Similarly, from the "Preparatory Lecture" of the Entered Apprentice Degree, we learn that "Freemasonry consists of a  course of  moral and philosophical instruction illustrated by hieroglyphics, and taught, according to ancient usage, by  types, emblems, and   allegorical figures."   For example, we as Free and Accepted Masons are taught to make use of the   Working Tools of a Mason for  more noble and glorious purposes.

One such tool that teachers use is "Bloom's Cognitive Taxonomy," developed in 1956 by Benjamin S. Bloom and presented  in his   book, Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: Handbook I. Cognitive Domain, (New York: D. McKay).   His taxonomy  is a hierarchical  classification system of six increasingly complex processes in the levels of thinking skills.  We as  Masons can also draw from it  lessons in understanding how to apply many of the principles of Freemasonry.

Originally, Bloom created his taxonomy to classify educational goals as a basis for writing multiple-choice test questions  for college   examinations.  Though not the only system available, Bloom's is probably the most widely used in education as  a device to categorize  the level and quality of questions.  Today, it is also used by teachers as a basis to encourage  students to achieve higher levels of  thinking and understanding.  The following is his set of six graduated levels:

Knowledge is defined as the remembering of previously learned material.  This may involve the recall of a wide range of  material,  from specific facts to complete theories, but all that is required is the bringing to mind of the appropriate  information.     Knowledge represents the lowest level of learning outcomes in the cognitive domain.

Comprehension is defined as the ability to grasp the meaning of material.  This may be shown by translating material  from one form  to another (words or numbers), by interpreting material (explaining or summarizing) and by estimating  future trends (predicting  consequences or effects).  These learning outcomes go one step beyond the simple remembering  of material and represent the lowest  level of understanding.

Application refers to the ability to use learned material in new and concrete situations.  This may include the application  of such  things as rules, methods, concepts, principles, laws, and theories.  Learning outcomes in this area require a higher level of  understanding by those under comprehension.

Analysis refers to the ability to break down material into its component parts so that its organizational structure may be  understood.  This may include the identification of the parts, analysis of the relationships between parts, and  recognition of the   organizational principles involved. Learning outcomes here represent a higher intellectual level than comprehension and application  because they require an understanding of both content and the structural form of the  material.

Synthesis refers to the ability to put parts together to form a new whole.  This may involve the production of a unique  communication (theme or speech), a plan of operations (research proposal), or a set of abstract relations (scheme for classifying   information).  Learning outcomes in this area stress creative behaviors, with major emphasis on the formulation of new patterns or  structures.

Evaluation is concerned with the ability to judge the value of material (statement, novel, poem, research report) for a given  purpose.  The judgments are to be based on definite criteria.  These may be internal criteria (organization) or external criteria  (relevance to the purpose).  Learning outcomes in this area are the highest in the cognitive hierarchy  because they contain elements  of all of the other categories plus value judgments based on clearly defined criteria.