DOK level question examples for every subject: math, ELA, science, and social studies

Knowing Webb's four DOK levels is one thing. Writing questions that actually hit each level — across different subjects and grade bands — is another. This guide gives you complete, ready-to-use DOK level question examples for math, ELA, science, and social studies, with enough explanation to build your own.

Quick reference: what each DOK level demands of students

One clarification before the examples: DOK is about cognitive complexity, not difficulty. A question is not higher DOK because it is harder to read or uses bigger vocabulary. It is higher DOK because it requires a different kind of mental work.

Most classroom assessments operate at DOK 1–3. DOK 4 is typically reserved for extended projects or performance tasks rather than individual test items.

DOK level question examples for math

DOK 1 — Math

• •What is 8 × 7?
• •What is the formula for the area of a rectangle?
• •Identify the y-intercept of the equation y = 3x + 5.
• •Convert 3/4 to a decimal.
• •What is the perimeter of a square with sides of 6 cm?

DOK 2 — Math

• •A rectangle has a perimeter of 36 cm and a length of 10 cm. What is its width? Show your work.
• •Plot the points (2, 3), (4, 7), and (6, 11). Describe the pattern you see.
• •A store sells three shirts for $24. How much would seven shirts cost? Explain your reasoning.
• •Compare the areas of two triangles with the same height but different base lengths. Which has a larger area and why?

DOK 3 — Math

• •Two students solved 48 ÷ 6 using different methods and got different answers. Which student is correct? Show your work and explain the error in the other student's reasoning.
• •A town's population doubles every 10 years. If the current population is 5,000, how many years will it take to reach 80,000? Show your work and justify your answer.
• •Analyze the data set [4, 7, 7, 9, 12, 15, 21]. If the value 21 is removed, how does that affect the mean, median, and mode? What does this tell you about how outliers affect each measure?

DOK 4 — Math

Design and conduct a survey of at least 20 people on a topic of your choice. Collect the data, represent it in two different graph types, calculate the mean and median, and write an analysis explaining what the data shows and what it does not show.

DOK level question examples for ELA

DOK 1 — ELA

• •Who is the main character in the story?
• •What does the word "relentless" mean as it is used in paragraph 4?
• •Which sentence states the author's main claim?
• •Identify three facts stated in the article.

DOK 2 — ELA

• •How does the setting of the story affect the main character's decisions? Use two details from the text to support your answer.
• •Compare how two characters respond to the same conflict. What does each response reveal about their personalities?
• •How does the author use word choice in paragraph 6 to create a specific tone? Give two examples from the text.
• •Summarize the author's argument in your own words. Identify the most important evidence the author uses to support it.

DOK 3 — ELA

• •Which character's perspective do you most agree with, and why? Use evidence from the text to justify your position and acknowledge a counterargument.
• •The author argues that social media has harmed teen mental health. Do you find this argument convincing? What evidence does the author provide, and what evidence might challenge their conclusion?
• •Analyze how the author develops the theme of "belonging" across the story. Identify at least three moments where this theme appears and explain how they build on each other.

DOK 4 — ELA

Read two articles with opposing perspectives on the same issue. Write an essay that synthesizes both perspectives, identifies the strongest argument from each, and reaches your own supported conclusion. Cite specific evidence from both texts.

DOK level question examples for science

DOK 1 — Science

• •What is the role of chlorophyll in photosynthesis?
• •Name the three states of matter.
• •Define the term "biodegradable."
• •What is the symbol for the element carbon?

DOK 2 — Science

• •A plant is kept in a dark closet for two weeks. What would you expect to observe, and why?
• •Compare the life cycles of a butterfly and a frog. What is one key similarity and one key difference?
• •Look at the food web diagram. What would happen to the population of rabbits if all the foxes were removed? Explain the chain of effects.
• •A student records the temperature of water every minute as it heats on a stove. Describe the pattern they would observe and explain what it shows.

DOK 3 — Science

• •How would you design an experiment to test which type of soil holds water best? Identify your independent and dependent variables, explain what you would control, and predict your results.
• •A scientist claims that increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes ocean temperatures to rise. What evidence would you look for to support or challenge this claim?
• •Predict what would happen to an ecosystem if the primary producer species were eliminated. Justify your prediction using your knowledge of energy flow in ecosystems.

DOK 4 — Science

Research a local environmental issue affecting your community. Collect data from at least two sources, develop a hypothesis about its cause, propose a solution, and present your findings with supporting evidence and acknowledgment of limitations.

DOK level question examples for social studies

DOK 1 — Social studies

• •In what year did the United States declare independence?
• •Name the three branches of the United States federal government.
• •What does the term "supply and demand" mean?
• •Who wrote the Emancipation Proclamation?

DOK 2 — Social studies

• •How did the geography of ancient Egypt contribute to the development of its civilization? Use two specific examples.
• •Explain how the system of checks and balances prevents any one branch of government from gaining too much power. Give one example of this in action.
• •How did World War I change the political map of Europe? Identify at least two specific changes and explain their causes.
• •Compare the economies of two countries in the same region. What factors explain the differences in their GDP?

DOK 3 — Social studies

• •How would you defend the position that the Industrial Revolution improved quality of life overall, despite its negative effects on workers? Compile the evidence you would use and anticipate one counterargument.
• •A law is proposed that would restrict social media use for anyone under 16. Evaluate the law using at least two different perspectives (individual rights, public health, economic). What would you recommend and why?
• •Compare the civil rights movements in two different countries. What strategies did each movement use? Which was more effective, and why?

DOK 4 — Social studies

Research a current global issue such as climate migration or supply chain disruption. Synthesize perspectives from at least three different countries or stakeholder groups. Develop a policy proposal that addresses the issue and accounts for competing interests. Present your proposal with supporting evidence.

How to check your assessments are hitting the right DOK levels

Before you finalize any assessment, check two things.

First, find the DOK level your standard demands. Look at the verb: "identify" and "recall" are DOK 1; "compare" and "classify" are DOK 2; "justify" and "analyze" are DOK 3; "design" and "synthesize" are DOK 4. If your assessment never reaches the level the standard requires, your data will be misleadingly positive.

Second, review your item mix. A balanced summative assessment typically includes items across multiple DOK levels. A 20-question assessment might include 4–5 DOK 1 items (foundations), 8–10 DOK 2 items (application), and 4–6 DOK 3 items (reasoning).

Wayground's Official Library pre-tags every item by DOK level across all 50 state standards. Search by standard code and filter by DOK level to find items your team can review, edit, and use directly — no starting from scratch.