Teaching

March Madness-Themed Lessons for Any Classroom

By Marina Whiteleather — April 01, 2025 1 min read
Vector illustration of a basketball going into a hoop. Blue sky and clouds in the background
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Teachers are scoring big with students by bringing the spirit of March Madness into the classroom.

Every year, college basketball teams face off in the NCAA tournament where even fair-weathered viewers turn into die-hard spectators. Fans can join the competition, filling out brackets that predict the outcomes of each game.

This year, more than 34 million brackets were submitted onto online platforms, such as ESPN and the NCAA website, and early games saw an average of 9.4 million viewers, giving teachers an opportunity to capitalize on the excitement.

Educators have long seen this cultural touchstone as a moment to engage students, such as this 2nd grade class that filled out a bracket last year and saw it emerge as one of the best in the country.

This year, Florida, Duke, Houston, and Auburn will compete for the championship prize on April 5 and April 7, so teachers spent March preparing for the big event with their students.

Teachers took to social media to share how they integrated March Madness into their lessons, no matter the subject.

Math

@maleah0426 I created a Math March Madness Bracket! Hope someone finds this useful and uses my lesson plan! Share and tag me if you do! 😊 #teacher #education #educational #lessonplans #lessonplanning #math #mathlesson #mathlessonwithme ♬ original sound - lele

Reading


History


Science


Social-emotional learning

@monicagentaed March Madness for Classrooms! Perfect for SEL activities! Students LOVE these and their engagement is 🔥 #teachersoftiktok #teacherlife #socialemotionallearning #sel #socialemotional #teacher #education #classroomideas ♬ Camera Multiple Clicking/Power Wind - General Sounds

Related Tags:

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Special Education Webinar
Hidden Costs of Special Ed Vacancies: Solutions for Your District
When provider vacancies hit, students feel it first. Hear what district leaders are doing to keep IEP-related services on track.
Content provided by Huddle Up
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Turn Athletic Facilities Into School-Wide Communication Hubs
Districts are turning idle scoreboards into revenue streams, student learning opportunities, and community platforms. See how yours can too.
Content provided by Digital Scoreboards
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Middle and High School Math: How to Get Struggling Learners on Track
Join this free virtual event to uncover the nature of students’ weaknesses in secondary-level math and find a path forward.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Teaching Opinion 'It’s Powerful’: How Teachers Can Turn Their Frustration Into Teachable Moments
Be open with students. It's important for them to see teachers as human beings with feelings.
11 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion Eat More Protein? Exercise More? Why Teachers Need Better Self-Care Advice
Many of us have heard the phrase “teacher tired,” but it’s worth naming what that actually means.
Kyna M. Engelhart
2 min read
Woman watering flowers growing from her head. Self-development, creativity, self-education concept.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + iStock/Getty
Teaching Opinion The Most Popular Instructional Strategies That Don't Work
Not every instructional approach is a winner. What to use and what to drop.
12 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion Students Don't Think School Matches Their Life Goals. How Can We Fix That?
Disengagement is not solved by overstuffed standards, tests, and pacing guides.
Robert C. Pianta
5 min read
a geometrical floor with the North Star in the center that becomes a space of listening. The colors of the floor enforce this idea of the meeting of the needs of education and students.
Francesca Gastone for Education Week