6 Questions Your Student Needs to be Able to Answer: The Highest Level
If you start a question with one of these words,
appraise
compare
contrast
criticize
discriminate
judge
justify
support
you’re asking questions at the highest level of thinking, Evaluation. Questions on this level contain elements of all the other types of questions.
Evaluation, the sixth and highest level of thinking, requires making judgments when there is no one right answer for everyone. I’m not advocating moral relativism here. Questions of this type are designed to generate wisdom, not challenge moral absolutes. Some things are definitely right while others definitely wrong. Even so, a good deal of life is messy, confusing, and not scripted by the Bible. Still, we wish God would spell things out more clearly. If he did, decision making would be so much easier.
Evaluation Questions found on achievement tests require the ability to judge the value, consistency, or adequacy of something. This could be a statement made, a novel or poem written, a work of art or music, a research or position paper, etc. Evaluation questions are based on definite criteria which the student sometimes determines or is given. These questions often include value judgments as well. These value judgments are often intellectual, social, moral, ethical, and aesthetic in nature.
If you wanted to give your student some experience in thinking on this level, what would this look like? Below are a couple of assignments in which your high school student would respond to in writing:
Below are eight opinions (you’ll need to Google these) related to the Green New Deal. Write two responses to two opinions. Choose one opinion in which you affirm, support and even strengthen it. Choose a different opinion in which you provide an opposing viewpoint.
Martin Luther, the great Christian reformer, is quoted as saying “I would rather be ruled by a wise Turk than a Christian donkey.” Answer the following questions: What do you think he meant by this? Applying this to politics today, in what ways would you agree or disagree with his position? Who in political office today would you consider to be a wise Turk, and who would you consider to be a Christian donkey?
If our students are going to appreciate and enjoy life in all its ambiguity, they need to be able to respond to questions at the evaluation level, questions that require they evaluate, exercise judgment, and make good decisions.
Thanks for Reading,
Curt Bumcrot, MRE
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