antarctica?
Extent Barometer Transfer the material from the three thinking tools to the Extent
Barometer. This justifies your decision.

Step 4

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This information can now form the basis for your assignment and you can make a decision
and justify or support that decision. Taking into account the genre in which you have
been asked to present your work, you are now well armed with the tools to complete the
assignment.

Final tip
The thinking tools are designed to organise both your thoughts and research. It is worthwhile
taking the time at the start of your assignment to carefully choose which thinking tools
are the best ones to tackle the task. If you are unsure which ones to use, seek assistance
from your teacher. In particular, you need to ask your teacher which are the major verbs.
Spending a few moments getting this part of the process right will keep you on track and
save you time in the long run. This, in turn, will give you more time to concentrate on digging
deeper and aiming for those extra marks.

Lets try another assignment question to investigate how Blooms Framework can
successfully guide learning. The question, Discuss the idea that all students should learn

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March 2014 ACCESS 41

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to cook is to be found at the Analyse level since the verb discuss is asking one to act like a
magnifying glass, looking at as many component parts to this topic as possible. Meanwhile,
the question, Should all students be taught to cook? is at the Evaluate level since the
implied verb here is to decide if this is a good idea and for students to act like the Scales of
Justice, making a decision based on the information analysed in the previous question. For
more clarity and explicit teaching, the question could be framed as, Decide if all students
should be taught to cook.

Conclusion
In conclusion, having a clear focus on the verb in any question, assignment or assessment
is the key to successful learning. Using Blooms Thinking Skills Framework, it is useful
for teachers to ask this question: Which picture or Blooms icon am I asking my students
to act like? Make sure that the verb or task is clear, that the students then focus on the
topic with the task as the end in mind and offer or suggest a few thinking tools or graphic
organisers from the tools column to make your students even more successful in tackling
their assignments.

Erratum Book Week

In the report about various Book Week
activities in Tasmanian schools (Volume
27, Issue 4, November 2013), some of the
photographs were incorrectly attributed. The
photos of the Tardis and rocket were in fact
taken at Mount Carmel College, not Calvin
Christian School. The editor apologises
for this error and for any disappointment
the school experienced when they saw
the photographs in the last issue. These
photographs have been reproduced in this
issue with the correct schools names.

42 March 2014 ACCESS