March is the perfect time to bring a little tournament excitement into your classroom, and this Trailblazer Tournament is such a fun way to do it.

Inspired by a March Madness-style bracket, this activity invites students to learn about scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and technology leaders while voting their way through each round until one trailblazer is crowned champion.

A Fun Way to Spotlight STEM Leaders

In this activity, teachers choose 16 trailblazers from the included spotlight cards and create a tournament bracket on a bulletin board or wall.

Basketball STEM Activity: Build a Thaumatrope

If you want a quick, high-engagement way to blend literacy and hands-on science, this lesson built around Billie Jean Peet, Athlete is an easy win.

Students enjoy the read-aloud, then explore how motion changes what we see by building a simple science toy called a thaumatrope. It’s the perfect science lesson for engaging kids during the March Madness NCAA Basketball Tournament.

The investigation has a clear goal: to see how spinning affects what our eyes see. Students make a prediction, test it, and explain what happened—practicing real scientific thinking with an elementary-friendly setup.