WHAT IT IS:

The Bracket Challenge is a structured progressive debate strategy that requires students to adapt, collaborate, evaluate arguments, and adjust perspectives.

HOW IT WORKS:

In general, the teacher establishes a single, open-ended driving question and students individually or in teams research and defend a topic that answers the driving question.

The debate takes place in brief intervals where each team debates one other team at a time. The victor advances to debate the next team, and the vanquished joins the victor’s team to support the further development of arguments. Remember that the efficacy of each argument rests on the team’s ability to address the opposing topic. Because the opposing topic changes with each round, teams are encouraged to spend time researching and/or recomposing arguments between each round.
Victors are determined by audience vote (including teachers and students). The process continues until an ultimate victor is established.