Literary terms review game BINGO!

This literary terms review activity will be a crowd pleaser. Use one of the world’s most popular games to motivate students to learn literary terms! Only if they know the answers to your bingo caller questions do they have a chance at victory.

Included in this resource is:
how to play guidelines
a bingo game sheet for students
a 3 page definitions handout of the 54 literary terms this game tests
a list of terms for students to select from to make up their card
54 bingo caller question cards

Pre-game review
Post or distribute the list of 54 literary terms and definitions included with this game. Give the students some time to brush up their knowledge before you commence the bingo bonanza. Explain that you, as bingo caller, will be asking questions about the terms, and only if they know what term you are asking about will they be able to circle or highlight the number that corresponds to the literary term. Here is an example of a question:
“Mrs Dursley was thin and blond and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck.” Which device is used in these lines by JK Rowling?
At this point, the knowledgeable student would circle the number corresponding to HYPERBOLE if they have it on their bingo card.
For your convenience, the answers are included on the teacher question cards.

Pre-game set-up
Teacher set-up. You have to photocopy one bingo card for each student every time you play. You only have to copy the pages of questions and cut them into strips once; keep them in an envelope and they will last you for the rest of your career!
Student set-up. The most educational part of the game for students is filling in their card from the list of 54 words: they have to choose 25 words from the list and write (correctly spelled!) one literary term in each square. The most alert students will only fill in the words they know, so if you want to motivate them into even more review you could insist that they make a card for the person next to them, and then swap.

How to win
Students get two chances to win. The first way is by getting a diagonal line, a line down, OR a line across. Then the class goes on to a full house; all of the squares must be completed.

Skills that the game tests
Not only do students have to know literary terms, but also focus is needed during the game to work out which term they are being questioned on. With some of the more complex words, clues are provided, such how many letters the term has, or the letter it begins with.

Please note that this game is included in my 80 English Games and Activities Games, years 6-9

If you write a review of this resource, I would be happy to forward you a copy of any single product in my shop in recognition of your time if you send me your email.