Body Bingo (all grades)

 

Author: Connie Gumbel, Prince Chapman Academy

 

Subject: Exploring Foreign Languages

 

Objective: To practice writing, reading, hearing and saying foreign words

 

Materials and Preparation: Students are given a paper with the outline of a person. The various body parts words are written in the target language with arrows to the various body parts.

 

Students are told the English counterpart and are instructed to write it next to or below the corresponding target language body part word.

 

When this activity is completed, students are given a blank bingo card. The center square has the word "free" written in the target language. Across the top, something in the target language, either Bingo, I won or some other phrase, is written.

 

Students write a body part word, both in English and in the target language, in any square they choose. They are also advised to put a mark on their body paper when they select a particular word so they do not accidentally use the same word twice.

 

Student Grouping: middle school students; no language arts grade below C

 

The Play: On Bingo day, teacher wears a feather boa (Bingo boa). Students get out completed Bingo cards. Bingo chips (kept in old film canisters) are distributed. Teacher calls out word in target language. In beginning, teacher says its English counterpart and may even spell it in the target language. Any student who gets five in a row - down, across, or diagonally - wins, yelling out the word(s) across the top of the paper.

 

The winning student then has to read the words in the winning row, in the target language, also giving the English counterpart. The winning student is then allowed to select from the Jolly Rancher can (an old coffee can). Students DO NOT clear their cards if one person wins. However, if one person wins twice, cards are cleared. If cards are cleared after every winner, game goes to slow and kids lose interest. The object of the game is to have the kids hear and read the words and then read them back.

 

Scoring: I keep track of winners on seating chart. Each winner gets a jolly rancher.

 

Comments or Variations: This game can be used with any words in the target language, as long as there are more than 24 words to choose from.