Crystal Symmetry Bingo

By Dr. Audrey C. Rule
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa
audrey.rule@uni.eduy

Copyright 1997, The Clay Minerals Society

Permission is given to teachers to reproduce this work for classroom use only. All other rights reserved. Sale, distribution, or other reproduction of this work is expressly prohibited without written permission from The Clay Minerals Society.

A pdf file can be downloaded that contains all of the images necessary to play Crystal Symmetry Bingo. Click here to download the file.

Game Directions:

Age Range of Players: Ages 8 years to adult

Objective: This game provides students with practice in recognizing the point symmetry of designs.

Preparation of the Game: Photocopy each page of this game onto light colored heavy card stock paper. Laminate each page if possible. Cut apart the four game cards on each page and the nine calling cards on the other page. Assemble a set of buttons, pennies or Bingo chips to use as markers during play.

How to Play:

- Each player is given a Symmetry Bingo Card and several markers.

- The calling cards are shuffled and placed face down in a stack.

- The caller chooses the first calling card from the stack and says the point symmetry symbol, for example, "3m". Players search their cards to find a design with that point symmetry. All cards contain designs with each of the nine point symmetries. The player covers the correct design with a marker.

- The caller then calls the next point symmetry symbol.

- Play continues until someone finds that he/she has marked three designs in a row. The player calls, "Bingo!" The player must correctly identify all three designs that form the row. The caller checks them using the calling cards.

- All players trade cards. The winner becomes the caller for the next round of Symmetry Bingo.