This package of text structure task cards includes five sets - for five major text structures: cause and effect, chronological order, compare and contrast, problem and solution, and description. Each set contains thirty large cards with a variety of activities designed for middle school and upper elementary language arts or reading classes.

By presenting each text structure individually and in a variety of ways with these task cards, you can teach your kids to really understand the structures that authors use to create a great story. Here is more about each set:

Cause and Effect Task Cards

The cause and effect cards include examples with single causes and single effects, multiple causes, and multiple effects. The activities on the cards include:

- Identifying the causes and effects in a short passage

- Using cause and effect key words

- Using cause and effect graphic organizers

- Inferring causes and effects from a picture

- Noting causes and effects in everyday situations

- Making a flip chart

- Illustrating causes and effects

- Writing a paragraph using the cause and effect text structure

Chronological Order

With the this set, students practice identifying this text structure, organizing events from a passage in chronological order, and spotting key terms. The activities on the cards include:

•Listing events in chronological order

•Organizing events in order

•Completing graphic organizers

•Answering questions

•Using key terms

•Writing examples

Compare and Contrast

With these task cards, students practice identifying this text structure, locating similarities and differences in the text, and spotting key terms. The activities include:

- Identifying key terms

- Similar or different?

- Find similarities and differences in short passages

- Find similarities and differences in photos and drawings

- Use graphic organizers

Problem and Solution

With the task cards, students practice identifying the text structure and its key terms. They identify problems, solutions, possible solutions, suggested solutions, and supporting evidence. The activities include:

• identifying which sentence has a problem and solution text structure
• identifying the problem and the solution in sentences
• completing a graphic organizer to show the problem and solution in a short passage
• answering problem and solution questions
• completing a graphic organizer to show a problem with several possible solutions
• completing a graphic organizer to show the steps to solving a problem
• completing a graphic organizer to show a suggested solution and supporting reasons
• illustrating a problem and its solution
• writing problem and solution sentences using key words
• making a flip chart

Description

Students practice identifying this text structure using descriptive elements such as details, characteristics, features, imagery, and examples as well as key words. The activities on the cards include:

• identifying what is being described
• identifying sensory details
• locating descriptive words
• completing a graphic organizer
• drawing an illustration
• sorting
• matching
• writing description

With a large variety of activities, these cards are easy to use to differentiate instruction in a class with mixed ability and skill levels. They address many of the Common Core objectives for reading literature and informational text.

Task cards are great for centers, stations, small groups, and individualized instruction as well as whole class games like Scoot and Footloose.

The Easel versions are ready to use with directions and answer boxes for student use.

For more bundles of activities for reading and other language arts skills, see BUNDLES in this store.

From Classroom in the Middle