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Paraphrasing is an essential skill for many types of writing, but a difficult one to master. Each of these 32 paraphrasing task cards features a different informational text (nonfiction) paragraph for students to paraphrase. These paragraphs are ideal for working on this skill because their shorter length will not overwhelm your students, but will still provide plenty of practice!

There are two different student answer sheets for you to choose from, and also a recording sheet for students to track their progress as they work on the cards. Though answers may vary, students can check their work on the included sample answer key. In addition, you will find three Challenge Cards that can be used with any other card in the set to extend learning, and a “Paraphrase It!” poster for your classroom.

Print this set out in color. For black and white printing, please use the included black line version. If you are printing in black and white, consider printing on colored paper. Simply print and cut along the guidelines. Laminate and use them again and again. Alternatively, you could print on cardstock. It works well to keep them in a baggie. Another option is to hole-punch a corner of each card and put them all on a ring. A Cover Card for you to label the container or baggie you use to store the cards is also included.

This is Set 2, and is leveled for grades 4/8. For a set of less challenging sentence Paraphrase It! Task Cards you can look for Set 1 (grades 2/4) in the task card section of my TpT store.

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PARAPHRASE IT! TASK CARDS (Set 2)PARAPHRASE IT! TASK CARDS (Set 2)

There are about 4,000 different species of frogs. Frogs have adapted to live in many different climates. They can live in the cool mountains, in the dry desert, or in tropical rainforests. Most frogs are harmless, but the poison dart frog of South America is one of the most toxic animals on the planet!

There are about 4,000 different species of frogs. Frogs have adapted to live in many different climates. They can live in the cool mountains, in the dry desert, or in tropical rainforests. Most frogs are harmless, but the poison dart frog of South America is one of the most toxic animals on the planet!

PARAPHRASE

IT!

PARAPHRASE

IT!

PARAPHRASE

IT!

PARAPHRASE

IT!

PARAPHRASE

IT!

PARAPHRASE

IT!

Rewrite this paragraph in yourown words.Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman to earn a medical degree in the United States. After being rejected by several schools, Blackwell was finally admitted to Geneva Medical School in New York in 1847. In 1849, she graduated first in her class.

Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman to earn a medical degree in the United States. After being rejected by several schools, Blackwell was finally admitted to Geneva Medical School in New York in 1847. In 1849, she graduated first in her class.

PARAPHRASE

IT!

PARAPHRASE

IT!

Paraphrase It! Task Cards (Set 2) created by Rachel Lynette, Copyright © 2014-2019. All rights reserved. http://www.rachel-lynette.com

Rewrite this paragraph in yourown words.

Teens in the United States are well connected. According the the Pew Research Center, 78% of teens ages 12-17 have cell phones and 37% of those teens have smartphones. A survey from Common Sense reported that 68% of teens text every day.

Teens in the United States are well connected. According the the Pew Research Center, 78% of teens ages 12-17 have cell phones and 37% of those teens have smartphones. A survey from Common Sense reported that 68% of teens text every day.

Rewrite this paragraph in yourown words.

Rewrite this paragraph in yourown words.

An archipelago is a group of islands. Most archipelagoes were formed from volcanoes that erupted from the ocean floor. Some archipelagoes were formed after the last ice age. As the glaciers retreated, the sea level rose. Mountains along the coast became archipelagos.

An archipelago is a group of islands. Most archipelagoes were formed from volcanoes that erupted from the ocean floor. Some archipelagoes were formed after the last ice age. As the glaciers retreated, the sea level rose. Mountains along the coast became archipelagos.

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PARAPHRASE

IT!

PARAPHRASE

IT!

PARAPHRASE

IT!

PARAPHRASE

IT!

PARAPHRASE

IT!

PARAPHRASE

IT!

PARAPHRASE

IT!

PARAPHRASE

IT!

There are about 4,000 different species of frogs. Frogs have adapted to live in many different climates. They can live in the cool mountains, in the dry desert, or in tropical rainforests. Most frogs are harmless, but the poison dart frog of South America is one of the most toxic animals on the planet!

There are about 4,000 different species of frogs. Frogs have adapted to live in many different climates. They can live in the cool mountains, in the dry desert, or in tropical rainforests. Most frogs are harmless, but the poison dart frog of South America is one of the most toxic animals on the planet!

Rewrite this paragraph in yourown words.Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman to earn a medical degree in the United States. After being rejected by several schools, Blackwell was finally admitted to Geneva Medical School in New York in 1847. In 1849, she graduated first in her class.

Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman to earn a medical degree in the United States. After being rejected by several schools, Blackwell was finally admitted to Geneva Medical School in New York in 1847. In 1849, she graduated first in her class.

Rewrite this paragraph in yourown words.

Teens in the United States are well connected. According the the Pew Research Center, 78% of teens ages 12-17 have cell phones and 37% of those teens have smartphones. A survey from Common Sense reported that 68% of teens text every day.

Teens in the United States are well connected. According the the Pew Research Center, 78% of teens ages 12-17 have cell phones and 37% of those teens have smartphones. A survey from Common Sense reported that 68% of teens text every day.

Rewrite this paragraph in yourown words.

Rewrite this paragraph in yourown words.

An archipelago is a group of islands. Most archipelagoes were formed from volcanoes that erupted from the ocean floor. Some archipelagoes were formed after the last ice age. As the glaciers retreated, the sea level rose. Mountains along the coast became archipelagos.

An archipelago is a group of islands. Most archipelagoes were formed from volcanoes that erupted from the ocean floor. Some archipelagoes were formed after the last ice age. As the glaciers retreated, the sea level rose. Mountains along the coast became archipelagos.

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Paraphrase It! Task Cards (Set 2) created by Rachel Lynette, Copyright © 2014-2019. All rights reserved. http://www.rachel-lynette.com

PARAPHRASE

IT!

PARAPHRASE

IT!

PARAPHRASE

IT!

PARAPHRASE

IT!

PARAPHRASE

IT!

PARAPHRASE

IT!

Challenge Card #2

Add a topic sentence and aconcluding sentence to yourparagraph.

Add a topic sentence and aconcluding sentence to yourparagraph.

Challenge Card #1PARAPHRASE IT!PARAPHRASE IT!

Task Cards Task Cards

Challenge Card #3

Use the library or internet to do more

research about the topic on the card.

Then rewrite the paragraph to include

three new facts that you learned.

Use the library or internet to do more

research about the topic on the card.

Then rewrite the paragraph to include

three new facts that you learned.

Set 2Set 2

Summarize theparagraph on the card.Summarize theparagraph on the card.

Paraphrase It! Task Cards (Set 2) created by Rachel Lynette, Copyright © 2014-2019. All rights reserved. http://www.rachel-lynette.com

PARAPHRASE IT!PARAPHRASE IT!

PARA

ut the text in your own words.

void copying the text.

earrange similar text.

sk yourself if you

included all the important points.

PARA

void copying the text.

earrange similar text.

sk yourself if you

included all the important points.

ut the text in your own words.ut the text in your own words.

Paraphrase It! Task Cards (Set 2) created by Rachel Lynette, Copyright © 2014-2019. All rights reserved. http://www.rachel-lynette.com

Name:

Date:

Name:

Date:

dra #C dra #C

Paraphrase It! Task Cards (Set 2) created by Rachel Lynette, Copyright © 2014-2019. All rights reserved. http://www.rachel-lynette.com

PARAPHRASE IT!PARAPHRASE IT! Answer SheetAnswer Sheet PARAPHRASE IT!PARAPHRASE IT! Answer SheetAnswer SheetUse the lines to paraphrase the paragraph on the card.Use the lines to paraphrase the paragraph on the card. Use the lines to paraphrase the paragraph on the card.Use the lines to paraphrase the paragraph on the card.

Name: Date: rda #C rda #C

Paraphrase It! Task Cards (Set 2) created by Rachel Lynette, Copyright © 2014-2019. All rights reserved. http://www.rachel-lynette.com

PARAPHRASE IT!PARAPHRASE IT! Answer SheetAnswer SheetUse the lines to paraphrase the paragraph on the card. Then illustrate your paragraph.Use the lines to paraphrase the paragraph on the card. Then illustrate your paragraph.

Name:

Use this chart to keep track of the Paraphrase It! Task Cards that you have completed. Remember to have your teacher initial or stamp the column.

Use this chart to keep track of the Paraphrase It! Task Cards that you have completed. Remember to have your teacher initial or stamp the column.

PARAPHRASE IT!PARAPHRASE IT! Recording SheetRecording Sheet

Card ·# Date completed Card ·# Date completed

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Paraphrase It! Task Cards (Set 2) created by Rachel Lynette, Copyright © 2014-2019. All rights reserved. http://www.rachel-lynette.com

Name:

Use this chart to keep track of the Paraphrase It! Task Cards that you have completed. Remember to have your teacher initial or stamp the column.

Use this chart to keep track of the Paraphrase It! Task Cards that you have completed. Remember to have your teacher initial or stamp the column.

PARAPHRASE IT!PARAPHRASE IT! Recording SheetRecording Sheet

Card ·# Date completed Card ·# Date completed

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The first woman to earn a medical degree in the US was Elizabeth Blackwell. She was rejected by several medical schools, but then she got into a school in New York called Geneva Medical School in 1847. She was first in her class when she graduated in 1849.

AnswerCard #

2

Groups of islands, called archipelagos, can be formed in two ways. When volcanoes on the bottom of the ocean erupt, they can form archipelagos. That is how most archipelagos are formed, but they can also be formed by glaciers as they melt and the sea level rises around the mountains near the coast.

3

The Pew Research Center found that 78% of teens between the ages of 12 and 17 have cell phones. Of those, 37% have smartphones. According to a survey by Common Sense, 68% of teens say that they text daily.

4

The poison dart frog is one of the most poisonous animals in the world. It lives in South America, but there are frogs all over the planet. Frogs can live in many different climates including deserts, mountains, or rainforests. There are about 4,000 different kinds of frogs.

5

The Statue of Liberty originally came to the United States in 214 packing cases. It had been designed in France by a sculptor named Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. The statue was a gift to the US. Once it was assembled, the statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886 by President Grover Cleveland.

AnswerCard #

6

The board game Monopoly is more than 100 years old. In the 1930s during the Great Depression people played Monopoly to forget about the money problems they were having in real life, which is how it got so popular. There used to be a playing piece that was shaped like an iron, but it was recently replaced with a cat.

7

There are more than seven miles of corridors in the Pentagon! Located in Washington DC, it is the largest office building in the world. Even though it is really big, thanks to it’s geometric shape, it won’t take you more than seven minutes to walk from one part of the building to any other part of the building.

8

There are six Star Wars movies at present, but a new one will be coming out in 2015 and two more are scheduled after that. The Star Wars movies have been extremely popular ever since the first one came out in 1977.

PARAPHRASE IT!PARAPHRASE IT!Sample Answer Key

for cards 1-8Sample Answer Key

for cards 1-8These are some possible answers. Answers will vary by student.These are some possible answers. Answers will vary by student.

Paraphrase It! Task Cards (Set 2) created by Rachel Lynette, Copyright © 2014-2019. All rights reserved. http://www.rachel-lynette.com

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Credits Copyright/Terms of Use: This resource was created by Rachel Lynette, copyright 2014-2019. It may be printed and photocopied by the original purchaser for single classroom and personal use only and may not be put on the internet, used within a mobile app, sold, altered, or distributed in any form. If you would like to share it with your colleagues, please purchase multiple licenses from the product page on Teachers Pay Teachers.