I'm not a true sports fan, but every year around March I become the most loyal bracket curator around. I used to stick March Madness brackets around my classroom and watch the highlights and red lines fill the space for three glorious and competitive weeks. Casual discussions about the latest upset and fun goading about bracket points carried students into class before the bell. I loved the fun and connection that came with the bracket even through my yearly losing record. How can we carry the madness of March from the court to the classroom? The simplest way to bring that energy into the curriculum is with ideas like Brave New Teaching's Poetry March Madness Brackets. The beauty of a bracket is its flexibility. Do you want a bracket about the most valuable element on the periodic table? Do it. Maybe a bracket around a praiseworthy historical figure of the time period you are currently studying? Create it. The learning will be in the criteria for determining what makes somet...