Topical Bingo

A bingo-style game can be used with almost any topic. It would work best with material that can be matched or defined. Put either the definition of the answer on the bingo card and then call off the other.

Materials Needed:

• Bingo card made with definition or descriptions for topic (sample below)
• Markers for players (unless you do not want to re-use cards)
• Bingo “numbers” – the answers or descriptions that match those on the cards
  

Procedure: (Parts of the Constitution Bingo game - this particular game would be played after a lecture or other instruction on the Articles and Amendments of the Constitution)

• Hand out bingo cards and ask if anyone doesn’t know how to play.
• Tell students that the teacher will name the title or brief description of an Article or Amendment of the Constitution and they need to write that title or description in the square with its Number.
• When a student gets a bingo, they will call out “Bingo” and then we will go through their answers to make sure they are right.
• Play can continue or be restarted.
• Teacher must keep track of what has been called.

Other ways to play:

• Let students look at notes, after telling them what the topic is, for a short and defined amount of time before playing.
• Put students in pairs or small groups with one bingo board so they can discuss their choices.
  

Other Notes:

• Boards can be made different by creating board in an excel worksheet and then sorting the cells on each board separately. Sort half the board at a time if needed.
• Once all the items have been used, be sure to go over them all and discuss so the boards could be used as a review sheet.
  

A very small list of Possible Topics:

• Parts of the Constitution
• Presidents
• Executive Offices
• People currently in Executive Offices
• States
• Capitals (State or Country)
• Major battles of the Civil or Revolutionary War

Sample "Parts of the Constitution" Bingo Board

1st Amendment	6th Amendment	Article 7	13th Amendment
Article 5	Free	25th Amendment	Article 2
2nd Amendment	Article 1	8th Amendment	3rd Amendment
19th Amendment	10th Amendment	Article 6	26th Amendment
Article 4	4th Amendment	18th Amendment	Article 3

--Jane Peterson