Using task cards in middle school can be a great way to break things up and get kids thinking and working in a different way! At a basic level, task cards are small cards that have a task for students to complete or a question for them to answer. They work extremely well for both reinforcing and assessing content in any subject matter.
Here are four new ideas for using task cards in your middle school classroom!
Have a silent debate.
Play “Pass it Back.”
After finishing your literary work or informational text, copy and cut out any of the appropriate task cards you’d like your students to answer, and tape them onto different pieces of binder paper. Divide your class into groups of 4-5 students. Give each student in each group a piece of paper with a different task card on it. (It’s fine if the groups all use the same 4-5 task cards…you just don’t want any repeats in the same group!)
Get artistic.
Once your class has completed a text (or maybe groups have read different texts on the same topic/theme!), distribute appropriate task cards to each group (3-4 cards per group). Group members must create a visual for their classmates that answers the questions and then present to the class.