I’ve been using online games to review content with my students for a long time now. Kids love games like Kahoot, Quizlet Live, Gimkit and others. Recently, I’ve noticed that my students aren’t as excited to play. When I asked them why, I get answers like “We use Kahoot in every class now” or “I just played Quizlet Live last period.” Bottom line, I think kids are getting tired of them! So, I decided to ask my students: “Got any ideas? What would you like to play?”
One student said, “What about Bingo?” In unison, the rest of the class yelled “YES!” That got me to thinking… it’s time to create an old school Bingo game for my class.
Why Bingo?
The thing I like about Bingo is that I am still controlling the game and content. I choose what topics, the level, and amount of questions I ask. On the student side, they have to LISTEN. Crazy concept, right? If they miss a question, they miss out on an opportunity to win.
As I observed students playing, I could tell immediately if they didn’t remember a concept. They would sort of look around at each other with that look of “Am I right?” If I saw this look in several students, I would make a note of that concept and reteach it at the end of class.
So how do you quickly make a Bingo game for your class?
Some teachers will put the terms on the whiteboard or screen for students to make their own Bingo cards. If you do this, I suggest you make create more than 25 terms. This way students can pick from the list and their boards will be different.
Simply create a blank board (use notebook paper or computer paper) and have students write the terms in anywhere they wish. As a teacher, all you need are your questions. I cut mine up and put them in a bowl so that I could “draw” a question each time. Of course, I always try and add some drama to the game. Drawing from a bowl just amps it up a notch! If you want to save yourself some time, I have Bingo games already created for both 8th grade and 11th Grade US History!
I made my own cards and laminated them. I gave my students dry erase markers to “mark” their squares each round. They just erased after each game. I’ve also taken paper I was about to recycle and cut it up into small squares for the markers. You could also use beans, candy or whatever you have available!
After each game, I had students exchange their cards with another student. By doing this, students are exposed to different terms. I also changed the game each time. Sometimes we played traditional Bingo, sometimes we played 4 corners, or even blackout! Mix it up! There aren’t many hard and fast rules to Bingo, right?
I asked my students for feedback at the end of our first game and they all loved it. They said it was a great break from online reviews and I agreed. Low tech review for the win!
If you’re looking for another fun game to play with your history students, Swat the Star is another favorite game of mine! You can read more about Swat the Star on this blog post.
