Bingo
Use the Bingo Tool
About Bingo:
This tool will make a set of Bingo cards for you. All you have to do is type in a list of questions and answers. Then print the cards. Bingo works particularly well for test reviews and for cementing vocabulary. Start with a list of questions and answers. You should have at least 25. The questions can be many words long, but their answers should be fairly short - only a few words.
How to use it:
You should print at least one card for every student. Take the question sheet and cut the questions into strips of paper. Put them in a hat or bucket. Once you have printed your cards distribute them to the class. Explain the rules of Bingo. Specify if the goal is to get a line, four corners, etc. Draw a random question from the hat and read it aloud. The students will look over their Bingo cards searching for the answer that matches the question. When they find a matching answer, they will mark it. When a student has completed a line (or whatever criteria you specified) to win the game, they must exclaim "Bingo!" Instruct students not to clear their cards until you have checked the winning card. Check the card against the questions that you have already drawn and read aloud. If the card did not win, continue until there is a valid winning card. If the card checks out, declare the student the winner and start a new game.
Tips, Tricks and Good Ideas:
- Everybody likes rewards and prizes. Bingo is fun, but it's even more fun if you're playing for a prize. Prizes can be simple, like gumballs, stickers, extra credit, the student's name on the chalk board as a trophy, or permission to leave class before everyone else.
- Be very clear about the rules. Students WILL complain if they think anything is unfair. Spare yourself, explain the rules.
- You can use Bingo chips or pennies to mark the answer squares on the Bingo cards. You can also have students tear up bits of paper. These all tend to get lost and left on the floor. If you laminate the cards, students can use dry erase markers and wipe the cards clean between games. Laminating also extends the life of the cards. For a quick game you can print multiple disposable sheets and allow students to mark squares permenantly with a pen or pencil.
- For beginning readers the question and answer can be the same word. The students hear the word spoken aloud and then search for the written word to match.
- Leave plenty of time after reading a question. The students must process the question and then search through 25 answers.
- A game of blackout, where all 25 squares must be covered to win, can take FOREVER.