What are Task Cards?

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I was asking myself this same question not too long ago. Then, I discovered that “task cards” is a new term given to an old idea with a little twist. Here are a few ways I had used “task cards” before I knew what they were:

  • Make flashcards for individual review or studying in pairs.
  • Cut a worksheet into strips, pass them out to students. Ask students to answer a question, trade with someone else, and keep going until their answer sheet is full.
  • Write questions on Post-It Notes around the room and have the students circulate as they answer them.
  • Place a few questions or a mini-quiz at each lab station and have student groups race to see which group can answer their questions first.

So basically, a task card is just a question or short problem typed on a card, like a 3 x 5 card or a 1/4 sheet of paper, that students answer. Usually, the card is printed on card stock and then laminated. Students may record answers on an answer sheet or on their own paper and may work on questions one at a time, or several at a time, either individually, in pairs, small groups, or as a whole class.

Benefits of Using Task Cards

FLEXIBILITY

The best feature of task cards is the flexibility they offer. They work well as

  • Warm-ups
  • Bell-ringers
  • Questions-of-the-day
  • Exit passes
  • Interactive notebook entries
  • Flashcards – copy the answers on the back
  • Stations
VARIETY OF QUESTION TYPES

Also, many different types of questions can be used on task cards such as

  • Multiple choice
  • Matching
  • Fill-in-the-blank
  • Definitions
  • Drawing and/or labeling
  • Interpreting graphs or diagrams
  • Listing examples & more!
INCREASED STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

A few other benefits to task cards include:

  • Allowing students to focus on one topic at a time keeps them from feeling overwhelmed.
  • Working in groups keeps the class more interactive and interesting for students.
  • Kinesthetic learners benefit from getting out of their seats once in a while and moving around the room.
  • It just feels like “fun” when you’re working with cute little cards as opposed to a boring worksheet – even if the questions are basically the same.
  • Great images on the cards keep students engaged in the content.

Task Cards Sets by Science Island

I have created a set of task cards for every Biology and Anatomy & Physiology chapter I have written! Each Biology set has 35 cards, but the number of cards in the A&P sets varies.

They are all designed in PowerPoint format. The benefit of this format is the flexible printing options that allow teachers to decide whether to print 1, 2, or 4 slides per page. And, since each card is a slide, they can be projected to the whole class when you want to start a discussion on a new topic, review at the end of a topic, or just do a quick formative assessment.

I also included a PowerPoint Review with answers so, even if your class works on the task cards over several days, you can pull it all together with a whole-class review right before the test. You can even use a “show of hands” strategy to get an idea of how your students are progressing through the content and use that data to inform your instruction.

Here are a couple of Task Card sets you can preview to see more details:

Mitosis and Meiosis Task Cards with PowerPoint Review
Skeletal System Task Cards with PowerPoint Review

Aloha,
Carla