Literary+Terms+Bingo

Literary Terms Bingo is fun activity that I have decided will be one of my diagnostic assessment tools in my "teacher's toolbox". I have broken it down into an easy-to-read lay-out below, including my rationale for using it in my first-year. The teacher uses a well-known North American game of entertainment as a tool to assess the level of student knowledge and/or learning of literary theory in class within a fun and educational atmosphere.

It is useful for THREE reasons: 1) it can be used as both a diagnostic and a formative assessment, 2) it is an energizing activity, so it can be used to maintain student attention during classes at the beginning, middle or end of the school day, and 3) it’s **//__FUN!__//**

Students are each given a play-sheet that resembles a typical BINGO card, but the play area is 4 squares by 4 squares and instead of numbers, the teacher will have placed literary terms that are key to the lesson, unit, or subject overall. As the play area is only 4x4 (and 5 letters in BINGO), the B-I-N-G-O letters will //__not__// head each column. However, just //like// regular BINGO cards, each sheet must be unique! Students must also be given some play chips or small pieces of coloured paper to mark their play area. To play the game, the teacher will call out from a pre-prepared list of literary term definitions and the students will have to match these to the literary terms in their play area squares. Students who match 4 squares across, diagonally, or vertically yell BINGO and they win! To verify wins, the teacher will have the students read back the literary terms that gave BINGO. Not only will this confirm a valid win, but also illustrate the student’s knowledge. Upon confirmation, the teacher can give out small prizes to the winners. The teacher can have the students switch cards and play again to ensure further depth of student assessment.

Almost every English course can use this activity. For example, instead of literary terms, a teacher introducing a new unit on a particular novel or play can use this activity to assess whether or not students remember important themes, motifs or passages. This activity is simply a matter of linking student knowledge to a body of content, such as vocabulary, literary theory or a written work. This activity is so versatile, it can be adjusted so that students work in pairs in order to accommodate for those who require peer tutors/partners for assistance through scribing, oral explanations, increased time or ESL/ELD. This activity puts “fun” in functionality, and that is what I feel is key to keeping student attention and enhancing learning!

Ron F.