Critical Thinking Task Cards

I've been trying to amp up my critical thinking resources this year...especially for early finishers and morning work, and I am LOVING it.  Best of all, my students are loving it too!  These are my Position Puzzles task cards.  These shape analogies require students to determine the rotation of each image.  I purposefully chose a variety of clip art for this project.  Some are more abstract than others, and all of them require deep thinking! As a scaffold, the kiddos have small cards that they can turn and examine to find the correct answer.  For a little art integration, I included clip art inspired by Henri Matisse and Keith Haring!  LOVE them!

Here it is in action! It has been a hit with my students, especially once I pulled out the board games (Trouble, Connect 4, Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, and Twister).  Such a simple way to up the fun factor with task cards!

In addition to the "traditional" board games we've all grown up with, I have started to incorporate simple games that I've picked up from the Dollar Tree.  I LOVE these little Tic-Tac-Toe boards for a little seasonal nod. So simple and festive!

 

This Anagrams task card set is also fun and challenging.  I have always been a BIG fan of word puzzles, and I love being able to provide my students with such a stimulating early finisher activity.

The Equation Eureka puzzles are really fun because they require students to think about common sets or units and the relationship between the letters and numbers.  For example, 7D in SW translates to 7 dwarves in Snow White and 60 S in a M translates to 60 seconds in a minute.  This set is sure to cause your students to stretch and think critically! 

If you're looking for extra activities to truly challenge and engage your early finishers and/or gifted learners, these task cards are the perfect addition to your classroom arsenal.  :)  Give them a try!