Task Card Maker

What are task cards?

Task cards are small printed cards that each hold one question or problem. Students work through them at their own pace — at stations, in a game of Scoot, or as early-finisher work — and write each answer on a numbered recording sheet.

Four ways to use them

• Scoot.One card on every desk, a recording sheet for every student. Call “Scoot!” every minute or so and everyone moves to the next desk. The box numbers match the card numbers, so nobody loses their place.
• Stations and centers. A set in a zip bag at each table. Four per page makes cards big enough for a small group to read together.
• Early finishers. A box of cards by the door. With the QR self-check on, a student can check their own answer without waiting for you.
• Morning meeting and SEL.Discussion prompts with no right answer. Leave the answer off and the card prints with no QR, and the key says “Answers will vary”.

How the QR self-check works

Each code holds the answer as plain text — “Card 3: B) 12” — not a web link. Any phone or tablet camera shows it, with no app, no internet and no website to visit. If phones are not allowed in your room, switch the codes off: the recording sheet and the answer key do not depend on them.

Typing a multiple-choice card

The question on one line, the options under it, and a star on the right one:

Each car has 4 wheels. How many wheels are on 7 cars?
A) 11
B) 24
*C) 28
D) 32

Or leave the star off and add a line that says Answer: C. Leave a blank line before the next card.

Which size for which job

• 4 per page — large — Big, readable cards for stations and read-alouds. Word problems fit easily.
• 6 per page — standard — The usual choice for Scoot and a set of 24.
• 8 per page — compact — Short questions and big sets. Saves paper on 32 or more.

The type on each card is sized to fit that card, so a short question prints large and a long word problem steps down rather than running off the edge.

Printing tips

Print at 100% (“Actual size”), not “Fit to page”, so the cut lines stay square. Card stock survives a year of Scoot; laminating first means the cards can be written on with a dry-erase marker. Photocopy the recording sheet for the class and keep the answer key — it is the last page — for yourself.

Making a vocabulary deck instead? The flash card maker prints answers on the back. For a quick check at the end of a lesson, try the exit ticket maker. More at teacher resources.