Mind-Boggling Monday (task cards and game board)

According to Mirriam-Webster Dictionary, the word "mind-boggling" means having a very powerful or overwhelming effect on the mind. Well, I boggled the minds of my fifth graders this past week. Poor honeys, I'm not sure if they were upset with me or actually loved what I (really two sixth grade girls) did to them.

Task cards are a staple in my classroom. Whether it be for a round of Scoot or Scatter or just in a literacy center, I use task cards with all my classes at least once a week. Scatter seems to be the task card activity that my kiddos enjoy the most. They like being able to walk about the room while doing their work.

New Year's Nouns Task Cards in action!

I normally hide, or scatter, the cards around the classroom. However, I was a bit behind with morning tasks last Wednesday morning so I asked two sixth grade girls to place the cards around the room in preparation for fifth grade language arts next period. Of course, the girls were delighted to do the deed! They found some interesting places to perch the task cards. Two cards in particular confounded and boggled the minds of the fifth graders.

This task card is barely peeking out from behind the TV.

This card was camouflaged as part of a New Year's mobile made by my sixth graders.
Only two fifth grade girls initially found this one! LOL!

All ended well with the fifth graders completing the round of Scatter, checking their work, and getting prepared for an evaluation tomorrow.

Guess who is going to hide the task cards next time?

Speaking of mind-boggling? Here's this week's FREE Classroom Boggle board for you to use with your students. Just download the image and project it on a whiteboard, Smartboard, or television. You can follow the traditional rules for Boggle or create your own. Just have fun while practicing word skills.

If you like playing Boggle with your students but would like to select your own letters, please check out this set of editable Boggle Boards with background themes suitable throughout the school year. Included are 15 boards that are "user friendly" in that they contain no specific holiday clip art only colors and textures suitable for various seasons and holidays. There's even a blank board that you can program both background and letters. You can read more about the packet HERE or by clicking on the pic.