Complete guide to Webb's DOK Level 2 (Skills & Concepts). Definition, action verbs, 40+ question stems by subject, common mistakes, and how DOK 2 differs from DOK 1 and DOK 3.
Webb's Depth of Knowledge (DOK) Level 2 is the skills and concepts level. Students at DOK 2 make decisions, use information, and complete tasks that require more than one step but follow a predictable path. This is the workhorse level of most classroom assessments — where students do something with what they've learned.
DOK 2 lives in a specific sweet spot: harder than recall (there's a decision to make), easier than strategic thinking (the path from question to answer is clear once you've chosen the right procedure). This guide gives you 40+ DOK 2 question stems by subject plus the "one decision" rule that separates DOK 2 from DOK 3.
What DOK Level 2 Actually Measures
Norman Webb defined DOK 2 as requiring engagement of some mental processing beyond recalling or reproducing a response. Students must make a decision about how to approach a problem — for example, classifying, comparing, organizing, estimating, or making observations. Key markers: more than one step, clear procedure once the decision is made, and a single correct or best answer.
The line between DOK 2 and DOK 3 is the "one decision" rule. DOK 2 requires one decision (which procedure? which category?) followed by a clear execution path. DOK 3 requires multiple decisions along the way, with reasoning at each turn. If a student must justify their choice with evidence, the item has crossed into DOK 3.
Action Verbs at DOK 2
Classify, Categorize, Sort
Compare, Contrast (surface features)
Estimate, Predict (with clear pattern)
Organize (data, information)
Summarize, Paraphrase
Interpret (a graph, chart, or simple text)
Infer (a next step, not a broad conclusion)
Show, Demonstrate (a multi-step procedure)
Solve (a routine multi-step problem)
Distinguish (between two similar concepts)
Modify (a procedure to fit a new situation)
Explain (cause-effect within a familiar context)
40+ DOK 2 Question Stems by Subject
Science
"Classify these substances as physical or chemical changes."
"Compare the structure of a plant cell and an animal cell — list two similarities and two differences."
"Predict what will happen when you add vinegar to baking soda, using what you know about chemical reactions."
"Organize the phases of mitosis in the correct order."
"Interpret the graph — during which time interval was the reaction fastest?"
"Explain, using at least two properties, why oil and water do not mix."
"Solve for the density given the mass and volume in this table."
"Demonstrate the steps to safely dilute acid."
Math
"Solve this word problem: A store offers 20% off a $45 shirt — what is the sale price?"
"Interpret the graph and identify the y-intercept and the slope."
"Estimate the answer to 486 × 21 without a calculator. Explain your strategy."
"Compare the two solution methods — which uses fewer steps?"
"Classify these numbers as rational or irrational."
"Organize this data set from least to greatest, then find the median."
"Predict the next three terms of the pattern: 3, 7, 15, 31, ..."
"Solve the two-step equation and check your answer."
ELA
"Summarize chapter 3 in three sentences."
"Interpret the metaphor in line 12 — what is the poet comparing?"
"Compare the two characters' reactions to the same event."
"Classify these sentences as declarative, interrogative, imperative, or exclamatory."
"Organize the plot points into rising action, climax, and resolution."
"Predict how the story would change if it were told from the antagonist's perspective."
"Explain why the author chose the setting for this scene."
"Show, using two examples from the text, how the character grows through the chapter."
Social Studies
"Compare the economies of the North and the South before the Civil War."
"Interpret the primary source — what is the author's main claim?"
"Classify these historical events as causes or effects of World War I."
"Summarize the main provisions of the Bill of Rights."
"Organize the events of the Cold War into a timeline with three key phases."
"Predict how the outcome of the election might have differed under a parliamentary system."
"Explain, using two examples, how the geography of a region shaped its economy."
"Solve this historical scenario: given these conditions, which policy would most likely have been chosen?"
Common Mistakes at DOK 2
Labeling DOK 1 as DOK 2 because the format is longer. "List the parts of the digestive system" is DOK 1 no matter how many items are listed. DOK 2 requires a decision.
Assuming "compare" is automatically DOK 2. If the similarities and differences were listed in the textbook and students recall them, it's DOK 1. Compare becomes DOK 2 only when students must identify patterns not previously taught.
Skipping the decision by providing the procedure. "Use the density formula to solve..." shortcuts the DOK 2 decision. Rewrite: "Determine which formula applies, then solve."
Confusing DOK 2 with DOK 3. If the item requires the student to justify why a specific approach was chosen with evidence, it's DOK 3, not DOK 2.
Generate DOK 2 Items Instantly
AssessmentWiz's Formative Assessment tool builds DOK 2 items into every quick check — misconception probes, hinge-point questions, and think-pair-share prompts are all optimized for the sweet spot of "more than recall, less than argument."
Webb's DOK Level 2 is skills and concepts — students make one decision about how to approach a problem (classify, compare, organize, estimate) and then follow a clear path to a single correct or best answer. It's the workhorse level of classroom assessment.
What are DOK 2 examples?
"Classify these substances as physical or chemical changes." "Interpret the graph — during which time interval was the reaction fastest?" "Compare the two characters' reactions to the same event." "Estimate 486 × 21 without a calculator. Explain your strategy."
What's the difference between DOK 2 and DOK 3?
DOK 2 requires one decision followed by a clear execution path (which procedure? which category?). DOK 3 requires multiple decisions with reasoning at each step, and the student must justify choices with evidence. If the item asks *why*, and there's no single correct answer, it's DOK 3.
How many DOK 2 questions belong on my test?
About 35-50% of unit tests, 40% of quizzes, and 50% of exit tickets. DOK 2 is the workhorse — students spend most of their time here.