March Mammal Madness is an annual simulated, bracket-style tournament inspired by the NCAA basketball tournament, but featuring head-to-head battles between mammal and "alt-mammals" from across the tree of life.
Hosted by Arizona State University, and created by a team of scientists and field specialists, this national tournament provides opportunities for participants to predict who would win each match based upon each animal's (or sometimes plant's) behaviors, traits, armor, weaponry, fighting styles (or tendency to run away), temperament, speed, and physiology.
Participants research the combatants, study the biomes in which they will compete, and then start making predictions, narrowing down a starting 65 combatants to one final champion for the whole tournament. They fill out the whole bracket with predictions before the first match. Results of each simulated battle are sports-style narrated, with all of the science basis (and reference links) for the win included. A randomizer is used, allowing for some surprising upsets - keeping the tournament exciting!
At TNW, March Mammal Madness has been hosted in many of the high school live science and math classes, but this year was opened up to all families who wanted to participate. We had almost 50 learners and several full families play this year! How exciting! There were winners in several categories:
Top of class in pre-algebra: Jackson Hawkins (individual bracket)
Second place in pre-algebra: Evelyn Fisher, Evelyn Schmelzer, Jayden Clasby (team bracket)
Top of class in algebra 1: Abby Schumacher (individual bracket)
Tie for second place in algebra 1: Beowulf Laughlin-Koch and Lillian Breen (team bracket) and Audrey Fisher and Ray Chulik-Ruff (team bracket)
Third place in algebra 1: Rowan Ratafia (individual bracket)
Tie for top of class in Science and Science Fiction: Giselle Laughlin-Koch (individual bracket) and Morpheus Krell (individual bracket)
Second place in Science and Science Fiction: Isaac Stoneman (individual bracket)
Third place in Science and Science Fiction: Wyatt Leiker and Dorothea Chambers (team bracket)
Tie for top of class in Biology Through Story-lining: Ani Woolston (individual bracket) and Jessah Stoneman (individual bracket)
Second place in Biology Through Story-lining: Nathan Unger (individual bracket)
Top family bracket: The Howell family (team bracket)
Top Busted Bracketeer (lowest scoring bracket): Owen Miller (individual bracket)
TOP OF SCHOOL: Giselle Laughlin-Koch and Alec Turnbull (team bracket)
Congratulations to all participants and winners! In March Mammal Madness, a number is just a score. If you are learning, you are winning! Certificates and trophies have been sent out to participants and winners!