I love using physics task cards as an engaging alternative to boring physics worksheets. They are so versatile and I keep coming up with new was to teach physics with task cards. Here are some of my current favorites:
Back-of-the-Room Checking Station - I give each group one set of task cards to solve. Before class, I hang the task cards in the back of the room so that the answers appear when students flip them over. Sometimes I will designate one student per group that is allowed to check their answer, if and only if each person has all of the work written in their journals.
Connect Four - I place one connect four board between two groups of students. Each group gets a game piece when they correctly complete a task card. I offer physics stickers or jolly ranchers to the students who win!
Board Games - I place a few different games around the room (Candy Lane, Connect Four, Jenga, etc.) Students pick their group by picking the game they want to play. They get to play one round each time they complete a correct answer.
Stations - I hang task cards around the room, in the hall, or outside on trees.
Scoot - Students rotate chairs and complete the task cards at that desk. For complex problems, like the 'Big Four Kinematic Equations,' I will have the first person identify the knowns and unknowns, the second person pick and equation, he third person set up the equation, the next person solve it, and the last person check the answer.
Slide - Students work on a problem for 2-3 minutes. Then slide their work to the next student to pick up where they left off. If the problem is finished, they can correct it.
Entrance or Exit Ticket - When I am in a rush to make an entrance or exit ticket, I will often print out task cards and have students solve it on the back. Since task cards are usually ordered from simplest to hardest, it is very easy for me to differentiate as I pass them out.
Speed Dating - Each student gets their own task card to solve and become an expert on. Then they rotate around the room to teach their task card.
White Boards & Doc Camera - I will place a task card on the document camera and students will solve it on their white boards. This works well in groups of two so students can help each other.
Homework - Each student receives a task card for homework to complete. They then bring it back to class and are the expert on it.
How do you use task cards with your high school physics students? Share your ideas below! I am always looking for more ways to use them.
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