Thursday, March 15, 2007

The Madness

Shhh. Can you hear the squeaking of shoes, the thumping of a rhythmic dribbling, the swish of the net? There is no better time of the year, other than MLB playoffs for the sport nut. However, NCAA tournament games, unlike other profession sports' playoff games, happen during the workday. For millions of people, trying to sneak a quick glimpse at the television or masking their internet connection becomes a necessity in order to keep track of their brackets.

For me, I just create a lesson plan around the tournament, providing a great reason to check in on my picks.
Here's how to create a lesson plan that includes March Madness:

Pre-College English: This one is simple. Students are in the process of deciding where they will attend college in the fall. Hand out the bracket, give them time to research their choices, and then ask them to pick one of the 65 teams to explore further. The students should find out the following information:
1. Where is the school located?
2. Is it private or public?
3. Tuition.
4. Enrollment numbers.
5. Degrees offered.
6. Campus Life opportunities.

Reading Support: Okay, a bit more difficulty. But, trying to figure out those dang brackets--specifically, where to write the winner of the games--can be complicated if you've never seen one before. You must teach the skill of deciphering text features. Second, you should give time to your students to compare and contrast the teams playing. Having the students read opinions and facts about each team gives them the confidence to pick their teams with evidence.

And just like that, you've created the opportunity to check in on game scores. But really, the actual learning doesn't seem like learning because even kids who couldn't tell you the difference between Naismith and Namath want to get involved.

1 Comments:

At 9:27 PM , Blogger Duez said...

Very interesting idea!

 

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