Vocabulary Bingo
Vocabulary Strategy: Fever 1793, Simon & Schuster, 2000
Context: Beginning a unit with vocabulary is most effective, so utilizing this instructional
routine before starting to read Fever 1793 will be most valuable for the students to obtain
needed knowledge to more fully understand the book. A list of vocabulary terms and the
page numbers where they appear in the book are listed in the directions below.
Statement of Purpose: Vocabulary acquisition is vital to understanding a novel, especially
one like Fever 1793. The older language, due to the book taking place in the late 1700s, as
well as the medical terminology accompanying the fever, may prove difficult for students.
Addressing these issues at the beginning of the unit in an engaging and informative way will
benefit the students throughout the whole unit. Using a "Bingo" approach will allow for a
greater connection between the word and its meaning. As students later come across terms
and phrases while reading, they will be able to refer back to this instructional routine (and
the handout that will accompany it) to make sure they comprehend as much of the book's
language as possible, lending themselves more time and focus to understanding the
important themes instead of getting caught up in difficult words.
Materials Needed:
 Bingo boards for each student
 Bingo markers (pennies, buttons, candies, etc.)
 Vocabulary Guide handout
 3 x 5 cards with the vocabulary words written on them for the teacher to lead the
activity and to later add to the word wall
Time: An entire class period (50 minutes)
Directions:
STEP 1: Give a brief descriptive of the book, Fever 1793, including time and setting. Inform
the students that there are some difficult words because of the time period the novel is set
in. We will be learning those terms today so we can be prepared to understand them when
we come across them in the reading.
STEP 2: Pass out the Vocabulary Guide handout to each student. Read over each term and
definition with them. Then pass out the Bingo boards and markers, and instruct them to
write all 24 vocabulary words in any order in the empty spaces. We will be playing Bingo, but
I will be reading out the definitions only. For the first few rounds, the students can use their
handouts to match the words with the definitions. Be sure to shuffle the cards after each
round. After each word has been used twice, the students will have to put their handouts
away and continue to play only relying on their knowledge of the vocabulary.
Cudworth, Hovey, BYU, 2012
STEP 3: Bingo is played by covering the space with the word that matches the definition just
read by the teacher. The goal is to obtain 5 spaces in a row (vertically, horizontally, or
diagonally). For example if I read, "A collection of china dishes, clay or mud vessels, etc."
then the students would have to match the definition to the word "crockery" and cover the
space with the same name on their board. Because the students wrote the words in random
order, different people will win different rounds. Play as many rounds as you have time for
in class to get the students familiar enough with the words and definitions.
STEP 4: After class, post all of the 3 x 5 cards with the vocabulary words written on them
up onto the word wall for students to refer to throughout the rest of the unit. Instruct them
to hold onto their Vocabulary Guide handouts in case they have questions throughout the
reading. Also encourage them to look up unfamiliar words they come across and add them
to the list, along with their definitions.
Assessment: Be aware of student participation throughout the Bingo activity and gauge
whether or not the students are correctly associating the vocabulary words with their
definitions. Allowing the students to be competitive will foster the transfer of information,
especially through the repetition of the activity. As you come across each word in the
context of the novel, pause and review the terms listed on the word wall, asking for the
students to explain what they mean. Have the students turn in the handouts at the end of the
unit and see how actively they sought out words they didn't recognize in the book, adding
them to their list.
Cudworth, Hovey, BYU, 2012
Fever 1793: Vocabulary Guide
Vocabulary Word
balderdash (pg. 21)
bilious (20)
bunkum (71)
Definition/Meaning
senseless, stupid, or exaggerated talk or writing; nonsense.
suffering from, caused by, or attended by trouble with the bile
or liver.
insincere talk; claptrap; humbug.
Continental (141)
a piece of paper currency issued by the Continental Congress
during the American Revolution; a small amount
cooperage (171)
the work or business of a cooper— a person who makes or
repairs casks, barrels, etc.
crockery (242)
demure (32)
a collection of china dishes, clay or mud vessels, etc.
characterized by shyness and modesty; reserved.
din (54)
a loud, confused noise; a continued loud or tumultuous
sound; noisy clamor.
droll (37)
amusing in an odd way; whimsically humorous; waggish.
fetid (210)
having an offensive odor; stinking.
flint and tinder (92)
a hard stone used to produce a spark to ignite a fire and any
dry substance that readily takes fire from a spark.
gaunt (219)
extremely thin and bony; haggard and drawn, as from great
hunger, weariness, or torture
grog shop (53)
haberdasher (215)
a poor quality place that sells liquor
a retail dealer in men's furnishings, as shirts, ties, gloves,
socks, and hats.
Cudworth, Hovey, BYU, 2012
lancet (72)
a small surgical instrument, usually sharp-pointed and twoedged, for making small incisions, opening abscesses, etc.
miasma (19)
pollution in the atmosphere, especially noxious vapors from
decomposing organic matter
necessary (24)
a toilet
noxious (20)
harmful or injurious to health or physical well-being
peckish (16)
somewhat hungry
petticoat (42)
an underskirt, especially one that is full and often trimmed
and ruffled and of a decorative fabric
scullery maid (117)
strongbox (24)
wench (146)
yellow fever (21)
the lowest-ranking of the female servants, acting as assistant
to a kitchen maid or cook of a great house
a strongly made, lockable box or chest for safeguarding
valuable possessions, as money, jewels, or documents
a girl or young woman
a severe, often fatal, infectious feverish disease of warm
climates, caused by an RNA virus transmitted by a mosquito,
and characterized by liver damage and jaundice.
Cudworth, Hovey, BYU, 2012
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VOCABULARY BINGO
FREE
Cudworth, Hovey, BYU, 2012