Now that Africa Bingo is nearing completion (waiting for what hopefully will be the final proof), we have started work on USA Bingo.
Something New
USA Bingo will be very similar to Africa Bingo with some important differences:
- In Africa Bingo the clues always have you in the country or countries adjoining the answer. In USA Bingo the students will be in the answer state needing to determine where they are by what states are around them.
- USA Bingo will bring a new element into the clues. If a mountain is mentioned, it is that state’s tallest mountain. If a bird is mentioned it is that state’s state bird. If an insect is mentioned, it is that state’s state insect. If a lake is mentioned it is that state’s largest lake. Anything mentioned in the clue will pertain to that state. These are secondary to knowing where the states are, but they will not be meaningless additions.
Here’s an example:
You are standing on the top of Mount Elbert at 14,440 feet. “Wait a minute, wait a minute. So these bingo players just happen to be standing on a Mountain? An extremely tall mountain? How did they get there? You don’t just end up on the top of a mountain. This is very irregular and I think I’m going to write my congressman about this. Did you make sure the players were dressed appropriately? What if they get frostbite? What if there are oxygen issues? I can see Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming from here. Wait a minute! Wait just a minute! How did I get here?! What state are we in, anyway? I need a jacket!”
That clue is for Colorado.
Something Old
As in Africa Bingo, there will be a quirky rhyme that gives a clue for both a state and its capital. Here’s an example:
The fee Nick’s paid for it is way too high,
Air in Zone A is free not something you buy.
Phoenix is the capital of Arizona.
USA Bingo’s planned publication is for the summer of 2020. Africa Bingo should be out within the next month.
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