This article reflects on a theory put forward by Isaac Hunt III that was published in Social Education in 2006. He describes a classroom competition, modeled against NCAA college basketball tournaments, where the goal is to rate the historical significance of the people of the 20th century based on on argumentation and debate. The tournament stemmed from this teacher, Isaac Hunt, needing to spend time with his AP history student after they take the AP exams in May; after the exams, there was nothing else for the students to work on during the last month of class.
As stated above, May Madness is based on the NCAA basketball tournament, where the teacher brackets 64 historical figures and gives them seeds based on his perception of their level of importance. The teacher assigns two figures to each student and is given a week to decide on two people of his choice. When all the contestants are chosen, there is a week of study/research time in which students develop storylines for their figures based on primary and secondary source material. This is the main goal of the competition, to force students to thoroughly research their figures and develop compelling arguments based on source material.
Judging the competition is a panel of judges, whose numbers are not specified, but the author mentions that the number is odd, to avoid tie votes. Judges are recruited by the teacher outside of the classroom, providing an authentic audience and encouraging students to do better research. Past pageant judges have included the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt’s goddaughter, a DC Superior Court judge, a nationally syndicated journalist, and members of the DC Board of Education. Judges score students based on font choices and use, strength of argument and presentation, and more.
The day before the competition begins, the teacher and a colleague discuss figures of their own choosing, to provide an example of what is expected and how the process will take place. Students are the judges, giving them greater insight and practice with the rubric that will be used to measure their performance.
The format of the competition is as follows: first there is a four-minute introduction by both contestants in which the student presents the basic arguments; the next is a two-minute cross-examination by the opponent; then there are two-minute closing statements; finally, the judges have ten minutes (in total) to ask both students questions about their historical figures. When all of this is complete, the students leave the room while the judges tally up the scores. Before the students hear the results, the teacher gives his critique of their performances and offers advice for future rounds. After the judges offer their opinions, the winner is announced. This process is repeated until there is a final champion.
For my part, I love this competition. I think it’s a fantastic way to introduce students to in-depth primary research, which I’ve found in my college experience to be lacking in most college freshmen. I think the format of the tournament is key to keeping students excited about the project; Giving students a familiar system of competition relative to their interests is ingenious. I was also quite impressed with the list of judges that the professor was able to put together. Additionally, giving students the opportunity to judge and become familiar with the competition and rubric is a great way to ensure that students understand the expectations and goals of the project. One technique, as we have learned in this class, is very effective in increasing student achievement.
The two best things about May Madness are that it keeps kids focused on school and provides legitimate learning opportunities at the end of the year, a time when students are often sluggish, and that it caters to content areas outside the realm of the social sciences. Furthermore, the author explains that this competition is currently being approached as a possible inter-school tournament within the local school system. I can definitely see myself doing something like this in my classroom. I know from my own experience that students love it when the teacher keeps things fresh, and May Madness is as fresh as it gets.