Trading Card Manual.pdf

Mr. Elementary Presents the . . .
arachnid
Definition: A
carnivorous,
arthropod with eight
legs and no wings
Fact: I saw an
arachnid, or spider
,
catch a fly in its web.
Ideas on how
to use
trading
cards with
any subject
or sized
group!
Table of Contents
Informa(on About Trading Cards
What is an Educa-onal Trading Card Anyway?.........................1
The Research Behind the Strategies and Design…………............2
Anatomy of an Educa-onal Trading Card…………………….…………..3
Ways to Use Trading Cards
Introducing New Vocabulary: Using a CCD……………..………………..4
Blank Trading Cards……………………………………….…………….………….5
Interac-ve Word Walls……………………………………..………..……………5
Word Sor-ng………………………………………………………..………………….6
Ideas for Individual Use………………….…………….…………………..……7
Other Uses for Trading Cards……………….…………………….…………...8
Assessment………………………………………………………………..………….9
Games
Quiz, Quiz, Trade………………………………..……..…………………….…….10
Vocabulary Drawing and Ac-ng Games ………………..……….……..11
Trick or Truth………….…………………..……………….……….……………….12
Memory Matching Game……………….……….…………………….……….13
Prin(ng, Cu;ng and Storing Trading Cards
Prin-ng and CuZng………………………………………….…….…….……….14
Storing……………………………………………………….…………..………….15
Try Them Out! …………………………………………….….…………………….16
Credits and Terms of Use……………………….………………………………17
© 2015 MrElementary. All Rights Reserved www.mrelementary.com

• Collec(ng: Kids love collec-ng
things
• Rewarding: Can be used as
posi-ve reinforcement
• Break from Worksheets
• Sense of ownership: Comes
from crea-ng their own
pictures and sentences
• Choice: Kids love having the
choice of designing their own
pictures and sentences
• Pride: Students love showing
the cards they made to their
peers and family.
• Differen(a(on: From TAG to
SPED
• ESOL: Great for ELL students
• Highly Engaging: Trading
Card format is engaging,
especially to boys!
• Effec(ve/Research Based:
GLAD strategies
• LiNle Prep: Print, Cut, Go!
• Any Subject: Use in any
subject
• Any Sized Group: Whole
group, centers, partners or
individual
Teacher Benefits
What is an “Educational” Trading Card?
Educa-onal Trading Cards are a fun and engaging way for students to learn
new vocabulary and informa-on in a meaningful way that that they’ll
remember. When I started making trading cards for my students I
designed them with my old baseball cards in mind: the player’s picture and
name on the front and their sta-s-cs on the back. Typically my educa-onal
trading cards include the vocabulary word and a picture to represent it on
the front; on the back is its defini(on and the word in a sentence to help
the learner see it in a variety of contexts. Then, I present my students with
blank version of the cards and have them fill them out crea-ng their own
defini-on, sentence and picture to help cement their learning in a way
that’s meaningful to them.
Student Benefits
1
Research Backed Strategies
Many of the ac-vi-es I suggest doing with trading cards are taken from
Susanna Dutro’s GLAD model of sheltered instruc-on and work great
with English Language Learners. This excerpt was taken from the
Project GLAD website and you can do more reading about it here.
“Project GLAD is a model of professional development in the area of
language acquisi<on and literacy. The strategies and model promote
English language acquisi<on, academic achievement, and cross-cultural
skills. Project GLAD was developed and field tested for nine years in the
Fountain Valley School District and is based on years of experience with
integrated approaches for teaching language. Tied to the Common Core
State Standards and State Standards, the model trains teachers to
provide access to core curriculum using local district guidelines and
curriculum.”
Research Backed Design
In his book, “The Art and Science of Teaching” Dr. Robert Marzano outlines
6 steps to beger vocabulary instruc-on and many of the components of
“Educa-onal Trading Cards” (picture, defini-on, sentence/example) are
closely matched to these:
1. Provide a descrip-on, explana-on, or example of the new term.
2. Ask students to restate the descrip-on, explana-on, or example in
their own words.
3. Ask students to construct a picture, pictograph, or symbolic
representa-on of the term.
4. Engage students periodically in ac-vi-es that help them add to their
knowledge of the terms in their vocabulary notebooks.
5. Periodically ask students to discuss the terms with one another.
6. Involve students periodically in games that enable them to play with
terms.
2

Anatomy of an Educational
Trading Card
Blank Cards are included with every
set and provide students a chance
to create their own pictures,
defini-ons and sentences of the
same vocabulary words to help
cement their learning.
FRONT BACK
blank cards
transpira-on
7
transpira-on
Defini(on:
Moisture that is
released into the air
from plants;
evapora-on from
plant leaves
Hydra(ng Fact: An
es-mated 10% of
moisture in the
atmosphere comes
from transpira-on.
Vocabulary
Word
Defini(on:
Wrigen In kid
friendly
language
Sentence/Fact:
Most cards have the
word used in a
sentence or facts
about the word.
Vocabulary
Word: Chosen
for the topic
you’re studying
Picture: Especially
helpful for ELL
students!
Numbered: To
help students
keep track of
their cards
Fun Border
3
omnivore
1
6
omnivore
Defini(on:
Energizing Fact:
Introducing New Vocabulary
Using a Cognitive Content Dictionary
In his ar-cle “6 Steps to BeOer Vocabulary Instruc<on” the first thing that
Robert Marzano suggests is to “Provide a descrip-on, explana-on, or
example of the new term.” One way to do this is to use the informa-on on
the trading cards to fill out a CCD (Cogni-ve Content Dic-onary) with your
class. This is a powerful GLAD strategy that involves filling out a chart WITH
your students that you can leave hanging on your wall as a reference. Here
are the steps to do it:
1. Write the new word on the chart in front of your students.
2. Have them discuss what they think it means and share their predic-ons.
Record them on the chart.
3. Provide the actual defini-on of word.
4. Draw a quick sketch to help students remember the word’s meaning.
5. Have students work together to orally use the word in a sentence and
then share it with the class..
4
8 Cards Per
Sheet: Use less
ink and paper

Filling in the Blank Cards
Start By Introducing the New Vocabulary To Your Students
Handing out the filled out trading cards to students is a great way to
introduce the new vocabulary. Aner that, having students create
their own pictures, sentences and defini-ons on the blank cards helps
them process all of the new informa-on in a ways that’s meaningful
to them.
(Interactive) Word Walls
Allow Students to Replace Cards with Their Own
Post the trading cards on a word wall or bulle-n board for students to
reference. Allowing students to replace the cards on the wall with
those they make themselves gives them ownership of the wall and
raises student engagement.
In my store you can find
enlarged versions of all
the trading cards to post
on your walls. Try these
Energy word wall cards!
5
To start, have students make 3 columns on a piece of paper. Next, have
them move their trading cards around on their desk un-l they find a way
they can classify them into two or three groups. Next, have them label the
tops of the columns with the categories they came up with and write the
vocabulary words in each column. Finally, students share how they sorted
their words with the class un-l all the different ways to sort/classify them
have been shared. As students share you can make a list of the ways they
sorted their words on a piece of chart paper that you can add and refer to
each -me you do this ac-vity. This is a great ac-vity for students to do with
partners and you’ll find that the categories become more and more crea-ve
each -me you sort words with your class!
Word Sorting
Sort and Classify the Trading Cards Into Categories
2. Try sorting your cards into 3
categories.
1. Make 3 columns on a piece of
paper
.
4. Write your vocabulary words
down under the correct
category.
3. Label the tops of your
columns with the categories you
came up with.
stars planets Earth
stars planets Earth
constellation Jupiter revolution
shooting star Mars orbit
6
shoo-ng
star
constella
-on
Jupi
ter
Mars
revolu-o
n
orbi
t

Activities for different sized
groups
Centers or Whole Class
Ideas for individual use
At School or at Home
Early Finisher
Working on the blank trading
cards makes a great early
finisher ac-vity if students finish
their classwork and need
something to do.
Challenge Activity
Trading Cards are EASY to
differen-ate. If a student
doesn’t find the vocabulary
challenging enough they can
simply find more vocabulary
words along the same subject
and create their own trading
cards to go along with them.
Study, Study, Study
Quietly studying their trading
cards like flashcards by
themselves works great for some
students. It’s good to teach
them to set aside the words they
know so they can focus on the
few words they need to master.
I'm finished. What
do I do now?
These words are too
easy…
7
Homework
Aner you have introduced a
new set of vocabulary trading
cards to the class you can send
the blank cards home as
homework for students to work
on. Families will think they’re a
fun alterna-ve to the
tradi-onal worksheet style of
homework and may be more
likely to get involved.
SMART Board or
Projector
Project just the picture up on the
wall and have students determine the
definition using the pictures and their
background knowledge. Then, scroll
down and review the actual definitions.
Substitute Plans
Having students practice their vocabulary
with the filled out cards, or fill in the blank
cards makes for some quick and easy sub
plans!
Positive Reinforcement
Pass trading cards out as (educational)
rewards during a unit. In GLAD you
choose students to be “scouts” who look
for classmates exhibiting positive
behavior while you’re teaching and they
get to reward the cards to their
classmates.
I’m giving you this
card because I saw
you showing
respect!
amphibia
n
Have fun today!
8
Writing:
Have students keep the trading
cards on their desk while they’re
writing on the topic and try to use
as many of the vocabulary words
as they can.
6

Assessment
The Blank Cards Make a Fun Assessment Tool
Administering the test
To assess whether students understand the vocabulary you can pass out
the blank cards and have students fill in the words, pictures, and
defini-ons. This provides a very well rounded picture of whether or not
students understand the vocabulary.
*Hint: to save <me and hassle just pass out the full sheets of cards for
the assessment instead of cuTng them up into individual cards.
Scoring
To provide a score just make each sec-on of the card worth 1 point and
then mul-ply that by the number of cards to get the total number of
points possible for the quiz. For example: if each card has 3 categories
and there are 8 cards, then 8 x 3 is 24 possible points.
Tips for Assessing with Trading Cards
1. Copy the cards
front to back
without cutting
them.
2. Have students
fill them in,
reminding them to
only do a “quick
sketch” of the
pictures.
3. Give a score
out of total points
possible.
9
groups
Games, Games, Games!
For Every Age, Ability Level and Learning Style!
Quiz, Quiz, Trade
This Kagan coopera-ve learning game is typically played with task cards
that have a ques-on on them but it works great with educa-onal
trading cards as well! Students can quiz each other by giving the
defini-on or using the word correctly in a sentence. Here’s how to play:
1. Give each student a trading card.
2. Have your students pair up.
3. Partner A tells Partner B the vocabulary word on the card.
Partner B tells Partner A the defini-on or uses the word in a
sentence (or admits they don’t know it). Partner A then
acknowledges the correct defini-on or gives it if needed. Partner
A can also give Partner B a clue if needed by showing them the
picture on the front of their card.
4. Partners then switch roles with Partner B sharing their vocabulary
word.
5. Aner both partners have had a turn, they switch cards, find a new
partner and play again.
Pair up. Each student says
their vocabulary word
while the other gives
the defini-on or uses
it in a sentence.
Trade cards and
then repeat.
10

Vocabulary Drawing Game
This game will especially appeal to your visual learners! Here’s how to
play:
• Split your students into 2 (or more) teams and place a set of the
trading cards face down in the front of the room.
• Have a student from Team A come up to the white board (or
SMART board), take a card from the bogom of the deck and read
it silently, and try drawing it. (To make the game more difficult
don’t let students look at the side with the picture.)
• Students from both teams guess the vocabulary word being
drawn and whichever team guesses correctly first gets a point.
• Then a player from Team B comes up and the process starts over.
• Whichever team has the most points when all of the cards have
been used wins.
Vocabulary Acting Game
This game will especially appeal to your kinesthe-c learners! Follow
the same steps as above for the Drawing Game but instead of having
students draw the picture on the card have them act it out while teams
guess what word they are ac-ng!
11
groups
Trick or Truth:
A Funny Definition Game
This game can either be played by having students make up defini-ons
or by having them use the word in a sentence. Here’s how to play:
• Split your class into 2 groups and give every student a trading
card. Have them read the defini-on on their card and make up
two more incorrect (but believable) defini-ons on a notecard or
piece of paper.
• Have a student from Team A read the one correct defini-on and
both incorrect defini-ons in any order to Team B. Students from
Team B must guess the correct defini-on. If they get it right they
get the point and if not Team A gets the point.
• Then a player from Team B reads their three defini-ons and the
process starts over again.
• Whichever team has the most points at the end wins!
Word: Denominator
Real Definition:
The number below the bar in a fraction that tells how many
equal parts are in the whole.
Tricky/Funny Definition #1
The number above the bar in a fraction that tells how many
parts you’re talking about.
Tricky/Funny Definition #2
The movie sequel to “The Terminator”.
12

Memory Matching Game
Match the picture with the definition
To play this game, simply print the fronts and the backs of the cards out
single sided and have the students, or yourself, cut them up. Have
students pair up, shuffle the cards, and lay them face down in rows.
Students can then play memory with the cards by taking turns flipping
them over un-l they find a match (the picture side of the card and the
defini-on side). Once they find the match they get to keep those two
cards. Which ever player has the most cards at the end of the game wins!
13
Rock
Cycle
Rock
Cycle
Rock
Cycle
Rock
Cycle
Rock
Cycle
Rock
Cycle
Rock
Cycle
Igneous
Rock
1
Rock
Cycle
Rock
Cycle
Rock
Cycle
Igneous
Rock
Defini-on: A type of
rock that forms from
the cooling of molten
rock at or below the
surface.
Example: Igneous
rocks, which cool
slowly, form intrusive
rocks with large
crystals.
groups
Printing, Cutting, Storing
Creative, Fun Tips and Tricks
Printing
Here are several different op-ons for prin-ng out trading cards:
Trading Card Feel: Print double sided on card stock. You’ll
no<ce the cards are flipped on the sheets of paper so that
when you print them double sided they line up with each
other.
Laminate Them: Many teachers don’t have the resources
to print out color copies for the whole class but they can
print out one set and laminate it for use over and over
again.
Black and White: Print them out in black and white on
regular weight paper. This is the cheapest and easiest
method.
Memory Game: Print the cards out single sided but don’t
copy them back to back. This way when you cut them out
they’ll be blank on one side to play the memory game
with.
Cutting
Here are several op-ons for cuZng the cards:
Have your students do it!
Use a chop block: If you aren’t able to have your students
cut them, a chop block will save you -me and give you
straighter lines.
Don’t cut them at all. You can just leave them on whole
sheets, especially if you’re just using them to quiz your
students’ vocabulary!
14

Activities for different sized groups
9 Ways to Store/Organize
trading cards
Around Your
Neck
Make a Flip-
Book
Labeled Folder
Bin With Clips
Interactive
Notebook
Sport Card
Sleeve
Ziplock Bag On a ring Foldable Box
15
Activities for different sized groups
Try using Trading cards for free!
Cards for Math, Literacy, Science and Social Studies!
16
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All rights reserved. Purchase of this item en-tles the purchaser the right to reproduce the pages in
limited quan--es for classroom use only. Duplica-on for an en-re school, an en-re school system
or commercial purposes is strictly forbidden without wrigen permission from the author.
Copying any part of this product and placing it on the internet in any form (even a personal/
classroom website) is strictly prohibited and is a viola-on of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
(DMCA). If you would like to share this resource with another teacher, please purchase an
addi-onal license.
I truly hope you ﬁnd this product helpful and fun for you and your students! If you have any
ques-ons regarding this product, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Credits: All of the images used in this product were either created by Mr. Elementary or are
public domain, have been iden-ﬁed as being free of known restric-ons under copyright law, and
can be found on pixabay.com.
Find more trading cards for
every subject In My TPT Store!
For more ideas to make learning fun check out my blog at:
www.MrElementary.com
17
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math
Spanish
science
economics
social studies

Trading Card Manual.pdf

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