11th Grade AP US History Final Project Debate "May Madness"

This is a fantastic activity to run after your students have taken the AP US History test. Instead of just watching historical films for the remaining portion of the semester, why not allow your students to do what they do best- argue with each other! This debate allows some students to act as an American president and some of the class members are historical figures that will be evaluating their job performance in a series of debates that is modeled after the March Madness basketball tournament. Each round has a specific set of topics that the presidents will debate and, if successful, will move on in the tournament to the championship round.

My students told me that this was one of the most engaging and exciting activities of the year.

Materials Needed:
Prizes for the winning team (optional)
Bracket- digital or poster in the classroom
Timer
Scoring Rubric Copies