TEST Sweet Sixteen Bracket TEST

Activity could serve as an introduction to primary source analysis or a culmination of a research project. Students can complete the activity individually, in small groups, or as a whole class discussion. For grades 7-12.  Approximate time needed is 60-90 minutes.

Display the Sweet Sixteen bracket and the primary source documents. Inform students that 100 primary source documents were selected by a board of historians, archivists, and others.  These top 16 primary sources were then were selected after votes from thousands of people across the United States.  It will now be their task as a class to choose the most important document in US history.

1. If using this as a culminating activity following a research project into the historical background of one of the primary sources, you should allow each student (or group) explain the importance of their primary source document.  Then, you can let the class vote on which primary sources should win each matchup (for example X or Y).  After completing the first round of votes, students whose primary source documents moved on to the next round can reiterate why their document is the most important. Continue voting until one primary source is chosen as the winner.

2. If using this activity on its own, model the activity by choosing one of the matchups (for example, X and Y).  Click on both of the primary sources and ask students to consider the following:

• What is the historical context of this primary source?
• Why is this primary source document significant to US history?

After discussing both of the primary sources in this matchup, take a class vote about which do they feel is more significant to US history.  Ask several students to explain their votes and the reason why they felt that one document was more significant to US history.

After modeling the activity with one matchup, ask students individually or in small groups to continue this process with the other seven matchups in the first round.  Students should note which primary source document is winning each matchup and one reason for its victory (i.e. why that primary source document is more significant to US history).

Students should then continue into the next rounds of matchups and selections. Teachers can check in with students during the Final Four round or wait until each group has selected a winner.  Ask students to share their selection and the reasons it won.

If time allows, after each group shares their winner, the teacher can hold a final series of votes between the winners to choose a class Champion.